Salvation: The Great Divine Feast

Every human heart longs for Moksha or salvation. Religions advise us the various means to achieve Moksha. However, the Bible teaches that Moksha is not something to be achieved but to be experienced.

It is all centered on the life of Jesus Christ. The statement that ‘Christ died’ is based on historical facts. No one seems to disagree that there lived a person called Jesus Christ and he was crucified by the Romans at the behest of some Jewish leaders. Biblical revelation goes on to say that his death was in my place for the atonement of my sins. Or in other words, the Bible claims that ‘Jesus died for me.’

The Bible goes on to say that I don’t have to do anything for my own salvation except just believe this truth. Thus, the Bible nullifies every human effort to get salvation by their own effort be it praying at shrines, making pilgrimages, etc.

It is a wonderful truth that God has saved the sinful humanity at the time of the death of Christ and to be born centuries after that event. However, it doesn’t become their experience unless they believe that divine action was for them. So, each individual has to appropriate their salvation by faith. Bible very categorically proclaims this truth: ‘If you believe and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved.’

Salvation or moksha can be compared to a great dish that God has prepared for humanity. It is like a potion that would make us righteous in the eyes of God. This potion will restore a relationship with God that we lost. However, each individual has to drink it. That act of drinking is what is called faith in Jesus or believing that Jesus did what I should have done to achieve my salvation.

Just as I am

In one of his sermons CH Spurgeon talks about a person who wanted to paint a mural in the town-centre. He wanted to portray the typical scene in the life of his city. A must-be character in the mural was certainly the muncipal sweeper. At the request of the painter, the sweeper turned up in the studio ready to pose for the picture. However, he was sent back. He had turned up with a hair-cut, clean-shaven and in his best dress. That is not how the painter wanted him to be in the picture that depicts the life in the town. That is not the way he turns up every day for work in the street.

Our life in the presence of God should be ‘just we are.’ If we do all the tidying up and hide our real self God cannot help us. Obeying the command ‘be holy as I am holy’ begins with an admission of our worthlessness and guilt. That admission is the first step in seeking divine intervention in our lives.

Putting on a pretention is the most dangerous thing to do. When we catch up with friends, we always inquire of their health. However, many of my friends tell me they are fine though they do not appear to be well to me. Then out of love and sometimes out of curiosity, I ask them have they been to doctor recently. In most of the cases, the answer ‘No.’ They had been pretending to be well though they are not. They don’t want anyone to tell them that they are not well. So, they avoid doctor and friends who will tell them they are not well.

Unless sick persons admit that they are sick, they cannot be healed. So is also with God. We need to admit that we need God’s help in our lives. Our life is something that we cannot manage on our own. God call us to come to him and to be clean. ‘Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.’ (Isaiah 1:8).

Miracle Crusade--Jesus' Style

Have you been to healing or miracle crusades? Or the mega church events when healing is the centrepiece? They claim lots of miracles happening. Most of what I have witnessed have been very silly to be called miracles. In one case, a woman who wears glasses came to the meeting leaving them at home by accident. However, she realised that during the meeting as the preacher was praying that she was able to see without glasses. However, she travelled to the meeting without glasses and found her place in the auditorium without glasses before she received the healing prayer. Though these may sound silly, I will still not discredit miracles and divine healing. A few counterfeits cannot disprove the genuine.
However, there is another kind of miraculous power that these miracle workers exhibit. That is calling out the names of people and their problems. These come in various forms. In some cases, only the problem will be announced. Consider this example:
"There is a person who has severe stomach problem! Come forward? God wants to heal you." Sometimes one person just walks to the front. Others who have the same problem remain in their seats seeing this guy walking up. Usually, they call out most of the sicknesses in the medical dictionary. Once, a preacher called all the people suffering from "fibroids" to stand up to receive healing. Among those who stood up were three or four men. The preacher asked the men to sit down clarifying that it is a disease found only in women.
Calling out names is another tool to impress people. Here is a sampler. "Thomas! You are worried about your future! God want to tell you that all that you need is to put your trust in Him." The crowd cheers, shouting hallelujahs for the great discerning the preacher has! Once, a preacher came to the city where I presently live. There was a mixed crowd of Christians and non-Christians. In the state where I live people of other faiths who become Christian usually do not change their names. So, it is difficult to tell if a person is Christian from their names! The preacher started calling out names during the service! All the names he called out were Christian names. So, that evening, God bypassed believers who carry non-Christian names.
The way of Jesus is different. When the woman with bleeding touched him, he asked who touched him (Mark 5:24-34). Was Jesus ignorant of this woman touching him? Certainly, not. Why didn't Jesus announce her sickness, her name and ask her to come forward so that the crowd may believe?  The answer is simple, he had no need to impress others by his miraculous powers. He had passed that test in the very beginning of his ministry when the Devil tempted him. Spiritual gifts are not for impressing people, it is to glorify God. Next time when you go for a miracle crusade or watching a Christian TV channel don't get discouraged that the preacher did not address you or your problem. Don't get excited as well if that happens. For two reasons: God knows you and your problems well. Second, if the preacher does that, it is not he but the Holy Spirit who enables him to do that. So, return the glory to God.

