Have you ever felt as lost as Costello in “Who’s on First” when trying to figure out this whole Christianity thing?
It all seemed so simple when I first said that short prayer as a ten year old boy. Just believe that Jesus is the Son of God that died for my sins and ask him to be in my heart. At that point, my sins consisted of being mean to my little brother and sometimes not obeying my mom and dad. If believing in Jesus would save me from hell and the devil then I was all for that.
It started to get a little more complicated when puberty hit. As a teenager, suddenly my sins started mounting up and I began this endless cycle of guilt and confession. Finally, at some point I found it was easier to justify my behavior than feel guilty about it.
Christianity became real easy once I just ignored it all together.
Who’s on First? I don’t care. It wasn’t very complicated at all. I had my prayer done and my eternity ticket punched.
Fortunately for me, it was not just up to me.
Romans 8:29 (ESV)
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
God pursued me and would not let me cast him aside. You can read my story in detail under
My Damascus Road.
This however, is when Christianity started to get much more confusing and I started to find myself frustrated with what I call the “faith of Costello”. What I mean by that is Christianity is simple, but my expectations had made it very difficult.
I know we are saved by faith. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves.
Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
However, just a few books to the right, we read that faith without works is no faith at all. And Jesus tells us those that belong to him will bear good fruit.
James 2:17 (ESV)
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
John 15:2 (ESV)
2 Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
So what are some of these good works that I need to be doing or maybe my faith is dead? Oh, nothing much…Just lose your life, crucify your life to this world, consider everything worldly as crap.
Matthew 10:38 (ESV)
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Romans 6:6 (ESV)
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Philippians 3:8 (ESV)
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
I’m saved by faith alone. Ok, but I’m still living a pretty comfy life. I’m not sure where my cross is to carry even if I was willing. I sure don’t feel that crucified and while some of my stuff is crap – some of it I really like! I can’t do this. This is too hard God. I just want to know what it takes to be a Christ follower.
Who’s on First? I don’t know. No, he’s on Third. Who? No, Who’s on FirstIs it really that difficult to grasp?
Not really. It’s no more difficult than when I was ten. Only now, I understand it better because I understand that my sin is much more than just being mean to my little brother and not listening to my parents all the time. My sin is in my very nature. However, the answer is still the same. Jesus died for all this sin. And the power that resurrected him from the dead is the same power that will allow me to overcome my old nature that fights against my new nature.
The reason this seems so complicated to me sometimes, is because I forget that the gospel that saved me in the beginning is the same gospel that rescues me everyday. When I come before His cross each day, I want to pick up my own, I want to crucify myself to this world, and everything else does become rubbish. Not because of what I do, but because of the power of his grace that gives me the faith to do the works.
Who’s on First?Jesus.
Tom Davis has released his latest novel in his “Novel at the Edge of the World Series”, Priceless.. I’ve pre-ordered my Kindle version for download on June 1. You can order from Amazon now. I’ve reviewed a couple Tom Davis’ books that I highly recommend. His books shine a light on the Spirit of Compassion and challenge you to get off the sidelines and engage the social injustice in the world. Below is a trailer for his book.
