Salvation: Is it all that its cracked up to be?

(Part 1)

I have heard it said that in Heaven there is no crying, tears, or sadness.  This place outside our comprehension is home to angels, awesomeness, a God of all creation as well as any believers who have left this world whether peacefully or not.  Yet here in this world we have all these complex and difficult experiences, emotions, and history.  They said that, through the Bible, we are told God experiences a vast array of emotions in His Nature: emotions such as joy, happiness, anger, and jealousy are among some of them.  To add to the wonder we are also never going to experience them again after we pass on, if indeed we chose to go to heaven (more on that later).  If we narrow our focus to negative emotions the raw sensations and thoughts that occur may be evidence that provide insight into who God is intimately.  The point to be made was to realize we will be the only creatures with these seemingly negative experiences in all creation and only for a time.  If we begin to understand this gift maybe we can begin to cherish the times we have in those struggles.  

(I stress the importance of the word ‘begin.’  In part I believe knowing any of this still makes the ability of someone striving toward a sort of invulnerability to the tragedy of life to be either unattainable or at least attainable at the very end of life.  The dichotomy of life shares its crown jewel in both joy and sadness, pain and pleasure, triumph and failure: any two opposites that bring value to one when experiencing the other.  This has been said in so many movies, tv shows, books, and music that it should be common knowledge.  The problem is that the pain is more real, even deeper, and more mortally wounding than any medium can capture.  And when our lives show no evidence of an equally proportioned joy or elation, depression is not far behind.)

Now while there are many emotions that we share with this Creator we may accept, many are not intrinsic to His Nature: fear, laziness, apathy, distraught, depression, greed, etc.  As an over thinker the reality of the differences in humanity and God are like oil and water.  In that fact there lies no confusion but the inherit problem lies in the vast possibilities of complexity that exist or can exist between the reality of God and the reality of man.  That is a complex way of saying “How do you know God is working at all and it isn’t just the world working itself out?”  Steve Jobs said once that (and I am paraphrasing) you cannot connect the dots looking forward but only when looking back.  This goes hand in hand with our first step of taking small steps forward and with intention.  Of all human abilities that get us nowhere fast and in a huge belly flop of disaster; the ability to predict the future gives, by considerable margin, the worst stomach welt imaginable.  

Truth: The future is as unknowable to the richest king as it is to the poorest slave.  And all the ilk in between.  

Now is it possible to plan for the best outcome?  Is it ok to see patterns developing to alter course?  Absolutely.  From our past experiences do we begin to avoid the mines that litter the everyday streets of our own war field.  You will never know for sure any outcome in life though.  A disastrous business venture could turn around to a mountain of success in an instant.  A great relationship could end spectacularly at any time once one party decides to simply quit.  Many great stories have been told or replayed that illustrate these occurrences in present times as well as past with the characters involved stretching all means and knowledge to force the futures hand.  But the ability to predict any future has not been given to us and I believe creation was made for the very reason that it will run its course independent of interaction due to parameters established by God that are so intimately, elaborately, and minutely designed that the purpose of predicting the future are counter to its very purpose.  It is in this truth that the stage is set for the best possible growth because of the fact that the possibilities are endless and that humanity now has the best canvas for growth.  Its also in the light of the truth that human will is so unpredictable and complex that the freedom of that will does not allow for any person the leeway to force an individual will upon another.  Thats a complex way of saying you cannot make anyone do what you want, ever.  You will never change another person with any effort.  This truth seems contrary to all the inspiring movies, books, and commencement speeches that have been heard but that truth is the only predictable part to predicting the future.   We can influence, we can motivate, we can coerce, manipulate, debate, even forcibly act on anyone and it will never change them.  The human heart is as unpredictable as the future.

Jeremiah 17:9 BSB

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Truth: You will never be able to change anyone.  Ever.

So what does all this have to do with salvation?  What is the practical advice for the over thinker?  Much need be said and will be said to give depth to the seas we are navigating and indeed it should be this way.  The core of an over thinker is that the simplicity of the truths we need to hold onto have to be set in a backdrop of the realities that surround them.  I want to call this a sort of bullshit preventative measure.  When we take a truth of life and spread it around the tendency is to use it as a sort of paint cannon that has a wide area of coverage that requires little to no effort.  Platitudes fall under this category, one-line out of context bible verses, ‘thus sayeth The Lord…’, motivational speech tag lines and movie quotes usually come in this flavor.  They mean little to nothing in an over thinkers mind because we know circumstances and people vary to such a degree who is to say when and where a truth applies and if that truth actually works in their life.  And if it works in their life, will it work in ours?  Once again its in the complexity and the inherent tragedy of life and humanity that the reality hits hard: how do we even make sense and is there any hope?

Ahh yes, and that is where salvation comes in: Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Salvation by and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is at this point you need to understand that to some of you this will be gibberish and foolishness.  Those that are in need (and its a long list) may have given their life to Christ (in belief and maybe action) and will see these words and scripture and connect the dots because of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). To those that are on the fence or care not there is no reason the dots won’t connect because God has far more control than we are willing to realize and is impartial to anyone or their opinions.  It really isn’t up to the individual but up to God what insight He gives, to whom and (fundamentally) when, if you can believe that.

Truth: God will keep His own discretion on what is given to whomever and in His own timing.

Yes, that has been said before and in many ways to explain tragedy, death, disease, misfortune, and missed opportunities.  Once again the paint cannon was primed and ready to go.  The core of this truth isn’t what situation this applies to but to combat the internal narrative that isolates a person to believe they are alone during these situations.  Once again this is the background that surrounds the truth.  The truth will apply to its fullest in your life when you know that we must all acknowledge the tragedy of a circumstance and that no one can escape it forever.  

So why is it important to know the above truth?  What help is there for an over thinker? 

Because no one will come before you.  

There is no list that needs to be checked off before Truth reaches you.  There is no line to get into as you fall apart.  God will not allow someone with years of experience, years of education, or a good track record to step in front of you before He decides to help you.  This is the reality we must remind each other of.  Practically this means that as steps are made or not made, as good or bad choices are made, as belief is cultivated or doubt is grown, He will make ‘coincidences’ appear in your life, make quotes or scripture pop out at you while reading, ask a friend to call out of the blue, or even a make a sign come from above.  You are just as important to Him as anyone else and He is the only one capable of reaching everyone at the same time, if need be.

Truth: The salvation Jesus gives is beyond any gift a person could ask for and it costs nothing.  Only the recognition that Jesus can meet that need will help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Side Note: 

The belief that you don’t have to be a ‘believer’ for God to work or speak may be contrary to what a lot of people with educations far more extensive than mine may agree with, and certainly they may be right, but one truth I do know is that everyone underestimates God.  That truth is as loud and immutable as the degree of difference between God and man.  It does not alleviate the responsibility Jesus gave to us to make disciples of every nation (Matt 28) but like Paul said, “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow (1 Cor 1:6).  

At the core of all of what God has done for us we have to remember HE has done the work even without us.  He speaks intimately to all who will listen and works tirelessly without rest day and night to speak to and work for and in everyone at the same time if need be (and realistically he does).  We will always underestimate his ability by our very nature and find ourselves more important than we ought in our pursuits.  Does this mean our efforts are useless?  Absolutely not.  Like a father of a child, the child doesn’t know how to do many things and the father can easily do anything the child can do, but a father delights in the experiences the child has attempting, working, and accomplishing any task.  God, who says He is a Father, is no different. 

Part 2 will dive more into Sin and Repentance as the key elements in Salvation.  I wanted to start by laying a foundation for the need that hopefully gives voice to the experience we all have.