Walking past the poor and needy.

He used to smile at me and I was prompt in returning that smile. Our relationship ended there. However, one day, I just watched him closely as he walked towards me. The trouser and shirt that he wore did not appear to be made for him. It seemed obvious that it was old clothes altered to fit his body. I noticed that sign of poverty and pondered over it. I never bothered to ask his name.
I wanted to buy him some new clothes that fit him. But had my own apprehensions: will he accept it, will he consider it as too much patronising? What if my judgment of his financial situation was wrong? Will it be taken as an insult? I didn't bother to find out more about him and thus put it all these questions to rest. A few months later he just moved away and I never saw him again.
A few months later I heard the story of a young man dying of cancer. I was told that his family is poor and they cannot afford the treatment. Some people started raising funds to help him. I also made my contribution to the fund. The community that he and me were part of were diligently praying for his healing.
Still a few months later, I was told that the sick young man passed away. They had a memorial for him. As they projected his recent photograph on to the screen I was shocked! That is the same person who used to smile at me wearing old clothes.
He was really poor, could not afford proper clothes and medical treatment. When he walked past me, I ignored him. I feel guilty. There are poor among us, but we just look through them. Never, try to find out anything more about them. It is not just the desire to do good but doing it is important.

Drooping Limbs

Here is this person that I have to deal with every time I visit my bank. He is always at the front desk. The reason for his position could be that he is disabled. He cannot do tasks other than greeting the visitors and helping them to fill out forms. As the result of a stroke, his left hand is paralysed and his speech is impaired. His left hand dangles from the edge of his shoulder. It is practically useless. When he wants to place it on the table he has to use his healthy right hand to lift it. It is so sad.
I used to wonder what is the use of carrying that hand around when it cannot do anything. However, he will not amputate that hand for the simple reason that it is very much part of him. It defines who he is. Without that hand, he will be a single-handed person. Without that hand, his body will lose it symmetry and also beauty. Though useless, he doesn’t ignore it when wearing a shirt. He treats it as a good hand, at least good for a shirt on. It is limited but the right hand is always there for it.
The sight of this man and his hands helps me to understand the biblical metaphor of the body for the Church and each congregation. 1 Corinthians 12 elaborates on the nature, diversity and function of the members of the body of Christ. One of the main foci of this chapter is on the mutual care of the members.
"… there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together." (1 Cor 12:24-25, ESV).
Every congregation has people of diverse character and abilities. This diversity is the advantage. This makes the weak feel secure because they are surrounded by the strong ones. The strong ones feel complete because they have their weaker ones to create a complete picture. They altogether feel happy and looks so beautiful because in spite of weakness and strength, together they are one unified picture and wonderful harmony.

Making the choice between shame and guilt

The massive development that is happening all over my city results in snakes and other wild animals losing their natural habitats and food sources. So, they stray into private properties and gardens to survive.

If you spot a snake in your garden, dial the number of the animal rescue department. They will come with their animal ambulance to take it to the snake sanatorium.
If your neighbourhood has stray dogs all that you have to do is punch the number of this department. If your stars are favourable, they may turn up.

