Thought Quotient

“There is this wonderful book called Ishmael by Daniel Quinn … One of the points it brings out is that one of the mistakes human beings make is that there is only one way to live. Instead there are a million ways to be human … There are many paths to what you call “God.” Her path might be something else and when she gets there she might call it the “light.” But her loving and kindness and generosity - if it brings her to the same point that it brings you, then it doesn’t matter if she called it ‘God’ along the way or not.”

- Oprah Winfrey

There’s a way that seems right to us. And that ‘way’ is that we can be good enough to earn salvation. It’s all about sincerity and what good works we do in this life, correct? Well, this popular belief is what Oprah has stated so well in this quote above.

However, God tells us in His word that there is a way to us that seems right … but that the end result of that lifestyle is death! (see Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25) That tells us that we can be deceived about the truth and actually end up living for a lie that leads to death and hell instead of the path to God and Heaven that we thought we were on!

When we dig into scripture, we see that there is only one way to God…

1 Timothy 2:4-7

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

Now some people may feel that it is wrong or narrow minded to say there is only one path to God. However, when we realize that our hearts our wicked beyond definition … and that we are sinners by nature and choice … and that our sin is against God … and that because of that sin, a Holy God is justified in giving us ALL the hell that we rightfully deserve -

- we no longer are arguing that it’s not fair that there is only one path to God. We fall down in thankfulness to God for His mercy in providing A WAY at all! We deserve the consequences of our actions. We deserve the punishment for our sin (Romans 6:23). Yet, God graciously sent His Son Jesus to provide a way.

Let us suppose that there is a God who is altogether holy and righteous. Suppose that God freely creates mankind and gives to mankind the gift of life. Suppose He sets His creatures in an ideal setting and gives them the freedom to participate in all the glories of the created order with freedom. Suppose, however, that God imposes on small restriction upon them, warning them that if they violate that restriction, they will die. Would such a God have the right to impose such a restriction with the penalty of forfeiture of the gift of life if His authority is violated?

Suppose that for no just cause the ungrateful creatures disobeyed the restriction the moment God’s back was turned. Suppose when He discovered their violation instead of killing them, He redeemed them. Suppose the descendants of the first transgressors broadly and widely increased their disobedience and hostility toward their creator to the point that the whole world became rebellious to God, and each person in it “did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Suppose God still determined to redeem these people in order that, through them, the whole world would be blessed. Suppose God delivered this people from poverty and enslavement to a ruthless Egyption Pharaoh. Suppose this privileged nation, as soon as it was liberated, rose up in further rebellion against their God and their liberator. Suppose they took His law and violated it consistently.

Suppose that God, still intent upon redeption, sent specially endowed messengers or prophets to plead with His people to return to Him. Suppose the people killed the divine messengers and mocked their message. Suppose the people then began to worship idols of stone and things fashioned by their own hands. Suppose these people invented relgions that were contrary to the truth of the real God and worshiped creatures rather than the Creator.

Suppose in an ultimate act of redemption God Himself became incarnate in the person of His Son. Suppose this Son came into the world not to condemn the world, but to redeem the world. But suppose this Son of God were rejected, slandered, mocked, tortured, and murdered. Yet, suppose that God accepted the murder of His own Son as punishment for the sins of the very persons who murdered Him. Suppose this God offered to His Son’s murderers total amnesty, complete forgiveness, transcendent peace that comes with the cleansing of all guilt, victory over death and an eternal life of complete felicity.

Suppose God gave these people as a free gift the promise of a future life that would be without pain, without sickness, without death, and without tears. Suppose that God said to these people, “There is one thing that I demand. I demand that you honor my only-begotten Son and that you worship and serve Him alone.” Suppose God did all that, would you be willing to say to Him, “God, that’s not fair, you haven’t done enough”?

If man has in fact committed cosmic treason against God, what reason could we possibly have that God should provide any way of redemption? In light of the universal rebellion against God, the issue is not why is there only one way, but why is there any way at all? I know of no way of answering that question.

- R.C. Sproul

“The greatest cause in the world is joyfully rescuing people from hell, meeting their earthly needs, making them glad in God, and doing it with a kind, serious pleasure that makes Christ look like the Treasure he is. No war on earth was ever fought for a greater cause or a greater king.”

- John Piper

Because in tender love He stooped for me,
And suffered on the Cross in agony,
I longed for Him to come and set me free, -
Because He died for me.

Because He saw me miserably roam,
And sought for me, and brought me safely home;
All that I have or am is His alone,
Because He sought for me.

Because He shares with me His life divine,
The joys of all eternity are mine.
“For me to live is Christ” - Lord, I am Thine.
Praise God! He lives in me.

- Betty Scott Stam

Popular Christian author Donald Miller will deliver the closing prayer at the Democratic Convention on Monday night. AP Religion Writer Eric Gorski reports that originally Cameron Strang, “the 32-year-old editor of edgy and hip Relevant Magazine,” was scheduled to do it but had second thoughts and pulled out. “Citing fears that his bridge-building gesture would be wrongly construed as an endorsement, Strang said he instead hopes to take a lower-profile role, participating in a convention caucus meeting on religion later in the week.”

As we see the amazing athletes perform during the Olympics, we can’t help but think about the countless hours they must have spent in the gym training to be able to do what they do - to perform at a high level - to handle the situation, the challenges, and the pressure.

The same goes for our spiritual life. We often want to see the results in our life, but we don’t want to put in the time and discipline to get there.

I’m guilty of that just as much as anyone. Check out what Chuck Swindoll had to say on this topic:

Paul chose carefully when he selected the Greek term gumnazo, where we get our word gymnasium. In coaching Timothy, his younger colleague in the ministry, Paul said, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). Paul had in mind an athlete preparing for the final day of competition. I would prefer to translate it “Condition yourself,” which raises two points.

First, conditioning involves repetitive training exercises so that the athlete’s mind and the appropriate muscle groups learn to work together reflexively and automatically. Conditioning combines endurance and skill. Conditioning turns game-winning abilities into habits.

Second, conditioning is something we must do for ourselves. An athlete can seek out a coach to help him with conditioning, but he cannot hire someone to exercise for him. Condition yourself. Check the Internet, look through the Yellow Pages. If you ever find “Lease-a-Dieter” or “Rent-a-Runner,” let me know. I want that number!

Notice also that Paul had a goal in mind. Runners condition themselves by running. Weight lifters condition themselves by lifting weights. Each trains for a specific skill to compete in a specific event. Paul’s event is godliness. “Condition yourself toward godliness.”
A godly person is one who ceases to be self-centered in order to become God-centered. Christ became a man and, as a result of His earthly ministry, we see how God intended for humans to behave. Jesus is our unblemished example of godliness.
Our goal as Christians is to become like Christ.
So why exercise spiritual disciplines? To become intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ. They are simply a means by which you come to know Him experientially. By imitating Him, by sharing His experiences, by living a sacrificial life as He lived it, allowing the Holy Spirit to shape you by the disciplines from the inside out, you will become more like Him.

Godliness won’t just happen by hanging around a church or thinking lofty thoughts three or four times a day or memorizing a few verses of Scripture. It will take more—much more. Disciplining ourselves will require the same kind of focused thinking and living that our Master modelled during His brief life on earth.

Everything starts in the gymnasium of the soul. Since this is true, let’s commit ourselves to intimacy, simplicity, silence and solitude, surrender, prayer, humility, self-control, and sacrifice.

- Chuck Swindoll, Insight For Living ministries