Ben Sanders - On The Loose

I admit it – I am a “mamma’s boy.” There are many things I learned from my mom as I grew up. Here are just a couple…

Dr. Pepper -
I love me some DP! When I was a little boy with a scraped knee, smashed finger, or some other “ailment”, my mother told me to “Drink some Dr. Pepper, it will make you feel better. That’s why it has ‘Dr.’ in its name.”

Sure enough, it worked every time. This helped a lot. I had an issue understanding why this drink was named “Dr. Pepper.” There wasn’t any pepper in it as far as I could taste, but at least I now knew why it had “Dr.” in the name. I pondered that kind of stuff as a kid – back then, I had mom to help me figure out such things, and she seemed to always have an answer. Now I have Google (which is surprisingly much more accurate) but it is nowhere near as imaginative as some of the things my mom told me.

Reading-
My mom taught me to read – to love reading. She would heap praises on me for reading books on my own, fueling my desire to read more. She asked me about what I had read – helping me with my “reading comprehension.”

I turned into a voracious reader – consuming anything that had words on it. I wanted to read, to learn, and then to tell about what I had read. During the summer, my mom would take me to the library so I could take home books by the armload, read them and return them for more the next day.

I know - I was/am a nerd, but who cares? People often tell me that I am like an encyclopedia of all sorts of knowledge. That’s because my mom taught me to read and to remember what I read. That skill alone has had a huge impact on my life, my work, and my ministry.

Love-
My mother always told me that she loved me. She would often add that “… and I always will, no matter what.”

Even back then I wanted to know what something meant in context to other ideas, and to what extent it applied. So, one day I asked “What if I killed somebody?” That was the worst thing that I could think of, but it would certainly give me the context and extent of what she said. She replied, “Then you will have to go to jail. But, I would still love you.”

This was liberating – not in the sense that I felt that I could do no wrong, but that I would never be unloved – regardless. There were plenty of times in my life that I would turn to that knowledge - and find peace in it.

So there you go, just a couple of things I learned from my mother. Imagination, How to Learn, and How to Love – without those things I would not be who I am. I happen to like who I am, so thanks Mom!

I love my Mom - no matter what - and I always will.

I am often intrigued by the Christian community. Sometimes, I am downright concerned. Lately, I have been emotionally shaken by a realization, perhaps revelation.

The Christian tendency is to aim for the minimum.

I was brought up under many sermons and bible studies, and I have been involved in debates and sometimes arguments over what it takes to get to Heaven. Some believe that everyone “good” is going. Others start and end with
“confessing the Lord as savior”, still others say baptism is involved, and so on.

The scripture has always scared me the most was:

Matthew 7:21-23Matthew 7:21-23
English: World English Bible - WEB
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ ²³ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

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Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Now, it scares me even more. We have cultivated this idea of minimum requirements to enter Heaven and it will cost us dearly if we do not uproot it. Christianity operates on a spiritual “leash” that keeps believers, old and new alike, from experiencing the true possibilities of life in Christ.

We need a paradigm shift in our thinking. We need a change of heart.

I have heard it said, the only thing you have to do to be “saved” is (insert your beliefs here).

Let’s get this straight right now. The one thing that has to happen for you to set foot on the streets of gold is you have to get this answer from THE judge, Jesus Christ, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Without those words you cannot get in. He alone decides who comes in and who does not. Period.

Obviously, “doing” is a part of getting to Heaven. Jesus will say “Well done…” and not “Congratulations you lucky boy/girl!” We will hear the appropriate answer based on our actions here on Earth. Be not deceived, works will play a
part in your salvation.

Knowing this, it surprises me to hear, “The only thing you need to do…” type statements.

Take, for example, one of my favorites, “You don’t need the Holy Ghost to get to Heaven.”

Really? Seriously? Wow.

Would everyone that believes that just pause for a moment and talk to Jesus about why you don’t need HIS SPIRIT?

“So Jesus, I was reading some scriptures and I see that I don’t need your Spirit to get to heaven. Seriously, I know you called this gift ‘The rest that causes the weary to find rest’ and that we would receive ‘power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us’ to be witnesses for you. I even read Paul’s writings where he said that if your Spirit was in us, we would be ‘quickened’ or brought to life by it, but still, we don’t NEED any of that. I also recall something about if we don’t bear good fruit, we will be cut down and burned - and I know that without the power to be a witness, it will be much harder to ‘be fruitful’ by growing the church, and I don’t really want to wrap my mind around how we are all supposed to bear the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ without the actual Spirit inside of us, but I still found this whole ‘not needing the Holy Spirit’ in the Bible so it must be true.”

So the next question for me, is usually this: “What about all the good people in the world?” or “What about all the people that confessed Jesus as Lord?” or “What about the thief on the cross?” or here’s one I heard yesterday, “What
about the 144,000he 144,000
English: World English Bible - WEB
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se za?ne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

Jews who have done nothing other than being born as Jews, who are ’saved’ in the book of Revelation?”

My response? First, I am not the judge - thank God!

Second, neither are you.

Third, why do you think that Jesus is even remotely interested in spending ETERNITY with people who only wanted to do just enough to get to Heaven? Why do you think Jesus desires to spend the afterlife surrounded by those of us who spent our entire lives trying to do enough to get into paradise?

Easy, I don’t think He does.

This minimum requirement mindset, this “leash”, is holding us back. And like a crazed dog on a short leash, chasing a smart cat, we may  find a hard snap at the end of that leash on judgment day.

I believe that we had better get our minds around our need for Him.

Jesus, I need your grace - so I have repented of my sins. Jesus, I need to be a new person, and I need your name on my life - so I have buried the “old me” by being baptized in your name. Jesus, I need to be able to live the way you wish for me to live. I need something in me that powers my life, urges me forward, teaches me, and opens the doors to every other good thing you have, to literally share your Spirit - so I will continue to seek after the Holy Spirit operating inside me. I need you, Jesus. I need you. I need you. I need you. Every part of you - anything you have to offer, I need you. Not to get me to Heaven, but so that I can finally know you in the ultimate - I want to hold you, Jesus. Physically, bodily, I want to embrace you.

To all of you dear readers, who have completed the “Acts 2:38Acts 2:38
English: World English Bible - WEB
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

″ plan - congratulations! That’s what they say to parents when a baby is born, after all. But you are sorely mistaken if you think you are “saved” as a result. You have merely been born - and babies have to grow up, live, and learn. You still have to live/love in such a way as to hear “Well done.” Acts 2:38Acts 2:38
English: World English Bible - WEB
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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is not our “ticket” to Heaven, it is just the beginning of a journey.

It is time to live our lives, not as a bunch of “saved” people who have it all figured out, but as people who are in love with Him!

Who is it that can honestly live this way, and not be found pleasing in His sight? who is it that can live this way and deny that we need every part of Him?

So, in consolation to those who still don’t get it - I will still teach repentance, and baptism in Jesus name, and I most certainly will proclaim with utmost conviction that we need the Holy Spirit - but I will not stop there anymore. I don’t think Jesus is interested in just that.

I challenge you to detach yourselves from the “leash” of minimum requirements and start loving Him, and living to the
maximum. If you want to debate what it takes to get to Heaven, don’t do it! Rather, ask “How much of Jesus do you need?” Trust me, you need everything He’s offering!

Jesus, open our eyes!