Teenagers!

I'll admit: I don't often have much patience for teenagers. In a rare moment of clarity, however, I can see that this lack of patience isn't their problem, but my own. It's easy to forget being a teen myself. Easy to forget that, between all those social stresses and all the drama, these developing adults are actually growing in wisdom -- and may even have something worthwhile to contribute.

Such was certainly the case with young Timothy, mentored by Paul. While probably not a teenager, Timothy was a leader among a group of Christians -- and deemed by some as far too young for the task. That's why Paul told him in his first letter to him (Chapter 4, verse 12), "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 

Timothy, if you read this letter, clearly had a lot to offer. He was a servant, a teacher, and a leader. And Paul put a lot on his young shoulders. But before that could happen, Paul was first a mentor. Young Timothy had to be nurtured in the faith, trained in the ways and wisdom of Christ, before he could become the man and leader God needed him to be. 

My lack of patience for the young is a personal failing -- and one that leads to greater failings. As one more mature (in theory) in the faith, is it not my job to instruct those younger? Is it not incumbent upon me to make disciples -- that is, to lead them in their learning about Christ? We aren't done teaching when somebody gets saved. When we're doing it right, this is when the real work begins. 

Today's teenagers -- like generations of teens before them -- are weird. They're dramatic, and worried about all the wrong things. They're awkward and uneducated. And so was I. And so were you. Thank God somebody had the faith and patience to see through all that, and to find my potential. Thank God somebody saw I, too, had something to offer -- and was willing to show me that I did! Truth is, as a kid, I didn't know what I had to offer. Teenagers need be told -- shown! -- that they are worthwhile; that they are unique, and special, and important.

I pray daily that God will soften my own heart so I, too, can see the potential in the young people in my life.

DNA Day: Passing It On

Today is another day where the celebration in question -- DNA Day -- happens to correspond very well with a post I've already written. Scripture says "all have sinned, and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23)." But as we learn later in Romans, not only have we sinned, it is indeed threaded into the very fiber of our being...

Originally Titled, "Kind of like the National Debt"

Did you know the NIV version of the Bible uses the word, "Inheritance" 220 times? The land, as an inheritance for Israel. A father's passing down to his sons. The inheritance, down generations, of God's promises.

I was reading a column yesterday, in which the author discussed her children's genetic inheritance from her and her husband. Her eyes. His math skills. Her tendency to faint upon even reading about blood.

It made me think about what my wife and I have passed to our children. My son has my eyes and dimples; his Mom's hair. In fact, all my kids got their mother's hair, except the unruliness of my daughter's, which comes from my side of the family. My daughters also got my wife's creativity and compassion; my son wound up with my analytical and sarcastic streaks. And, there are less pleasant aspects of our own personalities -- aspects trained away by maturity and prayer, and some with which we are still dealing, even now -- which are also cropping up in our kids. A sense of humor that can, occasionally, not know when enough is enough. A sudden flare of temper.

Scripture reminds us that sin is also in our DNA. An inheritance from the beginning of Man's journey on Earth.

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. (Romans 5:13-14)

As children of the World, Death is our inheritance. However, as adopted Children of God, we have a new inheritance to which we can look forward. The promises of God, passed down from generations, are now ours as His Children.

In fact, in Romans 5, Paul continues his discussion of our original inheritance of sin and death, when he says that the sacrifice of Christ covers over that original condition:

... just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (vs 18-19)

Death is in our blood. Passed from father to son like eye color. But the inheritance of Life is found in His blood, for those who will accept it.

Denim Day

Not a long post today. More of a reminder. Today is Denim Day. In Italy, some time in the 1990s, a young woman was assaulted -- raped -- by her driving instructor. He was arrested, convicted, and jailed... until he appealed the sentence. His guilty verdict was overturned because, according to the judge, the victim's jeans were too tight for this "man" to remove on his own. Ergo, she must have helped. Ergo, it's no longer assault. This frankly idiotic move by the Court was immediately protested by the women of Parliament, who responded by wearing jeans to work.

