What... Me Worry?
ISSUE
I’d like to begin this morning by reminding we Christians... that entrance into God’s Kingdom is the chief gift of God to Christians! What is not clear to me is how today’s message agrees or conflicts with other denominations... so, please share your understanding during our discussion. In response to God’s gracious gift, a favorite sermon topic was the desire to become useful instruments of God’s grace.
A world renown professor of mine, and now Dean of Harvard Divinity School, writes... Methodist spirituality is distinguished by its emphasis on scriptural holiness and taking personal responsibility for our spiritual destiny. Two theological terms concerning spiritual destiny include atonement, which is universal, and salvation, which is conditional. More plainly, Christ’s sacrificial death has already atoned or forgiven every human their sins... nothing more required. Salvation, on the other hand, is offered to every human, but is requires every individual to sincerely accept Jesus died on that cross for their personal sins. [1Cor 15: 1-6]
The spectrum of Christian believers from the 1st CE until now, ranges from the fervent believers... to those unconcerned with their spiritual destiny... who might say: it is... whatever it is; or as one of my childhood heroes would say: what, me worry? Whether or not we respond to God’s gracious offer depends on the value each person places on salvation.
For example, neighbors of ours in Massachusetts were intelligent, caring, “good people”... that did not believe in salvation, nor any higher power. John and Vicky believed that after this earthly life, bodies are buried and simply decompose in the casket. Their philosophy might be summed up by Blood, Sweat and Tears in the song And When I Die... saying: I can swear there ain’t no heaven... but I pray there ain’t no hell.
On the other hand, Christians to some extent... care whether they are cast away from God into some outer darkness, with weeping and gnashing of teeth... or invited to accompany Jesus, at the Great Banquet. Norman Greenbaum’s lyrics describes Christian heaven as being the place that’s the best! I’ve got a friend in Jesus... and when I die, and they lay me to rest... Jesus will recommend me to the Spirit in the Sky.
SCRIPTURE
So, because atonement is universal, we are all forgiven, but our salvation or spiritual destiny depends on believing that Christ died for us personally... so, let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church he started at Philippi:
Therefore, my beloved, work out your own salvation... with fear and trembling! Do things without complaining, says Paul, that you may become children of God without fault... in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation... among whom you shine as lights in the world. So, in Paul’s perverse generation, salvation was not universal, but conditional, requiring each person to work out their own salvation. As human agents or ambassadors for Christ... we must choose to become useful instruments of God’s grace... and a light unto the world.
APPLYING SCRIPTURE
Applying this scripture in today’s crooked and perverse generation... Paul exhorts this Munsonville church: My beloved, work out your own salvation... with fear and trembling!
Some Munsonville neighbors, as in Paul’s time, are uninterested in pleasing God or pursing salvation... while others please God by living compassionately among their neighbors.
I suspect the purpose of the Final Judgment is for Christ to assess whether doubters and skeptics have worked out their own salvation. Where the rubber meets Granite Lake Road, is when those neighbors simply believing themselves to be a “good person”... expect to be saved. From previous biblical examples... many “good people” did not escape God’s condemnation.
Like any parent reprimands their child... God reprimands mankind. Unlike human parents reprimanding their child... God often afflicts large people groups for ignoring God... for instance: Jonah saved all the Ninevites, David punished all the Philistines, all Egyptians lost their first born... and the beloved kingdoms of both Israel and Judah perished.
So, what about my unbelieving neighbors... John and Vicky? For being kind, caring neighbors... do you think they escaped the Final Judgment? Another part of our answer comes from John 3:18. In his own words, Jesus says: He who believes in the Son of God is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already... because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So, this is where Paul’s exhortation fits nicely: my beloved, work out your own salvation or condemnation with fear and trembling.
Even though I was honored to officiate at the funeral of this “good” man... John’s unbelief set his destiny. John and Vicky both refused to believe in God Son and refused to work out their own salvation. I doubt God was just fooling around when saying John and Vicky are condemned for not believing in God’s only begotten Son. If you can believe many biblical scholars... the alternative to salvation is far worse than just decomposing in one’s casket.
As a result of divine love, the possibility of salvation... should inspire a willing human response. Our recent scriptures claim that God lovingly sent His Son into this world with a New Covenant for every person... so that every person still has the possibility of being saved from their sins. And whoever accepts that Jesus died for their sins... will not perish in darkness... but is worthy of eternal life in the City of God.
