Have you ever pretended to be more spiritual than you really are? (Please, be honest... that's part of the reason for this particular blog--to encourage genuineness among Christ followers.) I have. I don't like to admit it--especially online where multitudes of people can read it--but I have been a hypocrite. I have said things in the past to make myself look more spiritually mature than I really was at the time.
For example, years ago, when I was a student in Bible College, I recall leading a small group in my dorm room every Wednesday morning. For the most part it was a pretty good time of discipleship and growth. The guys in my group were actually serious about their relationship with Christ, and usually our conversations were deep, insightful and challenging. But I have to be honest, I wanted to appear godly to these guys, even though in actuality, I was far from being truly Christ-like. And so, back then when I would read books by very mature saints I would often take their testimonies as my own. In other words, I might not truly have experienced Christ in the same deep or rich way as these great saints (A.W. Tozer, Brother Lawrence, Augustine, etc.), but I would tend to "borrow" their words as if they accurately reflected my own spiritual experience. [WOW! I feel dirty just typing that confession.] This way I could sound very spiritual, appear very godly, and even though I knew I wasn't that mature, I could fool my accountability partners.
One morning, in particular, I remember we were discussing the topic of heaven. So I asked each guy in our circle why heaven was going to be so great, or what they were looking forward to the most about going to heaven... and they had some pretty honest and biblical answers. But I knew that my answer was going to make them all feel sub-spiritual. I said, "I'm not looking forward to walking on streets of gold, or seeing angels, or meeting the great saints of the Bible--I'm looking forward to heaven because Jesus will be there, and I can't wait until I have perfect fellowship with Him in glory forever."
To be honest, I accomplished my evil goal. I could see on the faces of my friends that my answer had cut them to the quick. They looked at each other, and without saying a word, their expressions declared: "Man, he really is the most godly guy amongst us." What a phony I was... and yet those looks were what I was aiming for (John 12:43).
But here's the wonder of God's grace: 1) He didn't strike me down that day for my lie (though He could have--see Acts 5:3,5) or my hypocrisy (which Jesus does NOT respond kindly to--see Matthew 23:27), 2) I've grown enough (by His mercy) to confess publicly the above mentioned (awful) sins of my past... and 3) this is the BEST part--today I really do believe that Jesus will be the best part of heaven.
The truth is the gospel really isn't good news if it doesn't lead people to God Himself. Jesus didn't die just to forgive us. Forgiveness means little unless you are restored to a joyful and peaceful relationship with the one you love and the one whom you have offended by your sin(s). Jesus didn't die just so that we could claim a promise like Philippians 4:19. What's the point of receiving everything we need if God doesn't also give Himself to us? Jesus didn't die just to rescue us from going to hell. What delight is there if we avoid hell but never see God face to face?
In other words, all of the blessings that come to a Christian via the gospel are wonderful... but none of those blessings are as wonderful as the gift of God Himself. Jesus didn't die to keep His children from experiencing bad things, He didn't die so that we would never be sick, He didn't die so that we might be wealthy in this life, He didn't die to simply alleviate our guilty consciences... He died (according to 1 Peter 3:18) to bring us to God.
And this is crucial to understand, so please read this sentence carefully: if there is any blessing from God that you or I want more than we want God Himself, we have become idolaters. Christ died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that we might be brought to God HIMSELF.
Years ago I lied to appear godly and told my friends that what made heaven truly heaven was that Jesus would be there... and the wonder of the transforming power of God's grace is that today my hypocrisy has become authenticity, and He deserves all of the glory for that metamorphosis. As John Piper has so plainly stated in one of his books: God is the Gospel. What makes Jesus' life, death and resurrection such good news is that His redeeming work has brought us to God Himself, and though He graciously bestows upon us (His children) so many blessings--He Himself truly is the greatest gift.
Is God your greatest treasure? My prayer is that if He is not... He soon will be.
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