Joseph Stalin and two mothers of the revolution. (Part 2)

Beria’s mother is a reproach upon Christianity because she demonstrated a chronic lack of assurance and a grouse misunderstanding of the character of God. This is astounding when it is so clear in the Bible. A monumental verse in the Bibe is Ephesians 2:8 and 9 which says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” NLT

How is this grace possible? God caused Jesus to bear our sins, though he were sinless that we might receive the gift of His righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the exchange made at the cross. This is the good news(gospel) that must go to all the world. Jesus said that when this is done “then the end will come.” (Matt24:14)

The enemy has sowed tares in the gospel field and twisted the gospel of grace into religious bondage. He has distorted the image of God into an eternal small minded book keeper who will roast for eternity anyone who does not see it His way. Too many Christians are living in a house of fear and not a house of love. They live on an emotional roller coaster.

Though lip service is paid to grace, many Christians live as if personal discipline and self-denial are the most important to God. The emphasis is on what I do rather than what God is doing or has done. Salvation is based on performance and spiritual gymnastics. This process has God as a kindly old spectator in the sky who cheers when I show up for morning devotions.

Sooner or later, we are confronted with the painful truth of our inadequacy. We discover our inability to add 1cm to our spiritual stature, and there begins the long winter of our discontent, that eventually flowers into gloom, pessimism and a subtle despair. Subtle because it goes unrecognized, unnoticed, and therefore unchallenged. We become bored again Christians. Secretly we admit the call of Jesus is too demanding and that real surrender is beyond our reach. So, we start acting like everyone else. Life takes on a joyless empty quality. We crawl on our knees like Beria’s mother, or Like Luther  as he climbed the stair case in Rome.

The story is told of an old bloke from the back blocks who could be counted on to show up at every revival meeting. At the end when the invitation was given to come down the front he would get on his knees and pray “Fill me Jesus! Fill me Jesus! Fill me Jesus!”

However, after a week or two he would slip back into his old ways. The next revival meeting he would turn up, go down the front and offer the same prayer. This was repeated many times.

One time he was down on his knees yelling “Fill me Jesus….” When suddenly from the back of the church some lady yelled “Don’t do it Lord! He leaks!”

The truth is we all leak, whatever spirituality we gain leaks out. Our spiritual energies dissipate according to the laws of thermodynamics, and we must find ways to regularly refill. Jesus gave no formula for this. Everybody relates to God in their own way.

Our approach to the Christian life can be as absurd as the young man who had just received his plumber’s license and was taken to Niagara Falls by some friends. He studied the falls for a bit, then said, “I think I can fix this.”

Knowing the good news about God really means we can stop lying to ourselves. We can admit our sinfulness and our inability to save ourselves, or even change ourselves. There is nothing we can do to add to our salvation.

Let me assure you, being a Christian does produce a struggle. If you are not having a struggle, then you are probably not having a Christian experience. But remember God not only loves me as I am, but also knows me as I am. Because of this I do not need to apply spiritual cosmetics to make myself more presentable to Him. Salvation is not a reward for faithfulness, a generous disposition, a heroic life of faith or prayer, or even a life or service to the church.

The most important revelation you can ever have is that you are deeply loved by God and there is nothing you can do to earn or deserve it.