God's Top Four Priorities for His Children: Introduction

Have you ever wondered what God's priorities are for your life? I have and the journey to better understanding these priorities has not been an easy one. But, before I dive into this topic, let me say that I am still in process and am still growing in my understanding of God, Truth and Life and how these three realities intertwine together.  

Over the past 10 years I've had the privilege of connecting with people both inside and outside the walls of a church building and across 4 continents (North America, Africa, Asia and Australia). This has definitely had its challenges, but also some really precious and endearing rewards. Bottom line, people are beautiful. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from, there is beauty in you. Believe it. 

So, as I begin to lay out what I believe are God's top priorities for people, I will submit to you that I am in no means saying that I have all the answers. But, only a helpful framework that has helped me and others in better discerning the movements of God in our lives. I was first taught this by a long time friend and pastor ministering in Taiwan (thanks Dave for your humility and wisdom).

Now, the way these priorities work themselves out in a person's life will be unique to each of us. Though we may at times have some commonalities between our stories, no two stories are ever alike, just as no two people are ever alike. 

My aim in posting this, is to hopefully better help you see the bigger picture, so to speak, so that you can then take this list as a sort of filter or magnifying glass that will bring some greater clarity as you zoom into the uniqueness of your own life story. So, here we go.  

I will first list what I believe to be God's top four priorities for His children (there is more you could add to this list, but grasping these top four is crucial) and then I will expand on them: 

1. Relationship (Salvation) 

2. Christlikeness (Transformation) 

3. Faith (Maturity) 

4.Blessing/Comfort (Prosperity) 

If we can grasp these four priorities in the right order, I believe we will truly experience the greatest happiness and fulfillment for our lives. To say it another way, when we understanding these four priorities in the right order, we will experience the abundant life Jesus promises His followers (John 10:10b)

Now, what I believe has brought great confusion to understanding God's higher priorities for people has been the "prosperity gospel" which in a nut shell emphasizes financial blessing and physical well-being as the main purpose and plan of God for a person. Wikipedia defines it as: 

"a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one's material wealth. Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity."

What the "prosperity gospel" has done is placed what I have listed fourth on the list as number two. It tells people, God saves you and then blesses you. There is little or no mention of becoming like Jesus (transformation) and trials and hardships are interpreted as disobedience and lack of faith. There is real danger in this because it is a distortion of the gospel. 

Now, hear me on this I am not saying that God doesn't want to bless us, I absolutely believe He does, He has and He will! I believe God is a good and generous Father who not only provides for His children, but also blesses and rewards them. What I am saying is that God has a couple higher priorities for us that will at times supersede Him blessing us materially and financially. 

As I have walked alongside people who hold to this distorted understanding of the Gospel, what I have witnessed is that when a trial or hardship comes their way, they almost immediate start thinking that they have done something wrong and will start repenting of every sin that they can think of and/or will oftentimes blame and condemn themselves for not having enough faith. Sound familiar?

But, when we begin to grasp that God has a couple higher priorities for us as His children, then when trials or hardships happen, we have a better understanding of what God might be doing in our lives. Maybe we haven't actually done anything wrong, but God has decided in these trials and hardships to either help us to transform more into the likeness of Jesus or He could be wanting to increase our faith and maturity. But the only way that we can even entertain these options is only if they are actually in our grid of the will of God for His people.  

To be continued....

Do you really believe God will not allow people who are not Christian into heaven?

If you are a Christian for any amount of time, you will undoubtedly be confronted with this question. "Do you really believe God will not allow people who are not Christian into heaven?" Usually most Christians may stumble in giving a loving, compassionate truth-filled answer. Oftentimes, we may dance around the question, even try and dodge the question or we may react with an overly heavy-handed response. Is there a better way? I believe there is. 

First, we need to clearly define the word heaven. What is heaven? Most people believe heaven is a place of happiness, where there is no pain or suffering. A place of bliss and peace. A place where we escape the trouble and heartaches of this world and enter into a place of continual pleasure and endless celebration. All of which do describe some truthful aspects of heaven. 

Some may even go so far as argue that if God truly was a God of love, how could He withhold heaven from people because they failed to believe, trust and follow Jesus. How could this be loving? In all of this, the one crucial thing that people fail to understand and recognize is that what makes heaven, heaven is the presence of God. If we were to boil it all down, we could say that heaven equals forever living and being with God, for all eternity. 

