You know, you just thought Christianity was easy.
You just thought it was a piece of cake to be a Christian.
And in a manner of speaking, you are right. It is easy to be a Christian. At its core is the Gospel proclamation that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. There is nothing we have to do to earn salvation. There is nothing we have to do to earn the love of God. There is nothing we have to do to initiate a relationship with God. He takes care of all of that for us.
Paul says it this way in the book of Ephesians, " 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast."
Yes, it is not our works that lead to salvation; it is Jesus’ work on the cross that leads to life. It is Jesus’ death and resurrection that leads us to eternal life. Jesus paid the price. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross led to our redemption. He accomplished what we could never, ever accomplish on our own. God’s mercy; God’s love; God’s peace, and God’s joy rain down on you and me even though we didn’t and can’t do anything to earn them.
Ah, and if we have to do nothing to earn God’s love, that makes Christianity pretty easy. As Paul again says in Romans chapter 10 verse 9, "9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
What more do we have to do? What more do we need to worry about? All is taken care of for the one who believes. Christianity therefore becomes very, very easy.
But what if, just for the sake of argument, we pretend that we are brought to our knees by what Jesus Christ has done for us. What if for a moment we pause as we realize the great price Jesus paid for us with His pain; with His suffering; with His death. What if, just for the sake of argument, we are moved with thankfulness and awe and wonder by what He has done. What if in those moments as we contemplate such things we find ourselves inspired, motivated, and deeply desiring to offer a response to what Jesus first did for us? What if in those moments of contemplation we find ourselves so overwhelmed by God’s goodness that we desire to live a life that seeks to honor Him and thank Him for the marvelous gifts He has bestowed upon us? What if in these moments we stop and say to our God, "Father in heaven, I know there is nothing I can do to earn your love. You have given it to me freely and undeservedly through your Son. You have done so much for me, can I do something for You?"
And, just to keep the argument going, let’s say that God used a man to write a message to you and to me. And in that message that man wrote these words, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
"Wait a minute," you might say. "Is that even possible? How can I have the same mind as Jesus? Isn’t there anything else I can do? Can’t I just go to church once a month or so? Can’t I just put a little bit of money in the offering plate? Can’t I just pray for people I know who are sick or in trouble? Can’t I just do a random act of kindness or two?"
And the reply remains unchanged, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus who though He was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but He humbled himself and became obedient unto death–even death on a cross."
"But do I have to do that? Do I have to be humble? Do I have to be completely obedient? Do I have to set aside my hopes and my dreams and my desires and focus on Your will for my life? Do I have to really seek to see like Jesus saw? Think like Jesus thought? Do the things Jesus did? Obey the commands He gave to us? Surely, You don’t really mean this do you, God? After all, I am saved by grace through faith. That’s enough, isn’t it? I don’t have to really do all this stuff, do I?"
The answer is, it depends on what your heart’s desire becomes after you have experienced the grace of God. Are you content to call yourself a Christian in name only, or do you wish to be a disciple.
As St. Paul says, "Let the same mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus."
Or as Dietrich Bonhoeffer the German theologian who wrote the Christian classic, The Cost of Discipleship, put it this way, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."
And you just thought Christianity was easy. Amen.
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