But by the time the dog ambulance is at the gate of the 25 acre campus where I live, all stray dogs disappear! The van comes with the dogs already caught. It is a noisy scene. The captive dogs bark and howl without stop. Maybe they are warning their fellow-creatures to run for their lives. They are concerned that their misfortune should not fall on them too. The stray dogs pick up the signals new prisoners send out.
But the scene in the snake ambulance is different. The captive snakes just huddle together in a corner of the cage. The snake catchers can catch more snakes easily because the captive ones are not sending out any signals to the free ones. The captive snakes don't even realise that they are in danger.

This leads me to a lesson that a wise old man taught me when I was much younger. On my maiden visit to Mumbai a mugger fooled me. With some hand-tricks, he just walked away with my money and gave me an empty wallet. I was so ashamed of myself that I was so easily fooled. So, I kept it as my little secret. But I had to disclose this to a close friend to borrow some money. The friend lent me the money but my little secret became the talk of the town within hours.

The news reached my friend’s father who was my mentor. One day, when I paid him a visit he asked me how did my visit to Mumbai go. I told him that everything was perfect and I really enjoyed it! He prodded further until he got the cat out. I had to tell him how that mugger walked away with my money. Then came the question: ‘Why do you hide this from your friends?’ Obviously, I didn’t have an answer. The old man continued after a contemplative pause. ‘Son!’ He continued. ‘Unless you share what happened to you, your friends will not be watchful. By telling them what happened to you, you help them to watch out and avoid what happened to you in their life.’

He dropped an apple on my head. I wanted to shout, "eureka!" Honest admission of our failures can help others as the captive dogs in the dog van do. They are probably ashamed that they were not smart enough not to be caught. They howl at the top of their voice to warn others to avoid what happened to them. What happened to them is shameful, but they don’t want to be guilty of not warning others. So, it is a narrow choice between shame and guilt. I think in such situations it is better not be guilty.

Why Revival Tarries?

I had been praying for a revival in the Seminary where I teach and the church I minister for a long time. It hasn’t come yet. I got this burden for revival from my teacher. She was a Canadian missionary who taught English at the Seminary where I did my first degree in theology. She stood up in a social gathering to make an announcement. The college was about to be shifted to a new campus about 600-kilometres away in a few months. She said that she is praying for a revival and praying that we will have it before we move to the new campus. It is almost 33 years since we moved to the new campus. Revival is yet to come!
Is God ignoring prayers for revivals? For that to be true we need to conclude that God is against revivals. Certainly not! God always want his people to be spiritually alive and constantly revive themselves. Holy Spirit, the spirit of newness is always with us.
This is simple logic. I won't' buy my son a car until he gets the driving licence. That is when he is ready to drive though he has been asking for it for a long time. I think that is the reason why revival tarries. Revival is certainly God’s plan for his people. God never denies prayer for revivals, but it gets delayed because the potential recipients are not yet ready. I want to emphasise it again—it is not denial but delay and we are responsible for the delay. Revival will come only when we are ready.
A review of the history of revivals tells us that that is how it always happened. Revivals always happened only through people who were waiting for it. Take, for example, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the 120 gathered in Jerusalem. Jesus had directed them ‘to wait for the promise of the Father’ (Acts 1:4). Waiting, they did! They went to the upper-room, they were in one accord and devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 1:14). Finally, when they were ‘altogether in one place’ in the same upper-room the Spirit was poured out on them on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
This pattern of waiting and preparation in prayer along with a longing for revival is behind all revivals. Sometimes God prepares them in strange ways. For example, the Ao Naga revivals in India was possible because a tribal chief dead and gone had prophesied that a man with white skin will come and preach about a new god and they have to follow that God. The people were waiting for the man with white skin to come and preach for years. The tribal memory of this prophecy was like a piece of charcoal soaked in fuel, ready to catch fire. It caught fire and covered the entire Ao Naga tribe. Now 90% of Nagas are Christians. There are similar stories of God preparing people from Malaysia and other countries.
In any revival, there is a group of people earnestly waiting and praying for it. Prayer and the longing had prepared them to receive it. Then in the process, the revival encompasses in its embrace everyone even its critics. The first flame always fell upon an individual or group who were ready for it. It is like a forest-fire starting beginning with an ember from the bonfire the careless campers didn’t put out. It started really small with a group of people longing for it.
It never happened when people are not ready for it. All that we need to do is to be ready.