Denim Day grew out of that small movement as a reminder that unwanted sexual contact -- whether completely forced, or induced by drugs or alcohol, or accomplished through fear and intimidation -- is rape.

Christ reminds us to love as He has loved. As a man, I am admonished to love my wife with a servant's heart -- just as Jesus loves His bride, the church. I am commanded to love my neighbor -- which includes men and women alike.

But also, God offers hope. For women who are victims of assault, Our Savior is not in the business of shame. Whether you think it's your fault, or however broken you may be, we have a Messiah who is in the business of healing.

If You're In It For The (Worldly) Perks, You're In The Wrong Religion

If you live in the West, you don't really know what
persecution is. We may occasionally be mocked for
our beliefs, but across the world, people are forced to
meet and read scripture in private. Many others are
Killed for their beliefs. For more information, visit
http://www.persecution.net/

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." (Matthew 24:9)

As sales pitches go, let's face it: this may well be one of the worst. But, as He gathered together His disciples and began to tell them of the time to come, Jesus wasn't interested in a pitch. As always, He was interested in the truth. And the truth is, as He reminded us multiple times, following the Messiah is not going to be easy. 

I honestly don't understand where we got this idea that Christianity should be sunshine and roses. That God was some magical, bearded grandfather sitting in His Heaven ready to grant the wishes of the devout. Jesus never promised we would have happy, pleasant lives in this world; indeed He promised the exact opposite. "In this world," He tells us in John 16:33, you will have trouble."

When He talks about following the path of God, Jesus uses the imagery of a small gate, and a narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14); of a camel threading the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:24). 

Even we who are fortunate to live in the Modern West find that a life following Christ isn't always easy. But we ache for our persecuted brothers and sisters across the globe. Why do they take the chance? Why do they risk persecution, and even death?

Well, Jesus did promise trouble, but He had other promises, too. John 16:33 has a caveat to that promise of trouble. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In Matthew 5:10-12, he promises, too, that the pain on this earth cannot last -- and that the rewards are worth it!

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Christians across the globe risk torture and death because they have a relationship with the Lord of the Universe -- the conqueror of this world's darkness -- and look forward to spending an eternity by His side! And that is something worth risking everything for!

 

Earth Day!

Have you ever thought about the care with which God created our home? Consider: Earth is the only known planet to have lakes and oceans of liquid water. The only planet known with the ability to support life. We have plants which aid the oxygen supply and keep us breathing -- and we in turn exhale carbon dioxide, which those plants use for growth. Our water is cycled through evaporation and precipitation, keeping a balance of water and enabling plant growth without saturating the ground and drowning the life below. The planet spins on an axis, working its elliptical path around the sun, giving us daylight to work and make our living, night to cut distractions and allow our bodies and minds to rest; seasons to allow the earth to rest, reset and regenerate. We are close enough to the sun for warmth and light; far enough to avoid overheating and fiery destruction. The spin of the planet, too, and its proximity to the sun and moon, give us gravity -- a force that keeps us grounded (literally!), and holds back the oceans, giving us a separation between the water that makes up the majority of the planet, and the small amount of dry land on which we live.

It was only after God did all this -- and saw that it was good -- that He began populating it with creatures. And finally, the geological, meteorological, and biological parameters set, He created Man and gave him dominion over it.

And so, as the rest of the world celebrates Earth Day -- worshiping the planet as fountain and source of all life -- we can look in awe and renewed wonder at the beauty of the Creation, and worship the Creator who set it all in motion.

Christians often don't like to celebrate Earth Day. The decidedly pagan -- or at least humanist -- overtones of the day make us uncomfortable. I would like to suggest, though, that Earth Day is a wonderful reminder of a careful and loving God -- a God who first created a perfect home, and then gave it to us, a people created in His own image. And, too, it can be a reminder that God put us in charge. This is a perfect home, built by a perfect creator. We would do well to cherish it.

Leaving Behind A Legacy

Last weekend, George Beverly Shea passed away, at the age of 104. Shea, who led worship for Billy Graham's crusades and appeared regularly on "Hour of Decision," was still singing as he rounded out his 1st century on earth and began a second. His voice and delivery popularized a great many favorite hymns, like a personal favorite, "How Great Thou Art." Shea glorified God with his life, right up until he was finally taken home.

