THE END OF ALL THINGS

Its been a while since I've written something. I've been so tired flexing my muscles in the packaging industry I work in. I've also been so exhausted struggling and searching for answers. Last two weeks were monumental not only because I barbarically stood up and spoke to God's people without thinking, but also because I've been reminded of the totality of God's glory.

The more I walk with God, the more I see how great He truly is and the more I realize how empty, unholy and fleshly I really am. In my six years of walking with such a blessed Being, I've seen and experienced many storms and struggles. I've done things I am not proud of. I've sinned against Him more than a pagan does. I've wept, prayed and wrestled with the devil. Most of my battles ended up in loss but all of them led me to a more profound relationship with the Lord.

The way God works truly astounds me. He takes care of His children well. He sometimes breaks their hearts to cleanse them of their idols (Eze 36:25) as He does with me most of the time and I praise Him for being such. If He did not, I would be brimming with more idols that a heathen could ever have.

Whenever I address delicate issues about repentance, holiness, conformity to God's Word, regeneration and evidence of salvation, I am labeled as a legalist or a person who's trying to add something to Jesus' work on the Cross. I am just tired of explaining myself all over again.

The last thing I would ever want for God's people is to be work-centered. A believer who becomes his own god or makes his work the basis of his joy is not only a form of idolatry but also a direct insult to God. So the only reason why I point to rules, emphasizing sin and godliness is so that we would see the greatness of God. I stress delicate issues regarding holiness, repentance, ministry, the way we preach the Gospel or the meaning of the cross not for the sake of works, but so that we would reverently bow to God in worship.

We can never see God with our own eyes. The Scriptures are there to break our self-righteousness and idols to leave us with empty hands in order for us to cling to Christ alone. As a little boy of God (I will never be able to live up to this name), I have always stressed correct doctrine, proper exegesis and correct Gospel preaching. But these are not the end. Theology, radical obedience, ministry or missions are extremely important but they are not the end. They are only small fragments of what Christianity truly is. That does not make them less important but before the End, who is God, everything else loses its value.

The last thing you would want from a prophet is to tell you what you want to hear. I admit that I have been hard and harsh sometimes. In the emails that I have sent to my brothers and sisters in Christ, I would appear to be nothing more than a "Gospel ranter". I believe I have made wrong choices of approach and I dearly apologize for such. However, I can never take back what I said. God forbid that I tell a lie and water down His truths. I fear Him more than the scorn of men.

You might be wondering then why should we give importance to works when they mean nothing before God's grace? My dear friend, like I said, works, the evidence of salvation, are important because through them, we are enabled to see the glory of God with a clearer perspective. When we repent of our sins, drop all forms of self-righteousness and admit our sinful and helpless condition, we see the glory of God. In our brokenness, we realize that God is all and is the only One that matters in life. Secondly, works have to be stressed because we are so earthly minded. For example, if I say Christianity is about experiencing God, how will men understand that? Its true but isn't it rather vague? Not to mention that every man has his own version of "experiencing God". Shouldn't I also stress the hard truths of Scripture from the meaning of the cross to conformity to His image? Thirdly, we have to be constantly reminded of the things of God. The Bible in the book of Job describes us as people who drink inequity as if it were water. Even upon conversion, we still drink sin and are so accustomed to it that we have to be constantly reminded of God's warnings, reminders, commandments and instructions.

Back to the main issue: the end of all things is God. Yes, it is important to stress repentance and obedience but these are only means to God. Experiencing Him, dwelling in His presence, communicating with Him, thinking of Him and living in Him are the real deals in Christianity. Its all about Him. God forbid that Christianity would be about something else.