E-brakes, Donuts and the Christian Life:
More random thoughts as I read 1 Peter

Sometimes living the Christian life feels a lot like driving a rental car. When you drive a rental car its like stepping into a fantasy world - not that the cars places like Budget and Enterprise offer are that fantastic - its because you can do things that you never would in your own car. In your own car you're telling people to dust off their shoes before entering, go easy when closing the door and to finish their food outside. As soon as you get behind the wheel of a rental car you're hopping medians at red lights, poppin' the E-brake sliding into the driveway and doing donuts in the parking lot all while your buddy's eating baby back ribs in the passenger seat. And the reason for all of this is because it's not your car, its only temporary, at the end of your trip you'll give it back and return to your car where once again you'll insist people watch the paint job and clean their shoes.

As Christians we hear all the time that we are special people. We hear that we are loved by God, that we are saved, forgiven, redeemed, sealed, sanctified, justified, bonafide, revitalized, reborn, bought and liberated. That we are the people of God, the sons and daughters of God, the children of God, the elect of God, the chosen of God, the flock of God, the sheep, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people formerly in darkness but now in light. We hear that we are aliens, strangers, not of this world, temporary residents, called to citizenship of another kingdom.

All of this is entirely true, completely amazing and should be preached - but because we are still sinners sometimes I think this unwittingly goes to our head and we lose sight of the hear and now. We subconsciously think that because we are driving these rental car bodies and that one day we'll be outta here and in heaven that the here and now is kind of a wash. We forget that what we do hear on earth does matter. That how we live here, how we treat people hear, where we put our money here, who we date here, what we consume here, what we endorse here, what we say here - it all matters.

And it matters because how we live is the direct indicator of what we really think about the God we claim.

I think Peter speaks to this in 1 Peter 2:11-12. Peter basically spends the previous 35 verses uber-encouraging a distressed people that they are the wonderful people of God who have recieved the marvelous salvation of Jesus Christ. He has boosted their spirits to the clouds but as he ends his train of thought he brings them back to earth by reminding them:

"Dear friends I urge you , as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which
war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing
wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visit us."

Living a Godward life is our weapon in the war for our soul and the Godward deeds are our most effective evangelism to a lost, dying, finger-pointing world.

Watch the paintjob would ya?