That is a legacy!

Shea's passing can't help but bring to mind that of another great Christian artist, Rich Mullins. Unlike Shea, Mullins was killed in an accident at the age of 41, in 1997. But he, too, had built a legacy on glorifying his Savior. Mullins wrote many popular songs, like the often-sung "Awesome God," and Amy Grant's hit, "Sing Your Praise to the Lord."

These are men whose legacies live on in their music, but more importantly, in the lives they touched.

The truth is, you don't need to be famous to leave behind a legacy for the Kingdom. And, if you do as God asks, your legacy is made no greater or in anyway diminished by the presence or absence of a recording contract. What God cares about -- the legacy that will last -- is, how did you affect those around you? Did you plant seeds for the Kingdom of God? Were you somebody who loved fiercely, who chased God zealously, who gave generously of yourself?

How will you be remembered?

As for me, I know I'll never be remembered as widely as a George Beverly Shea, or a Rich Mullins. But I hope and pray, as God helps me to grow in Him, that when my time comes, I'll be remembered by those who knew me as somebody who loved God -- and through Christ, loved others -- with all my heart.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Who Owns You?

There is a picture of a dollar bill floating around on the internet. On the bill are the words, "I am a piece of paper, and I control your entire life."

This is one of those profound statements which, obviously, applies to somebody -- maybe everybody -- else. Not me, of course. Certainly not you. Right?

Today is Tax Freedom Day. According to annually figured estimates, this is the last day you need to work each year in order to cover your local, State, and Federal taxes. After today, the money you earn is yours.

Which means, if you're a taxpayer, you have worked four months this year -- just to pay the government. In essence, you've been working for free.  Consider how this idea makes you feel... and then ask yourself again: does money control my life?

Obviously, money is necessary. If we are to keep a roof over our heads, or to put food in our children's mouths; if we are to give generously to those in need, it is necessary to have a means to do so. But ultimately, money is a tool. If you find too much of your life is about making more of it, maybe it's time to ask why.

Jesus reminds us, in Luke 16:13

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

So what does that mean? Do we stop going to work? Do we switch to a part-time job so we can spend more time with our families, or doing God's work? I suggest that what you are doing now is God's work, if you allow it to be. We have to work in order to survive -- and there's nothing wrong with that. But while you're working, are you also acting as a Light, showing Christ's love to those around you? Are you generous with what you earn, sharing the resources you work for with those in need?

Money is part of life... the issue of control, though, is in our attitudes.

Hearing and Listening (and Doing)

As somebody who has stood at a pulpit on several occasions, I get frustrated by the word "Amen." I imagine

this is a frustration shared by actual, full-time preachers at every kind of church, from home church, to 20-member chapel, to 10,000-seat megachurch.

Allow me to explain. I've been going to church nearly all my life. Every so often, you'll get a preacher who's just on fire, inspiring shouts of "Amen" from among the congregation. Now, don't get me wrong: the encouragement is appreciated. It's just, it's not the pastor's (or fill-in speaker's, as I have been, or evangelist's) job to merely tickle the congregation's ears with an exciting message. The idea, as near as I've been able to discern -- and maybe I'm wrong about this -- is to inspire action. In other words, the shouts of "Amen" don't mean anything, if they aren't followed up by the shouter's personal, internal commitment to apply the message to his or her own life.

Perhaps what makes this seeming lack of follow-through so frustrating, though, is that I'm so bad at it myself. It's so easy to get inspired. It's such a simple thing to hear God speaking. But to really listen? To apply the word of the Lord and really make a change? 

It's funny: I get frustrated with my kids over the exact same thing. I can only image God's frustration with me. Thank Him for grace and mercy!

James tells us,

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)

Hearing what the pastor says is good. Being moved to an "Amen" is good, too. But what God looks for is application. What has the Lord been laying on your heart lately? Has He been using your pastor to give you a message? Maybe you've been hearing it long enough. Maybe it's time to do something about it.

