The Gospel that i know, love and believe in
Today, we had o-week at UNSW. I was helping my church out with the stall and stuff and there were interesting group of people that came into the stall, and I actually gotten to know and talk to.
There were 3 interesting notable groups of people that i would like to share:
1. a non-Christian- but actively and eagerly wanting to know about Christianity
2. A Christian that has turned herself into buddhism and hinduism because Christianity didn't answer her longing of having a deeper relationship with God
3. Catholics that want to know more of Indo ppl and not necessarily want to know more about God deeper but want to know more about other people (in simpler term- just want to get more friends and connection)
What i learned from these three groups of people that i met today was: that God made it clearer to me about who He is and what He has in purpose for us and who i am in terms of sharing the Gospel to other people.
God made it clearer to me that He works in miraculous ways, ways that we never though exists. When i met the first batch- which was the non-Christian girls- it was really2 interesting because they were really open to Christianity and want to know more- they even said that they want to do Bible study together and eagerly want to know what Christianity is all about.
As i was hearing them saying this, I asked them "So no one ever told you about Christianity? You don't know ANYTHING about Christianity?" I was AMAZED! these people do exist! There are soooooooo many other people out there that has never heard of Christ before! And think of how sad it is for them to miss out on so much JOY of knowing Christ's love for us! Its incomprehendable!
The second person taught me something a little bit different from the first one. I talked to this lady not in UNSW but at centerlink. She shared some of her past experiences with me and the reason behind why she did such thing as moving from Christianity to buddhism. She said that the church that she went to- didn't really taught her about how to pray and how to talk to God.
The third bunch was also interesting because they taught me about the different ways God unite His people together. I was really glad that they would actually come to our stall and talk to us and try to get to know us better.
Out of all the three, I have to admit that i've "sinned". I didn't share the "gospel" to them. I didn't disagree when they said that Christianity and Catholics are the same for we believe in the same God just different traditions. I didn't disagree when they said that we can learn more about God from different religions. I didn't disagree when they said that people from different religions also know about the God that we "christians" know. ANd the fact that i don't regret doing the thing that i did.
I bet all the people who read this post will think that i;m a heretic! Immature, hypocritical and baby in my Christian faith and that i don't fully trust God and the power of the gospel. I guess maybe i am. Maybe i am all that. But i too have a rationale of doing what i did- and if anyone is interested in listening to my rationale- then read on- or would you rather leave it at that and keep on thinking that i'm a heretic- that's fine too.
Well, here's the Gospel that i believed and hold on to:
I believe in the Gospel that teaches us about God's surpassing love for us
I want to believe in the gospel that knows that we are all sinners and now forgiven completely NOT because of what we've done but because of who God is
I believe in the gospel that says Jesus died for us and rose again in the third day conquering death
I believe in the gospel that offers forgiveness and wishes to see everyone saved on the last day of judgment
I believe in the gospel the offers free will to those who want to believe in it, where God does not choke His love down our throat like some cough medicine and forces us to accept, believe and appreciate it
I believe in the gospel that lives within me and is living not by some intelligent, persuasive and interesting words that i say but only through my actions that it can be seen
I believe in the gospel of love and unity and that leaves all judgment to God and God alone
For what is the use of believing in God's powerful and mighty nature if we never surrender the judgment part to Him alone? Wouldn't that be undermining God's power?
What is the use of fighting over the "right" theology with those who already believed in the most basic and important "theology" that God could ever offer to us- which is His love and grace for us and the ability to have a close relationship with Him? Just because they said something that the "rule - book" says is wrong, doesn't mean that they DON'T understand anything about God Himself! Who are we to say and judge their relationship with God?!
How many people out there are no longer a believer just because other "believers" forces the "right theology" down their throat leaving them feeling much more confused and angry about theology itself? How many of us become insensitive of other's real needs just for the sake of defending the "right theology"?
It's so much easier for us NOT to listen to others and quickly make a remark on how wrong their way of thinking is! rather than slowly listening to them and find where the real problem lies. God took His time in allowing us to know Him more- why can't we?
For what is theology if God is not in it? What is theology if the basis of theology itself is forgotten? What is theology if those who study it only use it for the sake of knowing it but not doing it?
So the gospel that i know, love and believe in is that that is shown in our life. That our life is a living testimony to the gospel itself- and that we won people to salvation NOT by some clever words but with the love that God has shown us and is shown to others through our action.
