I feel like some people take some things and themselves far too seriously. Then again, I feel like most people don’t take very seriously the things they should be taking seriously. For example, I feel like the Christian life is not taken seriously enough by most who claim to believe, including me at times.
I feel like one of the reasons many Christians don’t take their faith very seriously is because they don’t really believe in hell. The modern notion of God being sort of a benign old grandfather that’s not really “mean enough” to allow people to experience eternal damnation is really dangerous. In fact, if we would take Holy Scripture seriously, we would know that there is indeed a real place called hell. And, for the record, God doesn’t send anyone anywhere. We choose. This is called free will. The Church has always taught that man has free will. In the end, it is not God who sends people to hell. People choose hell. What’s my point, you may ask? Why am I being so depressing and talking about such heavy things today? This week, the Church, via our readings, urges us to take two things very seriously: our own Christian life and practice and prayer. Epistle: James 1:22-27 Gospel: John 16:23-30 James starts us right off with a stern warning, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” There is this modern notion and belief in most Christian circles today that will tell you (albeit implicitly) that belief alone is enough. All you have to do is believe, they will say. The problem is that belief is very vague and the practice of it is nebulous at best. Here’s what I mean. To say that one believes is not enough. Belief in what, precisely? Belief in whom, precisely? What do you believe? And most modern Christians can’t tell you what they believe, especially about the historic tenets and dogmas of the Christian faith. They can’t tell you that because they don’t know. And to make matters worse, the practice of the “faith” for most modern Christians is abysmal. We tend to run to license rather than discipline, what feels good rather than to asceticism. We can say whatever we want and live however we want. Just ask for forgiveness; God will forgive. Your sins have already been paid for on the cross. Yes, God can forgive. Yes, in a final and ultimate sense, Christ’s death on the cross had paid the price for sin. But it does not then follow that you or I can then fail to live as Holy Scripture has commanded. Forgiveness is not a free pass, a get out of hell free card. Modern Christians are really soft in the practice of their faith. In my own life, I get funny looks from people if they find out I’m fasting. Not that I advertise it, but people find out. Then, they’re either shocked or say, “Isn’t that a bit much” or something else along those lines. I always want to respond with, “Jesus fasted, and He is the second Person of the Holy Trinity. If He fasted, don’t you think we should as well?!” But I digress and there is much more to living the Christian life than fasting. Be doers of the word. Not just the bits that you like and make you comfortable. No. The whole word, even the bits that make you uncomfortable. James goes on to tell us that if we don’t bridle our tongue, then our religion is in vain. Worthless. This one hits real close to home for me. I sometimes let my mouth run too much. James is telling us that, if we can’t control something small like our tongue, then we’re kind of wasting our time claiming to be religious. And he goes on to tell us, in verse 27, “Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” How’s our care for those less fortunate than we are? How’s our care for anyone, other than ourselves? Can anyone tell the difference between us, as Christians, and the rest of the world? Do our lives look the same as “the world?” Are our lives unspotted by the world? If not, James tells us that our religion is in vain. That’s pretty harsh to our modern sensibilities. On the front end, we look at the demands of the Christian life and think that we can’t do it. And we would be right. On our own, living the Christian life is impossible. So then, how are we to do it? The collect for this week is helpful, “O God, from whom all good things proceed, be generous to Your petitioners; so that by Your inspiration we may think what is right, and by Your guidance may perform it.” By Your inspiration, we may think what is right. By Your guidance we may perform it. Right thinking, by God’s help, leads to right action by His guidance. And how are we to obtain that? Ask. Look at the beginning of our gospel text. “And in that day you shall not ask me anything. Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you. Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full.” Our Father wants to give us good things. The best thing we can have is a right relationship with Him through Christ. Ask Him to help you to think rightly. Ask Him to lead you to right action by His guidance. As our Lord Jesus has told us (Luke 12:32), “Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.” It hath pleased the Father to give you a kingdom. And if He is pleased to give you a kingdom, He will be pleased to help you live in a manner worthy. What grace has been poured out on us! Deo gratias!
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