The Nightmare of Christianity

I keep reading this over and over because it's one of those verses nobody talks about, that you wonder if it's really in the Bible...

Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness (Rom 4:4-5)

This one is for all the people who think that once someone receives Jesus into their heart, they then begin the Christian journey of trying to be perfect, which they will never achieve until they die and go to heaven.

"Congratulations, you made it to heaven (well, you'll get there...someday). Now all you have to do is quit smoking, drinking, having sex unmarried, and anything else that you currently find pleasure in, start going to church, Sundays and Wednesdays minimum, give away 10% of your already short paycheck, spend your Saturdays when you finally have time to breathe doing community service, join the choir or teach Sunday School or volunteer to vacuum...and, when you do get to heaven, I hope you've been practicing your harp because you will be playing it...in a bathrobe...forever..."

Truthfully, a lot of Christians are taking away peoples' dreams and selling them a nightmare. People may be searching for the "missing link" in their life, and think they found it in Jesus, only to have a 1500 page rule book called the Bible thrown at them, which they must learn as quickly as possible, and not forget anything.

Back to the verse at the top. "Him who does not work but believes." So when you are paid wages, or a paycheck, it's for everything you've earned. Which is great, unless what you are really attempting to earn is unattainable. Like righteousness. It can't be earned. Not because we're not capable of doing everything we're supposed to do, but because most of us don't even want to. Even if we attempt for a while, we find there's no quality of life in following a bunch of rules. We just want to be happy, and we don't feel happy following all of these policies and procedures and never catching a break.

So what if we stop working? I think we are kind of twisted about what we believe righteousness is. I think we might just need a massive perspective shift, even a paradigm shift.

Righteousness is not some religious word that means you are Mother Theresa. That's what people think they are supposed to be going for, and why a lot of people just don't want it. Righteousness is, in the simplest form, a state of being right with God...in every area. Physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially...every area. Man I just want someone to understand this. This is the good news! The real good news! Jesus came and made everything right. Not only that...he brought heaven to earth. True story. Inside each of us who believe it. Without us doing one ounce of work. When you study the word for heaven in the original language, it implies not a place, but a realm. How many times did Jesus say, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." The realm of heaven is here. Right here. And you are welcome, right now. Not when you die. Just believe.

Read the first verse in The Passion Translation, one of my favorites:

'When people work, they earn wages. It can’t be considered a free gift, because they earned it. But no one earns God’s righteousness. It can only be transferred when we no longer rely on our own works, but believe in the one who powerfully declares the ungodly to be righteous in his eyes. It is faith that transfers God’s righteousness into your account!'

Romans 4:4-5

SUCH GOOD NEWS! Do you get it yet?

If you don't believe in Jesus, you will probably spend your life attempting to be a "good person." That's a great goal. But often you will try your hardest, and you will fail, and you will have to hope that your good outweighed your bad. It's a logical way to live, and to many people, there's no good  reason to believe anything else. The Christians you may know haven't shown you any good reason that they have the "abundant life" that they preach about.

Once you understand that Jesus became sin (2 Cor 5:21) and took all the punishment for everything wrong you've ever done, or are doing, or will do...then you understand that there is hope, because if someone else paid for everything forever...you don't have to spend one more day attempting to be good enough. You might be able to get on with enjoying life, you might possibly be able to experience heaven on earth...which is all you wanted anyway! In whatever words you might have put it.

See, this is the hope that we've been given, which I believe is what we have been supposed to share all along. That rightness with God is not a ticket to heaven. It is a ticket, per se, to the answers for all the problems you've been facing. I can't explain it in a blanket statement for every person who might read this. But I know that in the realm of heaven are answers to marital problems. I know in the realm of heaven are cures for cancer and addictions. I know in the realm of heaven...which is all around us, waiting for us to tap into it...are inventions that will bring provision that will solve financial issues. I know that

'the kingdom of God is not a matter of rules...but is in the realm of the Holy Spirit, filled with righteousness, peace, and joy. '

Romans 14:17

Don't make that verse all deep. If you have righteousness (rightness), peace and joy in every area of your life, it basically means that you are fulfilled, that all is well, that you have no unsolvable problems, right? Put it in your own words. Heaven on earth.

P.S. Sure there are a lot of things that all of us do that we shouldn't be doing. That the Bible says we shouldn't be doing. There are also a lot of things we should or could be doing, that we don't. However to my recollection, Jesus never focused on criticizing, except the self-righteous religious leaders. He told them they were condemned to judgement for judging others. No thanks.

His main focus was on restoring relationship (which did some times require casting out the devil), and the more he did that, the more everything else in a person's life began to come into alignment with the truth. Then they were able to really experience that rightness, peace and joy. Then they were inspired, motivated, and excited to tackle good dreams, visions and goals, rather than doing it from a sense of duty or obligation.

So adjust your focus. Jesus made everything right. You don't have to. You just get to live it.