the gift of self-indulgence
May 16, 2009 READ: Ezekiel 16:48-57 She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. —Ezekiel 16:49 An upscale London department store launched a new gift card with the slogan, “The Gift of Self-Indulgence.” Throughout the store, signs, slogans, and [...]
cultural christianity
Anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment (v.36).
READ: John 3:27-36
Every culture contains values that may compromise the gospel. The early church was too Platonic, the medieval church too Aristotelian, the modern church too Enlightenment, and now the postmodern church is becoming too pluralistic. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 57 percent of evangelical churchgoers believe that other religions may lead to everlasting life.
Just as we easily see where early Christians read Plato into their Scriptures, so future generations will be shocked at how uncritically we allowed our culture’s virtues of diversity and inclusion—though valuable in their own right—to undermine our faith.
We will resist compromise if we remember our countercultural belief in original sin. Though unpopular in our postmodern context, virtually every Christian denomination teaches that we are born guilty and polluted from Adam’s sin. Paul explained: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12).
This inherited corruption is why Jesus told a good Jew like Nicodemus that he must be “born again” to “see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). When asked how a new birth was possible, Jesus explained that this occurs when the Holy Spirit uses the truth of the gospel to change our
hearts (John 3:5-18).
And so Jesus said that He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6), Peter declared, “There is salvation in no one else!” (Acts 4:12), and Paul proclaimed, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15). Contrary to what a growing number of churchgoers believe, belief in Jesus is required for salvation. —Mike Wittmer
How have you been ridiculed for believing that Jesus is the only path to salvation? In what ways does our culture reveal our need for real faith?
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