I was listening to a podcast that happened to include two Jews and a Christian. The Christian made the comment, “I’m a Christian because they got to me first. If I’d been born in some other culture, who knows what I would be.” Perhaps he was just trying to be avoid being antagonistic. But while there is a small grain of truth in what he said—we are each born into a specific time and place and are influenced by our culture—it seemed like he was Christian in name only. If he truly believed that Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life, I don’t think he would so quickly write off his faith as a cultural coincidence. If we believe that God chose us “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), then our faith is not simply a cultural artifact. Unfortunately, his perspective is all too common. We who have grown up in a relatively Christianized country may be inclined to adopt a cultural Christianity that has very little relation to faith in God and obedience to His will as revealed in the Bible.
Not long after hearing that podcast I was reading my Bible and found myself in Ezekiel 3, where the prophet is told by God:
“If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul” (18-19).
In other words, “If you know the truth and don’t warn people, you will suffer for their condemnation.” While we might wish to apply that just to prophets or pastors, every believer has an obligation to share the good news of faith in Jesus Christ with those we love (Matt. 28:18-20). Failure to do so won’t make us lose our salvation, but it will certainly bring us grief when friends die without knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Those who do know Jesus in this way will not glibly say, “The Christians got to me first.”
The author of Hebrews wrote, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (2:1). Jesus said that some who hear the truth will immediately reject it, others may initially seem to respond but later fall away, some let the truth get choked out by the stresses of life, but a few go on to bear great fruit (Luke 8:4-15). Then Jesus goes on to say that those who have received the light of truth will not hide that light from others (16). “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” (18).
There are those who call themselves Christians who have no clue what it means to live by faith in Christ alone or to desire to follow Him as Lord. What faith they think they have will be taken away, because it is a faith in themselves or in their cultural upbringing, not in God. The Apostle Paul wrote,
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them… So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19-21).
Although we can’t save ourselves by our works, we can choose to reject God’s offer of salvation and live in denial of His authority over our lives. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10). Part of the good work that God has prepared for us is to bear witness to Him and to give a reason for the hope that we have (1 Pet. 3:15), not just attributing it to an accident of nature or nurture.
Let us give credit where credit is due and not neglect to give credit to the God who chose us.
“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30).
© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