David and Fear - Psalm 27

After yesterday's events in Boston, I started taking stock of how people were reacting. There was a lot of sadness and mourning -- and it will continue. But what terrorism does -- the very reason cowards engage in acts of terror -- is to inspire fear. The fear, perhaps, they themselves feel.

But Christ reminds us, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28)."

Our time in this world is limited. Pain and injustice and cruelty are temporary. In the scheme of eternity -- looking through the lens of the hope we have in Christ -- these events are tiny. Cowards may hurt and kill, but they only drive us to the arms of the Father, if we are in Christ. David -- who protected his flocks from lions, who slew a giant, who was exiled and chased and threatened -- knew perhaps better than anybody a life of constant struggle. But he also knew how futile the efforts of his enemies were, when compared to the promises of an almighty and eternal God. 

Psalm 27

Of David.

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked advance against me
    to devour^[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Eraser Smudge

The eraser is a wonderful invention, is it not? In the best cases, you can use the rubber eraser to remove a mistake or even simply change a word or two. But -- and maybe it's just because I write so hard -- I can never seem to completely erase the mistakes I've made with one of those rubber erasers, whether it's on the tip of a pencil or one of those big pink things. Try as I might, the ghost of my mistake remains. And no matter how hard I try, there it stays. I'm more likely to rip the paper than I am to remove that little, almost-invisible remnant of error.

Sin can feel that way at times. We know the blood of Christ erases our sin from our lives. And yet, we in our humanity keep finding those sticky little remnants (Romans 7:15). Errant thoughts, guilt, and constant temptation can keep us trying and trying in our own strength get rid of those little smudges until we finally tear an irreparable hole.

But 1 John 1:9 tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Meanwhile, Psalm 103:12 reminds us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

If we continue to sin, that's not God having failed to remove the sin from our lives -- rather it is our own humanity, which will be exploited by Satan in an attempt to discourage believers and non-believers alike.

Praise God, however, because He has forgiven -- and not only forgiven, but cleansed -- our unrighteousness. And on the day we finally stand before His throne, it will be as pure, clean, and holy children.  

Not Drunk, But Spirit-Filled

Today is National Alcohol Screening Day. Primarily, this is a day to bring about awareness of the problems
related to alcohol abuse, particularly among college students. This is maybe a bit of a stretch for a "Celebrate Today" post, but bear with me.

Today reminded me, as it's possibly reminded many of you, of Ephesians 5:18. For context, though, let's start at verse 17:

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 5:17-20) 

Now, believe it or not, I'm not interested in talking about the dangers of alcohol. Most of us understand the dangers of excess, and I think we can agree Scripture is pretty clear about God's view of drunkenness. What's more interesting to me is the parallel Paul seems to be drawing between drunkenness and a life of the Spirit. Like alcohol, God's Holy Spirit can alter our minds, changing the way we act (Romans 12:2 reminds us, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...").

In fact, the Disciples of Christ, after being filled with the Spirit, were so changed and inspired that those who saw what they did next were convinced they'd been drinking (Acts 2:1-15)!

Unlike liquor, however, the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

When we allow addictions like alcohol control over our lives, we can become a different person. Somebody our own families don't recognize -- and, by the way, probably don't particularly like. But when we give control over the the Spirit, we become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), reflecting the glory and the grace of Jesus Christ!

Sibling Rivalry in the Family of God

A couple days ago, we talked about the story of the Prodigal Son. In that story, even the good son had to be admonished -- not because he had done as the younger son and squandered his inheritance on sinful living, but because of his jealousy over his father's acceptance and joy at the boy's return.

When I was growing up, my brother and I fought all the time -- and often physically. Even as I grew up, I found myself trying to distance myself, in many ways. While at home, I was the "good" son, with decent grades, a great relationship with my parents, and liked by my teachers, my charismatic brother was popular and well-known. He was the more athletic of the two of us, as well. I think, looking back, we were jealous of each other. We have a great relationship now, my brother and I -- but we both needed to grow up, and to learn to appreciate one another.

