Chuck McCament Christ’s disciples suffered torturous deaths [read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs for the details] because they would not recant their testimony: “We saw Him die; we saw Him resurrected from the dead!” Matthew declares Jesus is Lord by virtue of His resurrection — a miracle no other religion can claim for their founder!
Martin Luther’s life was dramatically changed as he meditated on Romans 1:17: “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: `The righteous will live by faith.’”
From my Christian perspective, we can’t even begin to understand the depth of our shortcomings (sins if you will) and our need for a Savior until we are confronted with the demands of God as He has revealed them in His commandments and statutes.
Justice will prevail only if there is life beyond death, only if there is a perfect Judge who will right all wrongs that do not get rectified or are only imperfectly rectified before death; if there is no afterlife, no final judgment, there isn’t much incentive for not doing whatever we want whenever we want.
Believers are called to an uncompromising surrender of the will — period! All true followers of Christ eventually come to points of what might be called a crisis of the faith — an encounter with the Lord where we face a decision that must be made: “My will or His will be done.”
So much of what God has given us to enjoy has been corrupted either through overindulgence or hyper-legalism. I don’t want anything to do with either one of these! This is why I love the Bible so much: it is so realistic, balanced, and wisdom-filled. My dad taught me, by example, the most basic of all Biblical principles: Don’t be controlled by anything!