There were 3 interesting notable groups of people that i would like to share:
1. a non-Christian- but actively and eagerly wanting to know about Christianity
2. A Christian that has turned herself into buddhism and hinduism because Christianity didn't answer her longing of having a deeper relationship with God
3. Catholics that want to know more of Indo ppl and not necessarily want to know more about God deeper but want to know more about other people (in simpler term- just want to get more friends and connection)
What i learned from these three groups of people that i met today was: that God made it clearer to me about who He is and what He has in purpose for us and who i am in terms of sharing the Gospel to other people.
God made it clearer to me that He works in miraculous ways, ways that we never though exists. When i met the first batch- which was the non-Christian girls- it was really2 interesting because they were really open to Christianity and want to know more- they even said that they want to do Bible study together and eagerly want to know what Christianity is all about.
As i was hearing them saying this, I asked them "So no one ever told you about Christianity? You don't know ANYTHING about Christianity?" I was AMAZED! these people do exist! There are soooooooo many other people out there that has never heard of Christ before! And think of how sad it is for them to miss out on so much JOY of knowing Christ's love for us! Its incomprehendable!
The second person taught me something a little bit different from the first one. I talked to this lady not in UNSW but at centerlink. She shared some of her past experiences with me and the reason behind why she did such thing as moving from Christianity to buddhism. She said that the church that she went to- didn't really taught her about how to pray and how to talk to God.
The third bunch was also interesting because they taught me about the different ways God unite His people together. I was really glad that they would actually come to our stall and talk to us and try to get to know us better.
Out of all the three, I have to admit that i've "sinned". I didn't share the "gospel" to them. I didn't disagree when they said that Christianity and Catholics are the same for we believe in the same God just different traditions. I didn't disagree when they said that we can learn more about God from different religions. I didn't disagree when they said that people from different religions also know about the God that we "christians" know. ANd the fact that i don't regret doing the thing that i did.
I bet all the people who read this post will think that i;m a heretic! Immature, hypocritical and baby in my Christian faith and that i don't fully trust God and the power of the gospel. I guess maybe i am. Maybe i am all that. But i too have a rationale of doing what i did- and if anyone is interested in listening to my rationale- then read on- or would you rather leave it at that and keep on thinking that i'm a heretic- that's fine too.
Well, here's the Gospel that i believed and hold on to:
I believe in the Gospel that teaches us about God's surpassing love for us
I want to believe in the gospel that knows that we are all sinners and now forgiven completely NOT because of what we've done but because of who God is
I believe in the gospel that says Jesus died for us and rose again in the third day conquering death
I believe in the gospel that offers forgiveness and wishes to see everyone saved on the last day of judgment
I believe in the gospel the offers free will to those who want to believe in it, where God does not choke His love down our throat like some cough medicine and forces us to accept, believe and appreciate it
I believe in the gospel that lives within me and is living not by some intelligent, persuasive and interesting words that i say but only through my actions that it can be seen
I believe in the gospel of love and unity and that leaves all judgment to God and God alone
For what is the use of believing in God's powerful and mighty nature if we never surrender the judgment part to Him alone? Wouldn't that be undermining God's power?
What is the use of fighting over the "right" theology with those who already believed in the most basic and important "theology" that God could ever offer to us- which is His love and grace for us and the ability to have a close relationship with Him? Just because they said something that the "rule - book" says is wrong, doesn't mean that they DON'T understand anything about God Himself! Who are we to say and judge their relationship with God?!
How many people out there are no longer a believer just because other "believers" forces the "right theology" down their throat leaving them feeling much more confused and angry about theology itself? How many of us become insensitive of other's real needs just for the sake of defending the "right theology"?
It's so much easier for us NOT to listen to others and quickly make a remark on how wrong their way of thinking is! rather than slowly listening to them and find where the real problem lies. God took His time in allowing us to know Him more- why can't we?
For what is theology if God is not in it? What is theology if the basis of theology itself is forgotten? What is theology if those who study it only use it for the sake of knowing it but not doing it?
So the gospel that i know, love and believe in is that that is shown in our life. That our life is a living testimony to the gospel itself- and that we won people to salvation NOT by some clever words but with the love that God has shown us and is shown to others through our action.
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