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For What Purpose Were You Saved?"Humanism is a doctrine or attitude that is concerned primarily with human beings and their values, capacities, and achievements, and asserts that human happiness is the ultimate good." Adding two words and changing the first article, let's see if the definition now fits much of the church today—maybe even very close to all of it. "Christian humanism is the Christian doctrine or attitude that is concerned primarily with human beings and their values, capacities, and achievements, and asserts that human happiness is the ultimate good." "You-ism" and "I-ism/Me-ism" are prevalent in the Church today. "What's in it for me?" "What will Christianity do for me?" "What benefits will I get from being a Christian"? "This is what Jesus will do for you if you (condescend) to accept Him!" "You won't go to hell if you accept Jesus as your Savior, and will also have a happy and good life." Both attitudes spawn doctrines of a utilitarian God who sacrificed His only begotten Son to benefit human beings in all kinds of great ways on earth and in heaven. And they present a utilitarian Savior who suffered and died because human beings are of such great value that He wanted to save them from hell, give them a good life on earth and eternal happiness in heaven. All that is nothing more than Christian humanism—no matter how you work it out, from not going to hell, from having a good life on earth, and having eternal happiness in heaven. All those are only secondary benefits of the real purpose for which we have been saved. May I suggest that if you want to find the real purpose, you closely examine and consider these Scriptures: Hebrews 9:14; Colossians 3:17, 23-24; Romans 16:17-18; Acts 27:23; John 12:28-29, 14:13, 15:8, 16, 17:1-5, 24; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Revelation 1:1, 7:15, 22:3, 6; Revelation 5:9, 11-12. If after
meditating upon those Scriptures you are still not able
to discern the primary purpose for which you have been
saved, then you should closely examine your concern for
yourself and your lack of concern for the glory of God
and Christ, and also carefully consider who is the
servant and who is the Master. |
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