When we come in faith to Christ, it is a personal decision – something God did in us to which we respond as individuals to him. I cannot trust in Jesus for you and you cannot trust in Jesus for me. The only Vicar we have is Jesus Christ who died vicariously for our atonement.
Our fellowship and walk with him is personal also, not something your husband, wife, mom, dad or uncle can do for you. Jesus told the church of Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Emphasis mine).
So, there is a place for applying the scripture personally to ourselves, but my concern is this: We live in a time where everything seems to be about “me.” Our Theology has been turned in to Me-ology.
THE FUTILITY OF ME-OLOGY
American Christianity knows little about persecution but many Christians in other places do. In North Korea for example:
Christians are seen as hostile elements in society which have to be eradicated. Due to the constant indoctrination permeating the whole country, neighbors and even family members are highly watchful and report anything suspicious to the authorities. Children are especially vulnerable to the heavy indoctrination. Reports show that some children report their own parents for religious activity. Therefore, many parents prefer not to tell their children anything about their Christian faith until they’re older.[i]
Christians there are often deported to labor camps or even killed on the spot. The three men who were recently released to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were devout Christians who suffered under the Kim regime.
So when we produce books like how you can live Your Best Life Now this must ring pretty hollow with Christians elsewhere in the world. Jesus didn’t promise us our best life now, but in heaven. [ii] We wrongly equate prosperity with being blessed of God. While earthly wealth is granted to us by God, many are far worse off because of it, not necessarily better.[iii]
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6.19-20)
Jesus tells us in the same place not to seek for what we will eat, drink or wear, but to “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
THE SUPPRESSION OF ME-OLOGY
Often in our bible studies, we ask one another, “What does this mean to you?” while we should be asking, “What does God mean by what he says here?” There’s a huge difference: Not that any of us has all the answers to the proper interpretation of all scripture, but that it is our goal to be Christocentric, that is, Christ centered, in our pursuit of truth. Who is God and who is Jesus Christ? What are his attributes? Then, we may be free to ask, “How can I know him?”
ME-OLOGY DISTORTS
Another thing we need to avoid is the exaltation of the human to the degradation of the image of God. We live in a society of humanism – the idea that man can do anything and the idea that if people think something is good it must be good because the human is the standard of right and wrong. This has spilled over into the church as well. Things that used to be considered sin are sin no longer because the society has deemed it so. Things that used to be considered holy are holy no longer because we have laid aside our bibles to be replaced by "science" and "education". When this comes into the church it brings confusion at best and neopaganism at worst.
LETTING GO OF OURSELVES AND EMBRACING CHRIST
Jesus said, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10.39).
John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3.30).”
The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me… (Galatians 2.20).”
I know it sounds trite but it’s also true: “It’s not about me.” And – sorry – it’s not about you. It’s about Jesus, our God and Savior. Only if our focus is on him, will our perspective about ourselves become clear. We can only understand ourselves in the periphery of his glory.
[i] https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/north-korea/
[ii] Matthew 6.19-20
[iii] See Matthew 19.24; 1 Timothy 6.9; Proverbs 15.27
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