What makes a bowl of chili, a bowl of chili? Tomato juice, tomato sauce, beans, meat, cheese, corn chips, sour cream (brown sugar, anyone?) and so many other things you could add… but wait… I think I’m forgetting something… what is it?
Some 15 or so years ago our family created something we have ever since called “chili”. But, truth be told, it has no chili powder in it (or any other form of chili spice). It is a tomato based soup that contains no chili (heart burn runs deep in the family). Though we call it chili, it isn’t. It is merely a creation we have made ourselves. It does hold to a form of chili, in a sense, but it is obviously not because… well… it has no chili…
Thinking about this reminded me of something else we have in America, and perhaps all over the world that is similar to my family’s chili. It is called something, and yet most people leave out the very thing that gives this thing its name, signature, and staple mark.
What makes church? Bibles, crosses, steeples, stain glass windows, pews, pulpits, catchy (but lame) marques, moral people, people who care for and engage the community, events, tracts, a Pastor, a board of Elders or Deacons (or, if you're really religious, both)… but wait… something’s missing again… isn’t it?
Just like my family’s chili is lacking chili, it seems like the church is lacking Christ, Himself. Myriads upon myriads of people who go to “church” every Sunday are completely missing the point of it all. Oh, they make mention of Christ all the time. They sing songs at church that make “them” feel soooo good. They know possibly know that Jesus died on a cross and that He rose again the third day, but couldn’t tell you anything about what He taught or did during those 3 years of ministry. Maybe an obscure reference to the B-Attitudes or some of Jesus’ miracles, but not much more. (Strangely though, most men in church could probably tell you half of the players names and stats of their favorite sports team. And the women could tell you how much a certain dress cost, or what foods they found were good to give them that “sleek” look…) In short, what I’m saying is that most church-goers forget about all things Christian the second they leave the sermon… until the following week…
The pendulum goes from one end to the other. Some Christians do absolutely nothing in regard to God. Their lives are not led by the Spirit, but by themselves. They use church sort of like a “life insurance policy” to make sure they go to heaven. They call themselves Christians (just like we call our soup “chili”) even though the Spirit of God clearly does not reside in them. There is no sanctification, no hunger and thirst for righteousness, no desire to be pleasing to the Father. Church is just a club or an obligation to go to each week when they feel like it.
The other side of the pendulum is those who go “all out” to “do” things for God. Church events, pageants, weekly get togethers, fund raisers, food and clothes drives, Bible “studies”, missionary trips, sponsoring needy or hungry children in other countries. Sometimes, even these people who seem so zealous and energetic to serve God, act in their own power (they are forgetting the chili). It shows when they rarely talk about God and His Word, nor show desire to implement His Laws into their lives. They believe the “deeds” they do are sufficient to save their soul by showing their loyalty. But when they do their events, they shy away from proclaiming the gospel. And in their personal lives they stop short of applying the light of God’s Word to themselves.
Don’t get me wrong—Christians should definitely do good deeds, but those deeds should be led, directed and empowered by the Spirit (chili). Without Him those deeds (no matter how good) are as filthy garments (Isaiah 64:6). Instead of Spirit led Christians, there are too many self-led nice people (tomato soup with no chili).
There is a difference between being nice and showing God’s love (as God’s love involves warning a sinner to turn from his way). There is a difference between hating sin because it is damaging to families and our nation and hating sin because it is rebellion against God, Who is Creator and Sustainer of everything. There is a difference between bringing food and clothes to the poor people of the world and bringing them the True Bread of the Covenant—Jesus Christ, and allowing Him to clothe them with His Righteousness.
For my family to call our tomato soup “chili” is funny to us, but we often find ourselves explaining it to others who are unaware of the truth of our chili. But for people to call themselves Christians, when they do not have the Holy Spirit inside of them, is definitely not funny (and since they never explain that they really aren’t Christians to the world, God’s Name is sullied). Nor is it funny for churches to be “good people clubs” instead of Christ’s Holy Body doing His work on earth (for the world never sees the Truth so as to be saved because, to be popular, the church has removed the chili from the soup to prevent the inevitable heartburn… God has been kicked out).
So… is anything missing from your chili church?
Written by Caleb Jensen, Director of WORD Center Ministries
