I hate Clinton! I hate Trump!

Let me start by saying I call my blog The Pastor's Pen because I am primarily writing to men and women who follow Jesus.  I believe that God has tasked me with the job of caring for and leading His people, so I do my best to write to that end.  However, I also have a number of friends who don't share my allegiance to Jesus or my worldview, so I also write for them too.  I want them to at least understand, not only my point of view, but my heart commitments as well.  But these thoughts are directed primarily to you Christ-followers.

One of the things that is so pervasive on social media this election season is hatred.  Maybe you think that word is too strong, but dislike just doesn't cut it.  People loath Clinton or detest Trump with a vitriol that I don't ever remember seeing.  But it's not just Clinton and Trump that people seem to hate--they seem to hate anyone and everyone else who supports the other candidate, or who doesn't agree with them.  The disdain that the pro-Clintons have for the 'Make America Great Again' Trump squadron is palpable.   The contempt of the Trump force toward the Clinton throng is equally tangible.   But we can go a step further and say people who would never vote for Clinton, but are known as the #NeverTrump crowd, are equally hostile to the Trump "deplorables," and vice versa. 

Now the point of the post isn't to argue for or against Clinton-Trump.  The point of this post is to say to you followers of Jesus, lose the hatred.  Lose the vitriol. We were called to so much more than that.  I came across these verses in my Bible reading this morning: "Remind [those who follow Jesus] to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men" (Titus 3:1-2).  Why don't you read that again before you move on?  I don't care how much you are for Trump or how unqualified you might think Clinton to be; I don't care how wonderful a president you think Clinton might make or how disastrous you think it might be if Trump were at the helm; those of you who follow Jesus, your allegiance is to Jesus alone.

Notice how Jesus calls us to malign no one.  Notice how He says we should be known for our peaceable demeanor and our gentle hearts.  When He says we are to show consideration for all men I think God is calling us to civility, and even to a supernatural kindness.  In the words of Jesus, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).  You would do well to actually read most of that chapter where Jesus concludes, "Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:35-36).

Some of you think that I might be saying we can't be passionate or speak the truth.  You misunderstand.  Speak up, but lose the odious rhetoric.   Make your point but jettison the rudeness and hateful speech.  Stop assassinating people's character, disparaging their children and spreading slander that you don't even know to be true.  Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's real or true, but even if it is we who follow Jesus don't slander others or gossip.  And just because others are doing it, just because conservative and liberal websites are producing it, I am not obligated to pass it on.

I write to you my brothers and sisters because we are different.  The love of Jesus has been poured out in our hearts.  We are not driven by the selfishness and the anger that motivates too many in our world.  We are not of this world.  This world is not our home.  Let's live like it.  Let's talk like it.  Stand up and speak the truth passionately, but "speak the truth in love" (Eph.4:15).   "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person" (Col.4:6).  "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe" (1 Tim.4:12).

Three Really Good Things That Can Keep You From Heaven

It’s hard to believe that good things can keep people from knowing God and out of heaven, but it's true.  Some who claim to follow Jesus say we shouldn’t even worry about heaven.  I’ve recently heard the assertion that many of us who follow Christ only emphasize “heaven” and ignore the every day life of following Jesus.  Well I hope that’s not true, but to minimize the importance of eternal life is to reject much of what our Savior said.  Jesus often said things like this; “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”   It’s amazing how often Jesus spoke of keeping our eyes, our focus, on eternity.  Paul, one of the greatest Christian leaders of the early church, said that “if we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

So heaven is important and you should want to be there as you close your eyes in death, but there are three really good things that can keep you out if you are not careful.

Growing up in Jesus' church is a good thing that can keep people out of heaven.  Honestly, growing up with godly, Christ-following parents is a blessing one can’t minimize.  Having the nurture of a Biblical, loving local church is priceless.  But just like with so many good things, there can be a down side too.   Have you ever heard the old adage, “You can’t see the forest for the trees?”  Is it possible that we can be so close but miss the big picture?  Too often our children grow up in church hearing all about Jesus yet somehow the gospel never takes root in their hearts.  It’s almost like we inoculate them to their personal need of a Savior and to the wonder of God’s grace.  Over and over again I hear adults who grew up in church confuse the gospel with moralism, where moralism is a belief that moral goodness, or at least moral relativism, i.e. ‘I’m better than other sinners,’ is the basis of God’s choice in salvation.  It is not.

This is why parents and churches should make the gospel clearly distinct from the call we make to moral integrity.  We need to view our children as sinners in need of a Savior and not as little saved people by virtue of their connection to our church family.

The ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ can be a good thing that can keep people out of heaven.  “Wow,” you say, “how can prayer ever keep someone from knowing God?”  Easy!  When we equate “praying a prayer” with salvation, we run the danger of deceiving people that they have come to know God and have been forgiven by Him, when in reality they have not.  Jesus never said, “Pray this prayer to be saved.”  Instead the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved!”  Or it puts it this way, “But as many as received the Lord Jesus, to them God gave the right to become the children of God.”  Salvation is not a gift that comes by praying a prayer but by faith in the Lord Jesus.  So is it wrong to pray and ask Jesus to save us?  Of course not.  Prayer can be a great way to express faith but if we put too much emphasis on the prayer itself, we can make it a stumbling block to some folks.  I’ve heard people say, “Of course they are saved—they prayed the sinner’s prayer!”  I appreciate the sentiment but salvation is evidenced in faith that leads to a transformed life, not in a prayer someone once prayed.   Here’s how the apostle John put it;  “But if we claim to know him and don’t obey him, we are lying and the truth isn’t in our hearts. …if we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ.” (1 John 2:4,6)  We should encourage people with assurance that comes, not from praying a prayer, but from faith in Jesus that leads us to love like Jesus, believe like Jesus and walk our lives as Jesus walked.

Baptism can be a good thing that can keep people out of heaven.  Baptism is an important act that Jesus commanded us to observe as a way of testifying to our faith.  It’s a great illustration of Christ’s work on the cross for us as we are united with Him in His death, burial and resurrection through faith.  But baptism often becomes a performance that people believe transfers salvation.  Many religious people call it a sacrament and actually, without qualm, believe it conveys salvation.  But even among those who find themselves in evangelical churches, too often their hope is in this religious performance.

One of the best ways to insure that baptism doesn’t become a stumbling block to heaven is to make sure that people clearly understand God’s gospel.  If people truly grasp the good news, they will never rely upon their baptism, or any other religious performance, to make themselves right with God.

So if relying upon church, a sinner's prayer or baptism can keep us out of heaven, what will open the door to heaven?  In a nutshell, only Jesus can.  In fact, in the Bible Jesus says that He and He alone is the actual door to heaven.   If you haven't found that door, check out the claims of Christ and just as importantly, check out the evidence for that which He asserts.

Don’t let a good thing keep you from the most important thing.  Nothing is more important that knowing God and being ready for heaven.