I saw this clip from E.R. today, and found it to be one of the most powerful dramatizations I’ve seen of the futile hope of a generic, namby-pamby, anything goes faith in God… a faith where God is love theology is stretched to the point that our interpretation and understandings of God are all that matter… where God is whatever we want or need Him to be… where specific answers to deep questions of faith are simply not available…
It just doesn’t cut it.
When faced with the fact that we are mortal… when faced with the fact that we have done things that clearly have crossed God’s standards for right behavior… when we have sinned, and know we need forgiveness…
This kind of faith just doesn’t cut it.
You need to watch the following clip. While from a fictional show, it presents a realistic picture of how this kind of faith just doesn’t measure up.
Did you catch what the cancer patient said?
I don’t want to go on! Can’t you see I’m old? I have cancer. I’ve had enough. The only thing that is holding me back is that I’m afraid. I’m afraid of what comes next.
No! I don’t need to ask myself. I need answers, and all your questions and your uncertainties are only making things worse!
I need someone who will look me in the eye and tell me how to find forgiveness.
Christianity… real Christianity, that is… provides these answers.
Those answers?
Yes… they start with God’s love…
- He loves us enough that He extends grace to us, forgiving us of our sins and washing us white as snow… separating our sins from us as far as east is from west.
- He loves us enough that He offers us an eternal life in heaven with Him.
- He loves us enough that He sends us His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us as we live our faith journey here on earth.
There a hundreds of others I could list.
But the most important answer originating in God’s love?
That He loves us enough that He gave us the gift of salvation by sending His only son Jesus to die an atoning death for our sins, because we simply can’t afford the just price required to attain it on our own.
All He asks is that we accept the gift by placing our faith and trust in Jesus.
Do that, and we need not fear death, for God will welcome us into His house with open arms when our time on this world is over.
(HT: Cliff Cummings, Ed Stetzer.)
That’s suprising to me that he was looking for an honest answer instead of agreeing with that lady. It was almost like he knew how he was supposed to live his life, but took it for granted, and now that he’s got cancer he’s ready to change.
I have to check myself from time to time to make sure that I’m still pursuing God even though I’m healthy now. It’s easy for me to pursue God and straighten up when I’m sick. I hope that someday I’ll be completely off medicine. I pray that God doesn’t let my health be a thorn in my flesh to keep me humble. I hope my character is strong enough to stay humble even if I were to be completely off medicine.
That lady’s thinkimg sounds so familiar. I met a girl who believed all roads lead to heaven. So I guess that would mean radical Islamics go to heaven too. Huh?