10-18-21<\/p>\n
To reassure the curious, or assuage the indignant, I want to state that if this message were a foreign movie, the translation of the title (that is, my real meaning) would be as follows:<\/p>\n
All of humankind has a need for a Savior. As Orson Bean, the comedian, said when he became a Christian, he realized that God designed us all as if we had a sort of hole in the middle of our emotions \u2013 something<\/em> that needed to be filled. Which is the reason that all people, at all times and in all places, have sought a god or found God. We have an innate yearning for something better, and Someone better, in our lives; an answer to the questions we cannot answer ourselves. As my new friend Janet said recently, the comfort of knowing someone Someone who does not only have<\/em> the answers, but IS the answer.<\/p>\n That is Jesus, of course.<\/p>\n And, yes, with that \u201chole\u201d in our lives \u2013 which can be anything from loneliness to horrid desperation and everything in between \u2013 we look for it to be filled. The usual detours are dissolution, alcohol, sex, drugs; we know all the varieties.<\/p>\n But we are all alike in one basic way: our need for a Savior. \u201cWise men still seek Him,\u201d as the Bible says; or maybe it is a Christmas-season bumper strip, I forget. But it is true.<\/p>\n So what in the world do I mean, in my title, about a \u201cfutile\u201d search???<\/p>\n What I mean is an important component of the Gospel message and, I think, essential to getting to know this Jesus, this Best Friend, this Savior, this \u201cAnswer\u201d to all our needs.<\/p>\n Salvation is not futile, of course. The Savior, the Son of God, Himself does not represent futility in any regard. Of course. What\u2019s left in my title is the \u201csearch.\u201d<\/p>\n OK, when we are in a dark place, or deep in a figurative hole, or feeling completely lost, or clueless about whom to trust, what to do, where to turn, how to act\u2026 of course we go into the search-mode.<\/p>\n But my point is this. The nature of Jesus is that we don\u2019t have<\/em> to SEEK Him. He is always there. Always with us. He is not Someone on speed-dial; not found by a spiritual Google-search. When you accept Him, acknowledging Him as the Son of God, and believe that He took your sins upon Himself, and after dying for your punishment, rose from the dead\u2026 then He lives in your heart. No “searching” needed; He already searched us<\/em> out.<\/p>\n Your new brother, not anymore a mere concept of a Savior. Closer than a shadow.<\/p>\n Jesus promised that when He arose to Heaven, God would send the Holy Spirit to be the indwelling presence of God, to both comfort and enable us to be the Children of God.<\/p>\n So that hole gets filled. Jesus is the ever-present help in the times of trouble. In fact, even gently, but always, He will not leave us alone. Heavenly nagging for which are grateful! Never letting us feel again like we are in that dark place, or deep in a figurative hole, or feeling completely lost, or clueless about whom to trust, what to do, where to turn, how to act.<\/p>\n But my point is about peace and reassurance. The “need” to search for Him, when we are told about it, actually is a problem, a stumbling-block, with a lot of \u201creligions.\u201d That we need to start searching puts it on us<\/em>, as if all the work is ours. We have to seek Him out? We need to learn where to look? Do we need a road map? What do we first need to do before we start the search? What if we\u2019re not good enough? And so forth…<\/p>\n The \u201cpoint\u201d of Jesus is that He already has searched us<\/em> out.<\/p>\n He \u201ccame to earth and dwelt amongst us\u201d; we don\u2019t have to squint toward Heaven or perform lists of good deeds to impress the Lord, to earn salvation.<\/p>\n Every other religion is about reaching out to a god. Christianity is the only faith where God has reached out to us<\/em>.<\/p>\n It is human nature, sadly, to believe that we are so lowly that God cannot accept us without virtual 12-step programs our denominations and churches have devised. Organized religion can send more people to hell than a squad of demons could. We are<\/em> lowly, without Christ, yes; but that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n We can search\u2026 and search, and search. And get addicted to the search. That is futility.<\/p>\n He\u2019s already there next to you. Sit still, stay put, and let Him put His arm around you.<\/p>\n + + +<\/p>\n