May we all grow with diligence... in virtue, knowledge, self-control and brotherly kindness. Do this, and the Apostle Peter says: we’ll have our life on a firm footing, the streets paved... and the way wide open... into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. [2 Petr 1: 11]
I’d like to begin this morning by reminding we Christians... that entrance into God’s Kingdom is the chief gift of God to Christians! What is not clear to me is how today’s message agrees or conflicts with other denominations... so, please share your understanding during our discussion. In response to God’s gracious gift, a favorite sermon topic was the desire to become useful instruments of God’s grace.
A world renown professor of mine, and now Dean of Harvard Divinity School, writes... Methodist spirituality is distinguished by its emphasis on scriptural holiness and taking personal responsibility for our spiritual destiny. Two theological terms concerning spiritual destiny include atonement, which is universal, and salvation, which is conditional. More plainly, Christ’s sacrificial death has already atoned or forgiven every human their sins... nothing more required. Salvation, on the other hand, is offered to every human, but is requires every individual to sincerely accept Jesus died on that cross for their personal sins. [1Cor 15: 1-6]
The spectrum of Christian believers from the 1st CE until now, ranges from the fervent believers... to those unconcerned with their spiritual destiny... who might say: it is... whatever it is; or as one of my childhood heroes would say: what, me worry? Whether or not we respond to God’s gracious offer depends on the value each person places on salvation.
For example, neighbors of ours in Massachusetts were intelligent, caring, “good people”... that did not believe in salvation, nor any higher power. John and Vicky believed that after this earthly life, bodies are buried and simply decompose in the casket. Their philosophy might be summed up by Blood, Sweat and Tears in the song And When I Die... saying: I can swear there ain’t no heaven... but I pray there ain’t no hell.
On the other hand, Christians to some extent... care whether they are cast away from God into some outer darkness, with weeping and gnashing of teeth... or invited to accompany Jesus, at the Great Banquet. Norman Greenbaum’s lyrics describes Christian heaven as being the place that’s the best! I’ve got a friend in Jesus... and when I die, and they lay me to rest... Jesus will recommend me to the Spirit in the Sky.
SCRIPTURE
So, because atonement is universal, we are all forgiven, but our salvation or spiritual destiny depends on believing that Christ died for us personally... so, let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church he started at Philippi:
Therefore, my beloved, work out your own salvation... with fear and trembling! Do things without complaining, says Paul, that you may become children of God without fault... in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation... among whom you shine as lights in the world. So, in Paul’s perverse generation, salvation was not universal, but conditional, requiring each person to work out their own salvation. As human agents or ambassadors for Christ... we must choose to become useful instruments of God’s grace... and a light unto the world.
APPLYING SCRIPTURE
Applying this scripture in today’s crooked and perverse generation... Paul exhorts this Munsonville church: My beloved, work out your own salvation... with fear and trembling!
Some Munsonville neighbors, as in Paul’s time, are uninterested in pleasing God or pursing salvation... while others please God by living compassionately among their neighbors.
I suspect the purpose of the Final Judgment is for Christ to assess whether doubters and skeptics have worked out their own salvation. Where the rubber meets Granite Lake Road, is when those neighbors simply believing themselves to be a “good person”... expect to be saved. From previous biblical examples... many “good people” did not escape God’s condemnation.
Like any parent reprimands their child... God reprimands mankind. Unlike human parents reprimanding their child... God often afflicts large people groups for ignoring God... for instance: Jonah saved all the Ninevites, David punished all the Philistines, all Egyptians lost their first born... and the beloved kingdoms of both Israel and Judah perished.
So, what about my unbelieving neighbors... John and Vicky? For being kind, caring neighbors... do you think they escaped the Final Judgment? Another part of our answer comes from John 3:18. In his own words, Jesus says: He who believes in the Son of God is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already... because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So, this is where Paul’s exhortation fits nicely: my beloved, work out your own salvation or condemnation with fear and trembling.
Even though I was honored to officiate at the funeral of this “good” man... John’s unbelief set his destiny. John and Vicky both refused to believe in God Son and refused to work out their own salvation. I doubt God was just fooling around when saying John and Vicky are condemned for not believing in God’s only begotten Son. If you can believe many biblical scholars... the alternative to salvation is far worse than just decomposing in one’s casket.
As a result of divine love, the possibility of salvation... should inspire a willing human response. Our recent scriptures claim that God lovingly sent His Son into this world with a New Covenant for every person... so that every person still has the possibility of being saved from their sins. And whoever accepts that Jesus died for their sins... will not perish in darkness... but is worthy of eternal life in the City of God.
May we all grow with diligence... in virtue, knowledge, self-control and brotherly kindness. Do this, and the Apostle Peter says: we’ll have our life on a firm footing, the streets paved... and the way wide open... into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. [2 Petr 1: 11]