“Don’t blame the Flame!”
Increasingly today, the hearts of people are being exposed for what they truly hold. Things that have previously been hidden — thoughts, words, deeds, works, efforts, philosophies, sin — are being revealed. From East to West, from Hollywood to Washington D.C., secrets are being laid bare. Regardless of the scale — the home, the neighborhood, the city, the state, the nation, or the globe — there’s a sifting occurring and hearts are being revealed. It’s as if walls which we could previously hide behind are falling down and we stand naked and unmasked.
Jesus said, “Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45) The late Pastor Adrian Rogers of Bellevue Baptist Church once said, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” And these days I’ve found that it’s quickly and glaringly apparent what’s in a person’s heart as I share the Christ-stuff with them. As I engage people today, hostilities escalate and accusations fly. “You’re close-minded! You’re intolerant! You’re a bigot! You’re the problem with the world today! What kind of God would allow pain and suffering in the world!”
Just last night in the brig, there were two prisoners with two different heart-responses to the word of God. We had just read John 18:37 where Jesus stated, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” One inmate (S) argued that truth is relative to each individual, religion, or belief. I said that that violates the law of noncontradiction. If one belief says that Jesus was just a man, and another belief says that Jesus was God, they both cannot be right. In an instant, S immediately clenched his teeth, closed his heart, stood up, and stormed out, refusing and rejecting the only thing that can save him from an eternal death.
The second man (R), as we were closing and the men were leaving, hugged me and said, “Thank you so much for your sacrifice of time and bringing this message into the prison. I’ve heard the statement ‘Jesus paid for your sins’ countless times before, but tonight, from the start, I began to understand for the first time what that really means. I sat there the whole time literally on the verge of tears.” (As much as it bothered me to see S get angry, reject, and leave, R’s heart-response makes it all worth it. The contrast between these two men is striking and it’s a frightening reminder to me of the ‘sifting’ that’s occurring, and that many are still looking for love, answers, and wholeness only found in Christ.)
By way of accusing God, many ask me, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?!!” To which I ask, “Which happened first? Did God just arbitrarily put someone in hell, or did that person, in some form or fashion, reject God?” No one has ever randomly or accidentally ended up in hell! If they’re in hell, it’s because at some point in their life they rejected God. I reference the Book of Exodus where God told Moses to go before the Egyptian Pharaoh and deliver His message, “Let my people go.” But in the very next breath God tells Moses, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart.” Honestly, I wrestled with this passage for quite some time. I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, Lord. If the goal is to deliver Your people from slavery, why are You making it more difficult than it has to be? For Your amusement? For Your glory?” I needed answers.
Some time later, the Lord gave me a simple illustration. Let’s say you have a source of heat — a flame. How does mud respond to the presence of that flame? It hardens. How does wax respond to that same flame? It melts. Two completely different responses to the same flame. Are either of these responses ”” hardening or melting ”” the flame’s fault? No, because the responses of these two elements — mud and wax — is reflective of their makeup, i.e., what’s in their hearts. Also, it’s not the flame’s fault because the flame is simply being the flame. (“I AM THAT I AM,” anyone?)
Likewise, God is the Flame ”” constant, unchanging, eternal, loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful. (Heb 13:8; Rev 1:8) I submit that God did not directly harden Pharaoh’s heart, but more appropriately, Pharaoh’s decision and choice — i.e., heart-response to God — was that of hardening, revealing a heart of mud. God is just being God (Ex 3:14). Hearts of mud (closed and calloused) will harden at God’s presence, love, and truth. Hearts of wax (open and sensitive) will melt in that same Presence. Whatever one’s response is to the god-stuff is a direct reflection — an exposing, if you will — of what’s going on in that persons heart (See Mt 12:35-37). God is Who He is! He is love, holiness, truth, salvation, and power! And, it’s up to us how we respond to the Flame. So, I’ll remind these skeptics, “Don’t blame the Flame!”
As godless as it is today, all is not lost. Take courage! There are many hearts of wax out there willing to receive the love and salvation of Jesus Christ. In a nutshell, our job is to love people, present the gospel, and discern their heart-responses. If a heart hardens and gets angry, that’s a pretty good sign that more conversation is probably not going to be productive. Politely move on. If, on the other hand, a heart melts as you present the gospel, truth, and love of Christ, give more. Stop debating the things of God and start declaring the things of God! Get out there and sift through the hearts of mankind. And, when the opportunity presents itself, tell people, “Don’t blame the Flame!”
In closing, we need your help. Being full-time missionaries in Japan is physically and spiritually demanding, and financially expensive. We’re genuinely about The Father’s Business, but we simply cannot fulfill these ministries without financial support. Please consider partnering with us through financial gifts and offerings. Donations can be made online at CinA.