Comforts vs. Eternity

2Timothy 3:12 - Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

I'm reading more than one book...The Sovereignty of God by A. W. Pink and Radical by David Platt. After sharing about the sovereignty of God yesterday, I picked up Radical to read a bit more and surprise, Platt has one section of one chapter devoted to God's sovereignty.

Platt's view on His sovereignty adds to what I wrote about. Yes, God is sovereign, something that appears to have become archaic in today's society. Yet to God, since He never changes, that word still stands strong.

Platt shows us in the chapter Living When Dying is Gain that if Jesus suffered disappointments, rejection, persecution, all followers will also. Why? Because the Word tells us we will. Why does the Word tell us? Because... plain and simple. God's sovereignty rules out again. God wants us to know that we know Who is in control.

Platt began this chapter by talking about the American dream: Americans will postpone immediate gratification and even endure hard sacrifices if they are convinced their future will be better than their past (according to Franklin Roosevelt). Here's what Jesus says: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Does this parallel the American dream concept? Later he says: The reward of the American dream is safety, security, and success found in more comfort, better stuff, and greater prosperity.

I have written how when a person becomes a follower of Christ things change. We see things differently; we begin to see what is truth...and we can choose to accept it or reject it. We accept the lesser things and reject the greater because we realize that what we have on this earth is nothing compared to what we will receive in Heaven. Platt continues to tell us that when we are in Christ our lives are not spared hardships. In fact, hardships will probably become more commonplace. He says: But the reward of Christ trumps all these things and beckons us to live for an eternal safety, security, and satisfaction that far outweigh everything this world has to offer. 

We will not see those things in this present life. Our faith in God gets us these eternal rewards. Despite all the hardships we can face in this world, including possible persecution and death, He tells us not to be afraid. Because He knows what lies ahead even though we cannot imagine it. We tend to look at what's right in front of us when we need to trust what we are told: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). 

So...our hardships: If Jesus was offensive to many who did not want to hear the truth so will we be....even at this writing. It comes with the truth territory because the truth is hard to hear especially if we've been wrapped up in our comfortable lifestyles and the world's way of seeing things. Who wants to give up the good things or hear something contrary to what we believe today?

Yet Jesus tells us that the sacrifice here in this world of all the good things...and the lies that we can have all the good things...is worth the greater reward, those things that await us when we are no longer here. This is where some stumble. Like the rich young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved. Jesus asked to give up all he had and follow Him to receive eternal life. The man turned away sorrowfully because he could not give up all he had worked so hard for. 

I said yesterday that our thinking is upside down...it's the opposite of what God teaches us. Life today is cushy and we have gotten so used to it that we don't want to give it up. That includes me. And it no doubt includes each one of us who have comfortable homes, food on the table every night and a car that gets us from place to place. How would we feel without those things? How would we live on just the necessities and not the wants? 

Radical tells us that Jesus called His disciples to follow Him. Jesus did not have a home or even an income apart from what was given to Him day by day. He relied on His Father...He walked, healed and preached, according to God's will. He told us in order to live we must die to and deny ourselves. It would not be walk in the park, a piece of cake, a life of luxury. Platt tells us: Just imagine the people that the disciples were going to encounter. The diseased, the dying, the despised, and the dangerous. Not exactly the most appealing group to be around.

Yes, if Jesus suffered betrayal, hatred and persecution, why shouldn't we? I can recall believing, because it was probably told to me, that because Jesus suffered all these things, we would not have to. I believed that in the last days we who are in Christ would be removed from the earth and hardships before they began. Boy, if that isn't some false teaching. 

So this is the hard part...do we believe that God is sovereign and that all this is the truth and in order to truly follow the Lord we must assume hardship will follow or do we reject Him altogether? Which do we want life or death? Which path do we take? Which set of ideas to we wrap our heads around?

If we like the safety the world gives us, then that's our answer. Although I don't believe even the world will be a safe place too much longer. Then where will people be who have not chosen the difficult, yet life-filling, way of God? 

Has my suffering really begun? Either I am not aware of it or it's in the little things that I go through from time to time...like people not wanting to befriend me because my thoughts and ideas are a bit sticky to them...uncomfortable. They might remain friends as long as the subject matter is benign, surface stuff. But it's a turnoff if I don't agree with worldview thoughts on homosexuality, abortion or even being a Christ follower.

So, what does Radical have to say about the sovereignty of God? Jesus reminded his disciples that their safety was not found in the comforts of this world but in the control of a sovereign God over this world...We have nothing to fear, because God is sovereign. All we need to do is accept this upside down thought. How? By picking up the Word of God and letting His words sink deep into our spirits. Let Him remind us daily the consequences of following our own hearts, goals and desires. It's written on nearly every page. And God's Word is truth.

All throughout the sovereign, God-breathed Word of God we see people who are brought down because of their disobedience, especially when they knew God's laws. And on the other hand we see the sick (lepers), dying (Lazarus) and sin-filled (Mary Magdalene) people rising up. Jesus sought out the wounded, not the healthy. An upside down world where ...God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty (1Corinthians 1:27). He humbles the proud and lifts up the humble. His sovereignty makes no sense to many. There again is where trust and faith come in. It's what makes following Christ so difficult for some. Just remember this, God is sovereign. His will and purpose will prevail no matter what we choose to do ourselves. We will either be part of His plans or we  won't. For those who know this, the greater reward of a sovereign God will be given.

Galatians 6:7-8 - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.