One extreme is the idea that I want to do as little for God as possible and still maintain my salvation and a clean conscience. The other, opposite, extreme is - I want to do as much for God and His Kingdom as I can and still fulfill my earthly obligations. Allow me to explain.
The first extreme is, in my opinion, the state of the majority of the Church in the Western world. These people want to do as little as they can for God because they want to do as much as they can for themselves. These are people who spend copious amounts of time shopping, watching t.v., eating out, etc. They spend much of their time and energy entertaining and pleasing themselves.
I want to state right now that I am not against pleasure in any sense. God has given us highly refined senses so that we can interact with and enjoy the world around us, but the people in this first group take things to the extreme. And I think this is why - they have no understanding that Jesus is coming back.
Our view of the end-times greatly influences how we live in this present day and age. I am not saying we need to be cultish and start predicting dates, but we need revelation that "they day of the Lord's return is nearer now than when we first believed." Jesus is coming back. The liturgical church confesses this every sunday in the Apostle's Creed - "He [Jesus] will come again to judge the living and the dead." The Bible readily attests to this fact; a mere skimming of the Book of Acts or Revelation leads to the conclusion that Jesus is coming back. This belief is what invigorated the Apostles, it (along with the Holy Spirit) is what turned them from cowardly fishermen into fiery evangelists who changed the entire world with their message. These men and women were living for something greater than their own entertainment or fulfillment. They had calling and purpose.
The belief of a pre-tribulation rapture has crippled the Church in the West. Not only is it a biblically unsupported idea, but it has only cropped up in the Church within the last 100 years or so. But because it was popularized in the Left Behind book series, many Christians believe this is what the Bible teaches. Historically, the Church has always taught that the Church will be around for the Tribulation. (The Great Tribulation, by the way, is the term used to describe the time leading up to Jesus' return. It is a time when the Church releases God's judgment on the regime of the Anti-Christ and the Anti-Christ then retaliates with widespread persecution of both Jews and Christians.) The Church needs to be around for the Tribulation so that it can continue to witness to this world, to call it to repentance and life in Jesus. But because many Christians think that they will not be around for the Tribulation (many don't even have hope that Jesus is coming back in their lifetime) they do nothing but eat, drink and be merry.
Jesus is coming back. This is the hope that we must cling to. And it is this belief that will change the way we live. If Jesus is coming back soon, then I need to live differently. I need to be a witness for Jesus to those around me for their time is short. I need to fast, pray and mourn for my nation for the godlessness that it has entered into. I need to be like Daniel and "repent for my sins and the sins of my nation." I need to let people know the severity of our times. But I also understand that Glory is on its way.
I read the Bible and I see Jesus' challenge. He seems to say, 'How much of me do you want? Give me your best shot!' He challenges us to fast and pray. He challenges us to obey His commands and teach others to do so. Why? Because we can greatly affect our standing in the New Heavens and New Earth.
Paul talks about some people entering the Kingdom as though passing through fire. They themselves are saved, but they have nothing to their name. Others spurned the persecution of their day to receive a better resurrection (Heb. 11:35). Jesus challenges us to store up treasure in heaven. Beloved, I want to be a rich man when I enter the Kingdom. I don't want to be a door keeper, I don't want to squeak by - I want to be a king. I want to be close to Jesus. Now, being a doorkeeper in Heaven is better than being in hell, but I don't want to settle for that.
And it is that heart that brings us to the other extreme. I want to do as much as I can on this earth to advance the Kingdom of God and better my resurrection while still maintaining my earthly obligations. I want to be sold out for the Kingdom. I want to put my hand to the plow and never, ever, look back. I want God to use my as fully as He possibly can. Yes, I still need to pay the bills and I still need to put food on the table (at least on non-fasting days), but those are not my life. And yes, I will still see Harry Potter in the movie theater, but I know that I am part of a greater story, one that will last for eternity.
Some may say I am extreme. Some may say that I need to take a break from this whole "God" thing. That is not how I see things. When God was forced to make a decision, He chose to save me and send His Son, Jesus, to the cross. ME! He chose me, in all of my sin, foolishness and rebellion and He sacrificed the only One who was perfect, Good and True. God did that because He loves me, because He wants to be with me forever. Beloved, in light of that, what I am doing is not extreme - it is the only appropriate response.
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