August 2009

If I do not love God, it is because I do not believe I am loved.

“Believe the gospel,” easier said than done, I know.  However, I must say, as a Christian for about 4 years, that is the one thing I have found most lacking amongst the people I have met inside and outside of churches.  This is what I mean.  We are infinitely more sinful and conspiring than we would ever dare admit, and transversely, we are infinitely more loved and accepted than we ever dreamed because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

It isn’t complicated, but the truth is our hearts must be soaked in the gospel every morning, every afternoon, and every night.  It’s out of the fact that we are already accepted that we preach, serve, and sing, not in attempts to be validated by our performance.  Granted, as a performer, this is something that I struggle with when I take the stage.  Every day I am assaulted by the pride of doing well or the sorrows of being insufficient.  Every day, I am profoundly aware that I need the gospel.

Religion says, “I obey, so I am accepted by God.”  But the gospel says this, “I am accepted by God based upon what Jesus has done for me, therefore I obey.”  So when we preach this, when we believe this, two things will happen.  One, we are humbled.  Being sinners, we realize it is not our services, our accomplishments, or youth programs that justify us before God.  It is Christ’s work ALONE that makes us right.  And it is His grace in us that enables us to do anything for Him.  Isaiah 26:12 – “all that we have accomplished, He has done for us.”  Secondly, we are given great confidence to approach the throne of grace in our time of need, since it is not our performance that we rely upon to do so. 

So here are the two things: great humility, great confidence.  This is what the church needs.  At the highest of human achievement and purity, Christ has gone HIGHER.  Under the depths of our failures and wickedness, Christ has gone lower.  To the successful and accomplished, recognize that you are still in need.  To the fallen and broken hearted, know that salvation is right where you fell.  This is His gospel.

It is not His need for what we can do, but simply, our need for what He has done.  

Great humility. Great confidence.  May the God of grace give us both.

-Wendell Jiao

“Love Is Here”
Wendell & Zach, Don, GerryBoy, Sarah, Emman

“Hosanna”
Marchesa & Emman

May 10, 2009