While we were still sinners Christ died for us. God did an incredible, incomprehensible act of amazing grace and mercy; and yet, God did not send Jesus so there can be a quid pro quo (I scratch your back & you scratch mine). To say that I owe someone something is to say that there is still a debt to be paid. Jesus paid it all. Every single ounce of sin's ugliness and death's burning sting Jesus took upon himself for eternity.
There is and will be nothing you can do that can erase that remarkable act of love. You can certainly try to deny it, but denying something doesn't disprove its existence. You can certainly try to hide from it, but that doesn't stop the thing from chasing you.
Some Christian doctrines point to a lifestyle change-producing the fruits of Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), that gives the Church a reason to believe that you are a True Believer (aka Follower of Jesus). However revisiting the scriptures, like in Ephesians 2, we know that this change is not of your own doing-it is the Holy Spirit's.
We have heard in our Christian circles that God has His part and we have ours. What is our part exactly? Doesn't the Word also say that "those who love their lives must lose it" and that we are to "carry our cross" (Matthew 10)? Could laying down of one's self be what we really owe God? After all He did lay down His life for our's, but what does He get in return-what does God gain from a human life? From me?
God gets nothing, because He already has everything. God has nothing to gain from man or else He would not be God. To say God needs something is to denote the very name/nature of God.
But your heart! Your heart! These evangelists scream, "You have to give Him your heart!"
True in part.
Your part is to accept every single day the fact that Jesus was crucified and rose again for YOU.
Coming to Jesus everyday in holy surrender isn't a duty, an obligation, a check mark off my 'To Do List;' it is my Joy, my Comfort, my Solidarity, my Rock, my Firm Foundation...my Everything.
It is true that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord we will be saved (Romans). That is our part....which comes AFTER and ALONGSIDE His part.
And what if you never you do "your part"? Does God leave you high and dry?
He says He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews). We are always the Prodigal Sons (& daughters); He is never the Prodigal Father (or Mother).
You remember that annoying children's song we used to sing, "He's got the whole world in His hands-He's got the whole wide world in His hands?" It doesn't say "He's got only the Christians in His hands-He's got all the goody Christians in His hands."
God sows the Good Seed to everyone, He is the one who waters it, and shines upon it. He is the Great Farmer and the Harvester. What does this mean? It means to every single person He is a "good, good Father." To everyone He is the Great Judge. Proverbs talks much about this, perhaps that's a good place for you to start in His Word. God sees, knows, and acts always-that is true for everyone everyday.
But does God act the same for everyone?
We like to ascribe some things to God that should really be credited to ourselves. Although God is in control no doubt-for He is the Author & Finisher of our faith, we appear to have the capability to write on the pages in between. This is the aspect that Ecclesiastes likes to address (another great read). "The wicked plot their own demise, but the righteous will see God" seems to be echoed a lot throughout the course of this book in the Bible.
So let me ask you, are you wicked? Or are you righteous? Not in your own eyes, but in God's?
With these Truths it easy to jump to the conclusion that we earn or deserve some things. This is where the belief of karma comes in. As Christians we must be careful of teachings that sound appetizing to the ear, but leave our stomachs empty. Especially those teachings that sound like they come from the Holy Bible, but in actuality they do not. Thus, like I have always done, I encourage you to take my words against the scriptures.
Karma's distinctive quality is that good or bad energy is stored up for you based upon your output into the world. The Word does say that "what we sow, we reap" (in other words, "what goes around comes around.") Yet, our so called "good deeds" and our (oh so overwhelming) "bad deeds" are not stored up for or against us for we know that "bad things" happen to both good and bad people alike.
Even one "bad deed" scripture notes qualifies you as a sinner. Can the same be said about one "good deed?" Can one good deed qualify me as a Saint? Scripture is honest, clear, and painfully, joyfully truthful. The answer is no (Isaiah 64:6)
Since God in control does He send the "bad things?" Who are we to define what is good or bad? Right or wrong? Again we need a moral compass.
In all aspects, we need God. God is there for us. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. It is my choice to live in that mercy and grace as opposed to just listening to it. The outcome from living in it brings something I personally have decided is far greater than anything else this world could give me. What about you?
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