Looking Forward

But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13 NLT)

Everything changes when we look at this life in light of eternity.  Suddenly, working for today isn't the highest priority.  We know that we need to work by the sweat of our brow, but it isn't our highest priority.

"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." Then, turning to His disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. (Luke 12:21-23 NLT)

Taking care of ourselves physically is important so we are ready and useful for God's call in our lives, but it's not the highest priority of our day.

"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:8 NLT)

Suddenly, our highest priorities in this life start to become those things that prepare us (and those around us) for the next.  A beautiful house starts to look like beautiful kindling.  A high-performance vehicle suddenly starts to become a high-performance hunk of metal that will also melt away.  Things in this life only take on value to the extent that they help us walk with God and help bring others into that walk.  Otherwise, they are not useful.

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21 NLT)

Go ahead.  Live your day today, but not for today.  Live today looking forward to the day we are together with Him forever.  It will make all the difference.

Before the Fire

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. (2 Peter 3:11-12a NLT)

So, much of what I work at in this life cannot come with me.  Not only that, much of what I leave behind will not survive the "final fire" we talked about yesterday.  Now what?  What does that mean?  I live on this side of eternity.  I live on this side of the fire.  How does this affect how I live today?  We should live "holy and godly lives" because we look forward to that day approaching...any time now.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight. (2 Peter 3:14 NLT)

It's easy to live "good lives" when we're expecting the "final fire" any day now.  When you know "Dad" is watching and is ready to come home, you behave yourself.  We all do.  Living "pure and blameless" after a few days, weeks, months, or years can get more and more difficult.  When is he going to return?  When's the final fire going to get here?

And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved...  (2 Peter 3:15 NLT)

He may not even return during our lifetime.  That doesn't change the facts, though.  Some things we can take with us.  Some things we can not.  Some of our work will survive the flames.  Some of it will not.  Not only that, His delay in getting here is for a very real reason...

The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

He's waiting for us.

You've been far away from God?  He's waiting for you to come back.  

You're already walking together with God?  He's waiting for you to empower one more.

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT)

Will It Survive the Fire?

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. (2 Peter 3:10-12 NLT)

How many things do we work toward that will simply end up as kindling.  Do you have a beautiful house?  It will be kindling.  A boat?  Kindling.  How about your first, second, or third car?  It doesn't matter how nice a finish it has or how well you've washed and waxed it, the entire car will still "melt away in the flames."

I like to imagine standing before God on the final day of judgement.  I won't be able to bring anything with me to go with Him into heaven.  As we discussed yesterday, I will have to leave everything behind on earth when I go.  So, I should spend my time here preparing for there.

But there's more to the picture.  I envision being able to see everything I left behind - the results of all my hard work in this life.  When the final judgement arrives, I will be looking over my lifetime of actions and they will be judged.  The flames will come down from heaven, and everything that I left behind will be tested.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NLT)

On that day, I will see first hand whether my work had any value or not.  On that day, all of my useless work will be burned up.  All of my valuable work will survive the flames and, as a result, be with me in heaven.

The same is true with you.  You will not be able to bring anything with you.  The results of your work will be left behind and tested by the flames.  Everything useless will be burned up.  Your eternal work will survive and bring you a reward.

Our priorities look different we are only working for this life.

But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13 NLT)

Serving Leftover Actions

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NIV)

The Church spends so much time focusing on the fact that we are saved by God's Grace, which we are, that we can "downplay" good works as being necessary too.  Rather than call good actions necessary, we refer to them as "good," "important," or something to "work toward."  We will quote passages like the one in James that says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."  (James 2:17 NIV)  While this is true, it's still not a strong enough statement.  Being Holy is a command, a mandate, and is necessary.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:14-17 NIV)

And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." (Luke 14:27-35 NIV)

The conclusion is clear.  Leftover words are not good enough.  Leftover actions won't get it done.  God should be first in all things.  Count the cost.  Consider what He wants.  Put Him first.  Serve Him first.  Leave the leftovers for someone else.

Serving Leftovers

'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16 NASB)

Francis Chan challenges us with a concept that clearly challenges him this week: "Is there such thing as a lukewarm Christian?"  His conclusion from the Scripture above (and others like it) is clearly, "No."  How can we claim to be followers of Christ and yet live as though we are children of the devil?  "Child of the devil," you may think. "I'm a child of God, even if I do make mistakes and sin."

Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:7-10 NASB)

Doesn't Scripture say that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus?  Yes it does.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV84)

"How can sinning after I'm saved, then, make me a child of the devil?  I thought Scripture said that I'm always going to sin."  Well, this second part is not true.  It doesn't say you are always going to sin.  In fact, it says the exact opposite:

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV84)

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:13-14 NIV84)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation--but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:12-14 NIV)

Lukewarm Christians refer to people who call themselves disciples or followers of Christ, yet sort-of follow Him - sometimes following...sometimes not.  God told a whole part of His Body (the church) that He would spit them out for living in this way.  Can we be Christians and still serve leftovers to a Holy God?  Maybe Chan isn't the only one who should be struggling through this concept.