Human passions and emotions sometimes make it easy to get confused about what is what; harder to distinguish perception from reality. Simply having strong feelings about something, doesn’t make it true or not.
One commonly confused difference is between our PRIVILEGE to have a driver’s license, and what it is not––your RIGHT. Sure, after having something for an extended period, it becomes easy to forget its true nature and fall in to shallow assumptions.
Years ago, I came up with a concept I call the “breakdown of a breakdown”: GENEROSITY – EXPECTATION – ENTITLEMENT – RESENTMENT – FAILURE. When we forget the true nature of something, the path to failure can happen swiftly and painfully. Ironically, it usually starts with a generous act. Look at the Israelites who despite being rebellious and complainers, were favored by God with a daily blessing… manna. I mean, here was a free and tasty meal from the hands of God, but guess what? In no time flat, they were like “Hey, where’s our meal?” Then it became, “We deserve our free meal…” and it went downhill from there.
Similarly, there is a big difference between something you earn versus something given to you without any action on your part. The confusion here becomes “I deserve something because I did something“. That could very well be the case–if the particulars had been previously established and all parties had agreed to a ‘reward system’ relationship. But when a gift is given, there is nothing the other party could do or has done to “earn” the gift. So when Christ gave his life for us on the cross, there was nothing and is nothing we can do to earn that. He gave it to us. I believe sometimes people make it harder than it really is. Look at the thief who was being crucified at the same time as Jesus (Luke 23:42,43). All it took for him to enter heaven was to believe in Jesus and ask to be remembered. Bam. No special prayer, no acts, no church, scripture memorization or even Sunday School. All he had to do (or any of us as well) is simply believe in Christ and accept the free gift He is offering us. Sadly, some people will choose to NOT accept this gift––and that is indeed within their power. God doesn’t force us to believe; he just asks us to do so. He offers grace to everyone who will accept it, but a gift cannot be forced upon a person. They must receive it.
During our lifetime, we experience many times of “do this – to get that” or “earn it” – but these are not required to guarantee your spot in heaven. It is SO much easier than all of that. Just believe and accept.
“9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
-Romans 10:9, 10
In our discussions about faith and religion, I have learned so much from you. Thank you for this post, my prior “religion” was a totally different concept and I have learned to let that go with our discussions. I now realize that I should not live in fear but rejoice in His gift! You are a true blessing.
Truth talk