Representing the Redeemer

Heinrich Heine, a 19th century German philosopher said, “Show me your redeemed life and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer.”

The impetus behind his statement is fair to each and every one of us that claims the name of Christ. But what does a redeemed life look like?

The great commission as stated by Jesus Himself was for each of us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. But just speaking the gospel without a demonstrable effect in our lives leaves our words empty and meaningless.

Jonathan Edwards once said, “There are plenty of people who have false affections for self-interest, but the saved have true and deep affections. They are marked by a holy life manifested in a holy love. They love God, they love Christ, they thus are pursuing the fulfillment of the greatest commandment, to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.”

This sounds simple on the surface but a life that belongs to Christ continually displays a selfless love that makes the world sit up and take notice. The world will always respect us if we pursue it, and it will not take offense if we openly reject it based on anger or disillusionment, but it will hate us if we simply take no notice of its priorities, values, or affections. Such is a life that is lost in Christ. It is a radical departure from the norm.

At the core a Christian is a lover of Christ and His cross. This fact alone is generally repulsive to the world who comprehend the meaning of the cross in a variety of ways. Some see it as a symbol of a humiliating execution. Others view it as a picture of a pitiful man who claimed to be God but died as a criminal. For others it represents a denial of all the sensual pleasures they enjoy in life. And some simply perceive it as a piece of jewelry to be displayed around one’s neck. 

For the Christian, however, the cross is not only the symbol of our salvation, it is the blueprint for our lives. It is at the cross that we understand unconditional love, the true cost of sin and its ultimate defeat.

Quite simply, the redeemed life will appear as the countercultural lifestyle. Our dependence on God, willful forsaking of sin, and obedience to the gospel are the marks of a life changed by Jesus Christ Himself. But the truth is a redeemed life on display will not draw the world in as Heine presupposes because it is the very antithesis of the world system. It is also the opposite of the prosperity gospel that is prevalent today which promises a life of riches and success in return for one’s belief in Jesus.

The sad fact is people only want the idea of the redeemed life on the basis that it has no cost. They want Christ and His love but they don’t want to let go of anything. Jesus said that He would be our provision but on the condition that we seek His kingdom and righteousness first (Matthew 6:33).

According to John MacArthur, the distinguishing mark of a true believer is “not the love for the things of the world but a consuming love for God that’s borne out of the testimony of Scripture. Salvation is a regeneration. It is a real transformation, turning a person from loving self to loving God, from pride to humility, from the reigning power of sin to the reigning power of righteousness. That’s the bottom line. A holy life is the chief sign of grace.”

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” - I Corinthians 1:18, 22-25

Another Great Awakening? Why Not?

The professor of my Old Testament survey class recently referenced Jonathan Edward’s great sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." He mentioned it in the context of the Great Awakening that took place circa 1730-1755. Edwards was an American theologian and he preached the sermon on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. Similar to Edwards' other sermons and writings, it combines vivid imagery of Hell with observations of the secular world and citations of scripture. It remains Edwards' most lauded work, and is widely studied both among American Christians and historians.

According to sources close to Edwards, he hoped that the imagery and message of his sermon would awaken his audience to the horrific reality that he argued awaited them should they continue to live without ever knowing Christ as their personal Savior. His underlying point was that God has given humanity a chance to rectify their sins and that it is the will of God that keeps wicked men from the depths of Hell.

As I thought about Edwards sermon, I was reminded about how little we hear about Hell today even among Christian pastors and teachers. Admittedly, it is not a subject that has anyone running to the pulpit to preach, but it was the topic of Hell and judgment in part, that brought about the first Great Awakening in this country. The reality that a revival was spawned due to preaching that stressed God’s judgment of sin seems hard to believe given our society today which emphasizes the rights and happiness of individuals above all that is moral and good. Even sin is not called sin anymore as we have euphemized the word by referring to it as a personality shortcoming, an addiction, or a social quirk. It is no wonder that this mindset has seeped into our churches as sermons focus solely on the honey and not the bitter herbs of scripture.

Of course, the Bible is clear that the same gospel that saves men and women from their sins is also the same gospel that will judge them for all eternity. The same God who loves the world is also the same God who will one day judge it. The same Christ that told people who thirst to come to Him for living water is the same Christ who will proclaim to those who reject His salvation, "I never knew you, depart from me, you that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23).

Pastor David Jeremiah recently stated that the preacher who only preaches the positive messages of the Bible and not the whole counsel is not only unfaithful to God but has violated God’s Word. I often wonder if we reverted back to preaching the way Edwards and his contemporaries did, if we would not see another revival surface. I know what you are thinking. People do not want to hear about sin, judgment and Hell, but as we watch our world turn itself upside down and plummet further into national debt and lawlessness, perhaps a gospel message that underscores the sovereignty of God and emphasizes divine justice is exactly what people need to hear. After all, this is not a numbers game. We are not trying to grow churches just to say we are the biggest, but are interested in reaping the fields that Jesus Himself said are white unto harvest (John 4:35). Maybe we just need to use a different reaping tool to reach the lost. A pitchfork perhaps, instead of a rake. A plow instead of a spade. A tractor instead of a sickle. We need to get the root and the root is sin and a gospel message that only emphasizes God’s love and mercy fails to instill any accountability to its listener.

All of God’s Word is powerful. God has told us this through His prophet Isaiah, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Let’s not be afraid to speak it. Even the portions that are unpleasant or make us sad. It may be these very passages that bring a person to salvation.