One time I was reading a book about the gospel and what its focus must be in order for it to have any lasting effect in peoples’ lives. While reading, I came across a simple question that can have an immediate impact on our own Christian walks and challenge us to remember the source of the gospel and what believing it actually means for those who believe its truth.
So here’s the question as given by a pastor in Minnesota:
“If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?” (Quoted from God is the Gospel by John Piper, pg. 15)
That’s the question that we must wrestle with in this day and age. Because we have so much available for us to enjoy, would we be satisfied with all the stuff we experience now—minus the sickness, war, conflict, stress, etc—if Jesus Christ wasn’t present with us?
Ask yourself this question today. Think it over again and again until you are satisfied that you’ve come to an answer. If your answer is yes, you’ll need to rethink your participation in the Christian movement. If your answer is no (that you wouldn’t be satisfied without Christ present), then that should make a serious impact in your daily life.
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