Jesus, in his parable, anticipated similar "sibling rivalry" within the family of God, too. How many times have you looked at your brothers or sisters in Christ and thought, "why does HE have that gift," or "why is SHE in charge of that ministry?" Maybe somebody is getting recognition you feel you deserve, too!

The truth is, we are a competitive people. It is part of our human nature -- by which we really mean it's a part of our sin natures. But there are two lessons to be learned from Jesus' words to James and John in Mark 10.

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
³⁸ “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
³⁹ “We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (vs. 35-45)

So what do we learn? First, we learn our rewards aren't generally to be found here on earth, but in the Kingdom of God. Second, and most importantly, we learn that greatness lies in service to one another. Indeed, service is the key to many a relationship -- including those within the family of God. And in a life of service, there is no room for rivalry.

Cherishing The Old

How much do you know about the Old Testament?

Sometimes, as a Christian, it feels as though I pay an awful lot of attention to the New Testament, but quite a bit less to what came before. There are obvious reasons for this, of course: the Old Testament is, well, hard. It takes some doing to fully understand its passages, to grasp the laws passed down from God to the children of Israel.

So we listen to the stories of the Old Testament -- maybe even read them -- but then just sort of skim over the rest. But how much of the message of the New Testament are we missing, when we fail to provide ourselves the context of the Old?

Today is "Cherish An Antique" Day. I'm something of a technofile, and a lover of antiques as well. For me, antiques aren't merely pretty pieces of furniture or collectors' items -- but a look at History. Through exploring and understanding the technology of the past, for example, we gain a greater understanding -- and appreciation -- of what we have today.

In the same way, the Old Testament is the first part of the Gospel story. Reading only the New Testament is like watching a sequel without ever having seen Part 1: we can get a basic idea of what's going on -- but to get a full picture, we really need to pop in that first DVD and see what happened before.

We call Jesus our Messiah, but do we really understand the implications? We would if we studied the Old Testament. For example, the prophecies concerning the Messiah -- the authority by which Jesus claimed to be who He was -- are to be found there.

Just as importantly, the laws of the Living God are to be found in the Old Testament. As Paul reminds us in Romans 3:20, "through the Law (that is, the Jewish Scripture -- the Old Testament) we become conscious of our sin."

And it is in understanding that we find appreciation. By knowing we're in danger, we can seek and hold onto the Hand that rescues us.

And more still, we love the Old Testament because it, too, is the very Word of God. David gives praise to God for His Word in Psalm 119:

Oh, how I love your law!
    I meditate on it all day long. 
Your commands are always with me
    and make me wiser than my enemies. 
I have more insight than all my teachers,
    for I meditate on your statutes. 
I have more understanding than the elders,
    for I obey your precepts. 
I have kept my feet from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word. 
I have not departed from your laws,
    for you yourself have taught me. 
 How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth! 
 I gain understanding from your precepts;
    therefore I hate every wrong path. (vs. 97-104)

Shouldn't we, who claim to love our God, do likewise?

By the way, if you'd like to get into the Old Testament with greater depth, my friend and coworker Duane Matz has a series of devotionals, looking closely at the Old Testament, verse by verse.

  

Everything I Have Is Yours

Today is All is Ours Day.

Do you remember the story of the prodigal son? He asked his father for his inheritance, and set off on his own -- squandering the resources given to him and finally finding himself at his lowest point, feeding off the leftovers scraped together from the pigs' trough. Having found, and probably slept on, the bottom of the barrel, the son finally makes his way home to find his father, waiting with open arms, and ready to welcome him back into the fold.

We also find the eldest son -- the son who stayed with his father, responsibly helping around the home, tending to the needs of the household. He is, perhaps understandably, jealous at all this attention his brother is getting. But it's in the father's words that we truly understand what it means to be his son:

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.'" (Luke 15:31)

Paul carries this idea further, explaining that, as Children of God, we are, with Christ, heirs of the Kingdom.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:16-18)

Imagine! No matter what we've done, Jesus came for us, and made us heirs of God! This temporary world has its delights and its torments -- but the Kingdom of God is ours, purchased by the blood of Christ!