Clergy View: We are being called home

“Jesus’ humiliation, suffering and death reveal something significant about the way God acts through Him to save us. It is important to know where God is when He saves us. He is not far off, dealing with us by divine powers from some heavenly realm. He has come to where we are in Jesus, has taken up the journey with us and has saved us from “inside” our humanity and frailty. God has come in Jesus to share with us, experience what we experience, and mark the way for us.

The writer says it is “fitting” for Jesus, our pioneer and priest, to be human as we are. That is, it is all right for Jesus to be human. That is how He knows us, that is why He can truly save us in our sinful, human condition. If it is all right for Jesus to be human, then it is all right for us to be human, too. We are not saved by becoming divine or being strong or right. We are not called to transcend our humanity to approach God. We are saved by responding in faith to the One Who is not ashamed to call us brothers. We are called to walk with the One Who walks with us in our humanity to bring us to glory.” (Author unknown)

We cannot work our way to heaven, good deeds, confirmation or baptism will not get us into heaven. Jesus Himself said, “Unless a man is born again, he will not see the kingdom of heaven.” (John 3:3) All the above things we do because we are born again, not to gain eternal life. So give Him access to your humanity and relax with obedience to Him as He directs and leads us forward into a deeper relationship with Himself. So glad it is not about religion, but relationship. He said, through Peter in 2 Peter 2:3-14, that He is not delayed in His return, but is waiting as long as He can because “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.”

I think we get it all wrong sometimes. God is not sending anyone to hell; He is standing with outstretched arms literally begging mankind to come to Him so they don’t go to hell. Hell is real and He is not willing that we should go there but He has given us a free will. He clearly shows us how to avoid eternity in hell and away from His amazing and unspeakable presence. Please, if you do not have a real relationship with the one who died to give you life — Jesus — come to Him today. He loves you with deep abiding love, no matter what you have done, He is calling you home.