Close, but...

 "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." Mark 12:34...."To be 'not far from the Kingdom of God' is still to be outside of it....Modern religionists have so watered down God that He is alleged to be known on their own terms." Chris Tiegreen

"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." "Close, but no cigar." "They came close to winning it all." These common sayings are familiar to most, and all, in one way or another convey the same message; being close is not enough. Being close does not secure the prize. Being close, in the end, does one no more good than if they had remained far away. The world knows this. How come we in the church don't?

I'm a Wesleyan in my theology. This means I believe in what Wesley termed "prevenient grace." This is the grace of God drawing an unbeliever to Himself. It's a wonderful thing to behold and to see God working in someone's life in order to draw them into His life. Somehow though, many in the church have contented themselves with talking about how close someone is to coming to Christ.

Unconsciously, we can be lulled into a kind of comfort zone where we think that their being close is the same as their being transformed. This happens because we can observe them saying and doing what we would consider to be the marks of a believer. Maybe they've begun to attend worship withs some regularity. Perhaps they've started to read a Bible. Maybe the names of God and Jesus start to be used in their conversations. All of this and more can be happening in their lives and yet, they are still outside of the Kingdom of God. Most tragic of all is that we can see and hear all of this and not only be convinced that a spiritual transformation has taken place, but we may convince them as well.

Large numbers of such folks sit in worship services, watch them online, and sing, listen, and converse about a Kingdom that they aren't a part of. They're deceived, and oftentimes, so are we.

Jesus spoke the words from Mark 12 to a Pharisee, a teacher of Jewish law. Jesus had asked him what the greatest commandment was, and he answered correctly, to love God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. He answered with conviction, and in the answer, the Pharisee thought all was well. Jesus didn't see it that way. Being a part of His Kingdom is not about knowing doctrine, but about knowing God, and key to it all was that it was not possible to know God apart from knowing Him through Jesus Christ alone. That was what was lacking in the Pharisee's heart, and it was what was keeping him outside the Kingdom of God. It continues to keep multitudes out as well. There is only one way to the Father, and that is through faith, transforming faith, in Christ Himself, The only cost of entering into His Kingdom is that we must let go of all others. In that is the stumbling block, and that is why so many come near, but never come into His Kingdom. They live their lives outside of it, and they end their lives outside of it as well.

I close with some probing of the hearts of we who would say we have taken that step of believing faith in Him alone. Of we who would testify that we are citizens of His eternal Kingdom. Could we dare to allow Him to expose what part or parts of our lives are presently existing outside of His Kingdom? What attitudes, desires, dreams, goals, beliefs, collide with what He has revealed that His Kingdom consists of? The subtle lure of the world's distractions and attractions are always seeking to seduce us. Where have they succeeded in seducing us away from His Kingdom and in that place or places, taken up residence in a kingdom set up against His? His Word says that He'll tolerate no other gods before Him. Neither will he tolerate rival kingdoms. What rivals might exist in our hearts right now? Are we ready, willing for them to fall?

Blessings,

Pastor O