Please continue praying for how you can help the amputee victims in Haiti. Click the following links to learn more of how you can help — Help Haiti Stand and Why should I help? — and why your intercession is needed now.
An interesting thing happened this morning as I was leaving a local restaurant.
I had joined several guys for breakfast and conversation about life and faith. I was in line at the check-out counter when an older gentleman saw the One-Year Bible in my hand and waved me over to his table.
“Are you OK with Jesus?” he asked.
I’ve never encountered just this situation before but I inwardly thanked God for the opportunity to exalt His Son, and so I briefly told the man of my faith in Christ and of how quickly I am reminded of my need for Jesus whenever I take my eyes off the narrow road even for a moment.
George was the man’s name and, for the next couple of minutes, we had a delightful conversation that also included my friend Curt Oxford, one of the guys with whom I had enjoyed my coffee.
Curt, by the way, is the gifted artist who designed the Morning Devotion banner at the top of this page.
As Curt and I were excusing ourselves from the conversation in order to get on with the rest of our day, George commented about the joy of knowing that heaven would include believers from denominations other than that of his home church.
I immediately was inspired to share these words:
“It’s a good thing, George, that the only label that Jesus cares about is ‘Christian.’ People won’t get into Heaven because they’re Catholics or Baptists or whatever. They will get into heaven because they’re Christians. That’s it.”
A pause followed because George, his wife, his daughter, Curt and myself knew that something simple yet potent had been shared.
I will hold onto this moment because of the inspiration I felt.
Coming to Christ and going to heaven is not a matter of submissive alignment with denominational doctrines.
Instead, it is a matter of surrendered, Spirit-led commitment to trusting, embracing and living out the Gospel.
Proper theology is essential and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more avid promoter than me of that fact.
But proper theology isn’t the property of a denomination.
It wasn’t an Episcopal or Lutheran or a Presbyterian or an Evangelical Free or a Quaker or a Calvary Chapel member who died on the cross.
It was Christ.
And so it is that people who trust Him to save their souls are Christians.
Remember that there will be no hyphenated Christians in heaven.
How do you introduce yourself to others with respect to your faith?
Do you say that you’re a Catholic? A Baptist? A Methodist? A Presbyterian? A whatever?
Or do you simply say you’re a Christian who happens to attend a ____________ church in your town?
There is no question that denominational labels serve as shortcuts for us in terms of finding faith groups with common values and theology.
There is also no question that these labels are losing some of their distinctiveness as worship patterns become more homogeneous across denominational boundaries and as ministry equipping resources are produced without a denomination-specific message.
I told Curt after the encounter with George that I was glad for the reminder that loyalty to Christ is what saves our souls, not the linkage to a particular faith group.
I’m glad that George loves people and was prompted by the Lord to strike up a conversation with me. It reminded me of how God loves to speak through people who love Him.
The glow and joy evident in George’s face was authentic. His wife and daughter seated with him are clearly blessed to have him in their lives.
I hope to see George again someday at the restaurant or somewhere else in the community. Perhaps I won’t see him again until I get to heaven.
If I do bump into him in heaven, it will be because we both wear the name that counts in eternity — ‘Christian’ — since there is no other name under heaven by which men are saved.
As always, I love you
Martin
