Clearwater

Part I: Tom Cruise

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I recently went to a bachelor party for my cousin in Clearwater, Florida...

Ok, PAUSE.

You're probably judging me right now but before I go any further I'll comfort you with this - there was no debauchery! My cousin loves his fiancé way too much for him to parade around strip clubs with his bros. We actually had a great time golfing (my first time), wading in the waves, and cruising the bay at sunset (shout out to Captain Chance). I might have had a couple beers. The end.

Ok, PLAY.

As I was saying, I was in Clearwater and to my surprise, the city is known for being the global HQ of Scientology. If you're not familiar, Scientology is a recent religious movement based on the beliefs of L. Ron Hubbard (sci-fi author). For that reason a famous Scientologist, Tom Cruise, has taken up residence in the city. I was able to view his high-security penthouse from a distance. After seeing their global HQ and Mr. Cruise's residence, I decided to investigate what they believe. So, I watched an introductory video about Scientology found on their website.

Initially, I was taking mental notes about all of the things I disagreed with. One thing in particular struck me as very dangerous - "Find what's true for you." I could really tear that to pieces with scripture but that's not what I'm writing about today (look for more on that in a future blog). Overall, after reflecting on the video, Tom Cruise, and the movement in general, I was left thinking one thing - "What a bunch of wackos."

HOWEVER, there's a "BUT." A big "BUT." After I internally voiced my opinion, God immediately corrected me and said, "Is it wacky to want salvation like they do?"

He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)

People have been asking the question for ages. How do I get saved? What happens to me after I die? Is there any salvation or escape from death? Is there a fountain of youth? What do I need to do to live forever?

Tom Cruise and scientologists are not wackos. Muslims are not wackos. Buddhists, Hindus, and other spiritual people looking for salvation are not crazy. They are pursuing the same thing YOU and I both desire...eternal life. I'll repeat the highlighted part of the foundation scripture again...

...He has also set eternity in the human heart... (Ecclesiastes 3:11 - partial)

In my reflection, God shared with me that He has put eternity in our hearts. There is a reason we all strive to live forever. God put that desire there. Heck, even atheists want it. In my conversations with many atheists, there is one common thing I notice. Many of them love talking about how foolish it is to believe in God. They enjoy talking about their hate for God, especially with others who believe. There's no love behind those words. Love offers hope. Seeking to destroy and uproot that hope in others is a result of pain - a pain that is caused by having your God-given desire for eternity shattered. If there is an eternal desire in all of our hearts, can you imagine what would happen if you chose the path of believing that when we die, we will never wake again? It would rip a hole in one's heart that never stops bleeding.

Satan understands his fate. He knows he will suffer for eternity in hell. Knowing that, it's easy to believe why he would work so hard to deceive others, dragging them with him into an endless flame.

Part II: A Good Question

I want to live. How about you? To live is what we all desire. Despite the challenges we face and the heartbreak we endure on earth, we all have a survival instinct. That's because we are programmed to want to live forever. So we ask ourselves, "How do we get there?"

I was asked a very good question while I was in Clearwater. I was asked, "What is the difference between your God and others?" My answer was simple. What separates Christianity from other religious beliefs and movements is the how. At a 36,000 foot view, all religions look pretty similar. Those that teach about salvation teach that it is earned. They teach that salvation is achieved by doing certain things, in a certain order, in a certain way, at a certain time, for a certain purpose, in the hope that enough things will be done to effectuate the result of...salvation.

Jesus opposed His religious scholars, the Pharisees, and their view of salvation by saying this...

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Read the infamous Sermon on the Mount, starting in Matthew 5. Jesus teaches what we must do to be saved. He outlines all the religious things we have to do. We have to cut off our own limbs if they offend us or others. We cannot look at the opposite sex and even have the slightest thought of attraction, at all. We cannot be angry with others, otherwise we are murderers. Our righteous must EXCEED the righteousness of the most righteous people in the synagogue (the Pharisees, whom he called vipers).

Tough task for a bunch of less than perfect individuals. In other words, Jesus was teaching us in His sermon how impossible it is to earn salvation alone. You see, the difference is that the God of Israel, Yahweh, doesn't require us to earn our salvation. That's why He sent Jesus to the Cross - to pay for our sins so we can be saved. Simply put...without Jesus, you cannot be saved. Even the name, Jesus, means salvation in Hebrew. Yeshua comes from the name Yehoshua which literally translates to, "Yahweh is salvation."

My friends, this excites me so much! God says that He loves us so greatly, that even though we were sinners (and rejected Him), we were given the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (refer to Romans 5:8, John 3:16-17, 1 Peter 3:18, Isaiah 53:3-5).

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8)

We all desire eternity. We all desire salvation. But we cannot earn it. It is our FAITH in Jesus Christ alone that gets us there. That's the difference. It's how we get saved. Not by a god that requires anything of us - but by a God who loves us enough to suffer and die in our place.

He loves you my friend. Knowing that, what will you do now?