Eyes

Do you have your ticket for heaven? I used to have a ticket for heaven -- or so I thought. In my mistaken understanding, there was a formula by which one earned a ticket to heaven. And, I had gone through the formula and completed all the rituals. Once I got my ticket, I only needed to be more or less good and I could just enjoy this life. As Paul indicated in these verses from Philippians, my focus and guide continued to be my Appetite -- my various desires for pleasure in this world. It seems possible that Paul was warning that, sadly, there are supposed Christians who are not actually citizens of heaven. These people, thinking like I used to, are still citizens of the world who believe they have a ticket to heaven.

The ticket trap is subtle but deadly. A follower of rules, regulations or formulas is not the same as a follower of Christ. Rules and laws are for citizens of the world who are still motivated by self-focused desires. In contrast, when one hears with faith and becomes a new creation, he is motivated and empowered to do whatever is right based on love for his heavenly Father and love for his neighbor. Laws are not needed to guide or constrain the activity of sacrificial love. We are called to shine as lights but service to our neighbor should not be a result of a program, peer pressure or a sense of duty. We should not be punching a service, attendance or salvation ticket. Our service and, in fact, our whole life will only be meaningful as it flows out of God's love that has come alive in our heart.

There is a dramatic and fundamental difference between citizens of the world and citizens of heaven. A citizen of heaven has been through a crucifixion and has been made a new creation. So, where a citizen of the world is guided and powered by self-love and keeps his mind set on things of the earth, a citizen of heaven is guided and powered by selfless-love. A citizen of heaven has goals and visions that focus on heavenly things. My own eyes began to be opened when, by God's grace, I saw a glimpse of the reality of my earthly focus. A citizen of heaven no longer finds his identity and purpose through earthy status of being rich or poor, free or slave, male or female, country boy or city boy -- he is now an adopted son of the Creator of all things. He has become an alien but also a representative in this world who is on a mission. His mission is to make Christ visible, to announce the good news of redemption, and to help his neighbors also become citizens of heaven. It is vital to see with the eyes of a loving son of God rather than those of a worldly, salvation ticket holder. "Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven..."

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven... Phil 3:17+

Lost Salvations

Once saved or always saved? This question was posed by one of our Alpha course attendees on her blog at http://imgodsfav.blogspot.com. Churches and families have divided over this question. Part of the reason is that both sides of the question can be supported by Scripture depending on the interpretation or emphasis used. Another reason is how one defines being "saved".

God certainly gives us free will and does not force us to obey Him. We do not become his children by obeying a set of rules or following a formula but by being sealed, changed and reborn in spirit. If, through Christ, we have received the Holy Spirit and are being led by the Spirit of Christ, then we are God's children. Only at this point can we ask the question whether this child of God can turn away from following God's Spirit, reject all of God's grace and again choose to live the life of a rebel.

The temptation is to seek a formula by which I can say, "I'm Saved!" And, having once obeyed the formula, I can now live how "I" want and not worry about heaven, hell or ignoring God will. In this case, one would be putting their hope and trust in a formula rather than in Christ. If we have little or no desire to seek God and His ways, are we actually His child? Have we actually had our heart renewed by the Holy Spirit? Are we trusting in Jesus? Or, are we still trusting in ourselves and in our performance of some ceremony, special prayer or a "good life".

We might even be trusting in our heritage. Some people believe they have always been Christians. When I was young, I believed this for a while. If we have not recognized our rebellious attitude toward God, our willing choice to lie, to cheat, to hate and to hurt others and have not changed our mind about that sin and embraced Jesus' sacrifice for our sin, then we are trusting in a false god. Jesus died for you to find life. Without Him my life would be nothing but despair. May I live this day for you, Jesus. The false salvations of trusting in heritage, ceremonies and formulas will all be lost.