Here’s an interesting sermon excerpt from Dr. Tim Keller:

The one thief looked at Jesus Christ and said, “If you are the One, get us out of here, then we will know.” See it’s very simple. In other words, “prove you are the one by solving my problem.” And over the years virtually everybody I have ever seen who comes to Jesus and approaches this question and wants to sort of look into Christianity, they always have a problem-centered approach to Jesus. They want to know whether Jesus is going to give me the power and support to live the way I want to live.

[…]
Listen, one of the reasons why a lot of people have been searching for Jesus and have been inquiring about Jesus and have not got any answers, and they are still in doubt and still in confusion, is because if you think about it, the thief’s question is not a question, it’s an order. It’s a threat. Look, when you come to Jesus with conditions when you come and say well I would be interested in believing in you, I would like to be a Christian maybe, but I want to know, will you spring me, will you help me, will you do this. In other words, I do not want to know if you want something different for me. You are not asking for information, you are giving an order. Yeah, I will have a relationship with you as long as you do what I know needs to be done. And yet that makes no sense at all. Do you see? The reason a lot of people say I have been searching for Jesus but haven’t got many answers is … asking Him questions but not getting any answers, but you know what, the reason you are not getting any answers is because you are not really asking him a question. You’re not asking for information. If you come with conditions then you don’t really want to know who he is. You don’t want to know. You’re not open.

God puts us to the test, not the other way around. Christ will not make you a better husband, wife, businessman just because you became a Christian or in an attempt to entice you to become a Christian. You may become a better husband wife, businessman as you study the word of God and live out the truths found there but it’s certainly not guaranteed that it will happen.
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