I love social media. It’s pretty awesome. Of course, I really use Facebook. I do see friends’ posts from Instagram, Twitter, and whatever else is out there. Opportunities for sharing fun adventures with family and friends are quick and easy. Platforms can connect folks interested in the same hobbies worldwide. Platforms can unite folks to help others with one (or maybe two) clicks.
I hate social media. Comparison is the name of the game. There are times when I hold my life up next to someone else’s and begin to judge my own progress. I allow that comparison to rob me of my own joy and pleasure of accomplishments I worked hard to achieve. Social media also is outstanding at tearing people apart. Social media can divide people quicker than a drive-thru line at Chick-fil-A. Platforms are also excellent ways to, whether intentionally or accidentally, send out incomplete information.
I came across a twitter post that I felt had misleading content. I tried to process how this statement may have been intended. Many platforms have a limited number of characters you can use in the post. Maybe this is what happened. Maybe, a continuation of this idea is somewhere in a connected podcast or vlog.
Even though I have a feisty personality, I tend to stay out of social media conflicts. The ‘discussions’, if you can call them that, rarely end well for anyone. Generally, I feel that I just wasted time that I will never get back, yelling into the void. Persuasion is a tricky thing and doesn’t really work. Only proof works, and on the internet, providing proof that someone will actually read fairly, rarely happens. Once, I posted about the price of gas and how America should go back to being energy independent. I immediately broke out into a rash and hid the post from my timeline (mostly because I didn’t want the conflict as well as offending my friends who feel very differently than I do about this matter). Who wants to lose friends over issues that have multiple solutions? Not me.
Well, it’s time. Everyone has their ‘putting a foot down’, ‘refuse to accept’, ‘take exception with’, and ‘line in the sand’ moment. Or as Nick Fury said to Loki: “You have made me very desperate.” I’m not really desperate. (That word, truly, described my dating life, not a sharing of spiritual information that could influence someone for eternity.) Here is my line in the sand. This moment isn’t about being right or trying to embarrass or shame anyone. This moment is simply to make sure the full information is shared. I hope to do my best to share kindly. Here goes…
What got me fired up was a FB (forwarded tweet) post. The post content included a statement about God’s judgment when Christ returns. The passage Rev. Cremer uses is Matthew 25. This chapter is Jesus speaking to His disciples about how God sees those of us who claim to follow Him. There are three parables Jesus uses to explain about being ready for the time when He will return and that many who claim to be followers, out of fear of the Judgment, will not be allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven. They are tough words. They are true words. Jesus spoke to these events and they (the events) will happen. I can get on board with the first part of Rev. Cremer’s post. The largest concern I have is with the last sentence of the post: “He judges them based on their compassion towards the vulnerable people.” I truly hope there is another tweet, podcast, or vlog, continuing this thought. While Jesus has instructed us to care for everyone we meet, this is not a complete picture of salvation and final judgment.
Rev. Cremer’s statement suggests that works will be the deciding separator for eternity. It is my hope, Rev. Cremer’s tweet is incomplete. Salvation under Christ is the true and only way to be able to spend eternity with the Lord.
When God personally passed through Egypt, He gave preparation instructions through Moses. The final, and most important, instruction was to have sacrificed a lamb and use that blood to cover the top and sides of the door frames (Exodus 12). God said He would look to see if the household was covered by the blood. Forgive me for trying to lighten the mood here, but God was not going to stop at every house and take a survey about who was worthy (sheep) or who was not (goat). He was looking for the blood.
It is through the blood of Jesus that connects us to God and eternity with Him. Nothing else. Not works, lest any man can boast.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8 - 10.
Compassion and caring for our community (works) is an outpouring of our faith. It is the result of the salvation and blood of Jesus Christ. In fact, I believe that only through salvation, followed by obedience to God’s Will, is true, honest, and sincere, compassion possible. Works, no matter how good, mean nothing. These works do not make us good. Only God is good.
If we line up several scripture concerning baptism of the spirit, then the outpouring of our thankfulness of receiving this Gift will reflect in the care and compassion to the least of us. (Of course, keep in mind that ‘the least of us’ has nothing to do with material wealth and power. Compassion is (should be??) from all believers to all who need it.)
My concern, through this blog post, is to make sure that anyone who believes good works, kindness toward others, etc., is the way to eternity with the Lord has the complete story. Only through the blood of Christ and believing in His sacrifice in our place (because we could not reconcile ourselves to God), does anyone seal their eternity with God. Works, through faith, become an outpouring of that experience through Christ.
I’m going to list several scriptures to support my thoughts. You can go to www.biblegateway.com and read these scriptures in many different translations in order to get the fullest context.
Road to Salvation:
Romans 3:23
Romans 3:10
Romans 5:12
Romans 6:23
John 3:16 - 21 (This entire chapter is GREAT. )
Response to Salvation (here’s where the works come in):
James 1:22 - 25
James 2 (All of James is TERRIFIC.)
Matthew 5:13 - 16
2 Corinthians 5:6 - 10 (NOTE: Following salvation through Christ, our works WILL and DO matter. We are representing the Kingdom of God on Earth.)
Hebrews 11 (NOTE: This chapter discusses works born out of complete faith in the Lord. It is a great encouragement to read about how faith carried these people through their works.)
If you're in the OKC metro area and don't attend a Sunday School class and church, come to Calvary Church of the Nazarene (3100 N. Rockwell in Bethany). We would love to see you! Sunday School starts at 9:15 am and the people in my class are amazing! Services are at 10:30 am.
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