I mean if you really think about it, if those people who don't want anything to do with God here on earth, do you really think they could stand living and being with God for all eternity? I really doubt it. In fact, I think heaven would probably be the last place they would want to be because that is where a holy God lives. And heaven is a place for people who have through Jesus Christ died to sin and have become alive to God (Romans 6:11). 

I've heard it said that, "the fires of heaven may well be hotter than the fires of hell" (Dallas Willard). In heaven there is no sin, and the bible says that "no one can see God's face and live" (Exodus 33:20). There is a great and grand holy purity that permeates all of heaven because it is a holy God's dwelling place. All through the bible whenever a person encounters an angel from heaven, they faint and fall to the floor like they were dead and this is just an angel. Just imagine what being in the presence of the Almighty Creator and Judge of all things would be like. (If it wasn't for Jesus in my life, I would be absolutely terrified.)  

I've also heard it said that "the door to hell is locked from the inside" (C.S. Lewis). Meaning, the people in hell have exiled themselves to be there and in essence what they seek is to lock God out. They've lived there whole life on earth denying God, blaspheming His Name, cursing Him, ignoring Him, etc. because they want nothing to do with Him. You see, what the people who ask the question "Do you really believe God will not allow people who are not Christian into heaven?"  fail to understand is that there is no getting away from God in heaven and if a person hated God here on earth, what would make you think that that would change in heaven? For a person like this to be in heaven would probably be eternal torture. 

Here's a excerpt from a teaching by John Ortberg which has influenced my own thought, but also further expands on this: 

Snow Patrol: OPEN YOUR EYES

I long for God to awaken people to the reality of the Kingdom of God, so that they can begin to see the world from an eternal perspective. This is my heart's cry. I think the reason I like this song so much is that I helps give voice to this longing. I just want to scream to the world to "open your eyes" Jesus loves you! But, in the end everyone has to choose to believe for themselves, I can't open their eyes for them. When the Kingdom of God comes near them, they have to choose to open their eyes and hearts to accept and believe that Jesus has come to save them!

real Hope vs. wishful thinking

I've recently been listening to a lot of Jonathan David Helser. His music touches the inward parts of my heart, the deep spaces that long for greater intimacy with Jesus. On his album, Walk Through the Walls, there is a song called Amy's Song which after hearing the backstory to the song has made the deep desire in my heart, to see every child dancing free and singing before the Throne of God, burn with even greater passion. These are Jonathan's own words, "This song came in the middle of one of the most intense circumstances we have ever been a part of. Two of our closest friends lost their baby girl, Amy, before she came into this world. Months after she was gone, the Lord allowed me to hear Amy's song from heaven. I wept over the keys of our upright piano as I heard her song of hope coming from the streets of gold" (from album notes).

There is a Scripture verse that comforts me when I hear tragic stories like this one where a child for whatever reason doesn't make it out of the womb. Romans 1:20 (TNIV) says this, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." What screams out of this verse is that those who are able to see and understand creation have no excuse to not believe in God. So, when it comes to babies who have for whatever reason not made it out of the womb and into this world, if we are to cry out to God for mercy on their behalf this would be a good place to start.

John Piper says this, "In other words: if a person did not have access to the revelation of God's glory - did not have the natural capacity to see it and understand it, then Paul implies they would have an excuse at the judgment. The point for us is that even though we human beings are under the penalty of everlasting judgment and death because of the fall of our race into sin and the sinful nature that we all have, nevertheless God only executes this judgment on those who have the natural capacity to see his glory and understand his will, and refuse to embrace it as their treasure. Infants, I believe, do not yet have that capacity; and therefore, in God's inscrutable way, he brings them under the forgiving blood of his Son....It is important to emphasize that, in our view, God is not saving infants because they are innocent. They are not innocent, but guilty. He is saving them because, although they are sinful, in his mercy he desires that compassion be exercised upon those who are sinful and yet lack the capacity to grasp the truth revealed about Him in nature and to the human heart." Read the full article .

I believe God saves all unborn babies, even infants who die.This is not just wishful thinking, but consistent with what the Bible says who God is. He is loving, holy, merciful, just and gracious and whatever He does will always be right and good. The Bible doesn't directly say that God applies Christ's atoning sacrifice to those who didn't have a chance to believe. Even so, God’s applying Christ’s sacrifice to unborn babies who cannot believe would be consistent with His love and mercy while still remaining just and righteous. This is where I find comfort. Our hope must be rooted in God's Word. If not, then our hope becomes hollow wishful thinking. So, when I hear this song and read the backstory vision, I believe Amy is dancing free and singing in heaven around the Throne of God.