If the gospel weren't true, would my life have been wasted?
Or in other words, do I live as if the gospel is true?
That the ever-looming horizon is that Jesus is coming back as judge and to save those who are looking forward to his return?
That love takes risks, because we have a Father in heaven who doesn't?
That the worst that can happen is they'll kill you, and that's no loss for the glory of Jesus?
Do others now think that my decisions and attitudes are crazy, because they think the gospel isn't true?
Or do my decisions and attitudes make sense, even to those who don't believe that Jesus is Lord and that I have died and been raised in Him?
If the gospel weren't true, would my life have been wasted?
3 comments:
This is really thought-provoking, thank you for the challenge!
Alison
Certainly thought-provoking, but I would be a little concerned that, taken to its logical conclusion, it suggests that anything a Christian does that isn't directly and immediately related to the saving of souls is not of value.
The emphasis of Scripture (and the Reformers) is that every aspect of our lives, our daily grind, help given to others and so on, is of worth when done for the Lord, even if it doesn't directly result in conversions.
Otherwise no Christians should do any secular jobs, apart from as an excuse to get alongside non-Christians.
If the gospel weren't true, I hope my work would still stand as a worthwhile thing in its own right.
But I haven't enough imagination to think of a world without the gospel being true! I would not be who I am, and so I suppose I would not have done what I have done... even the choice of secular job and volunteer activity is governed by who I am in the gospel - but that doesn't always lead to directly 'Christian' work. Hmmm...
Actually, maybe I'm coming round to seeing what you mean ;)
Yup! This is the same me who posted The glory of the ordinary the day before ;)
You said it yourself: ...is of worth when done for the Lord. So would my life be wasted if I were not actually my Lord's? It's connected to your favourite, 'See in it a chance to die.' If that's your attitude in life, the world's going to think you're wasting your life to some extent, even if you're doing a productive job in society.
Nietzche saw it clearly...
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