It Depends

When I was taking college classes to work on my accounting degree, one of those classes was on income taxes.  Some friends and I were sitting around a dorm room one night, discussing this tax class, and one of my friends hit on an epiphany – the answer to any tax question is “it depends!”  “Is this expense deductible?”  “It depends!”  “Do I have to report this as income on my tax return?”  “It depends!”  “Am I required to file a tax return?”  “It depends!”  And on and on.  We thought we were pretty clever.  I was never bold enough to attempt to use that on any test though.

Recently, I was among some fellows and we were contemplating 2 Corinthians 1:20.  “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”  When I think of this passage in light of my previous discussions of tax classes, I always get amused because of the contrast.

You see, with taxes, there always seem to be exceptions to the rule.  Sure, something may be deductible, but sometimes there are circumstances where the government doesn’t want you to deduct that expense.  Hence the answer of “it depends.”  It depends on whether you are in that particular set of circumstances, or whether you’re not.  The same is true with reporting income, or filing, or about nearly any other tax question.  It’s a complicated mish mash of laws and rules and exceptions.

But when you contrast that to what Paul says, then it seems very simple when it comes to God.  In Christ, you get a bunch of “yes” answers.  “Am I forgiven of this sin?”  “In Christ, yes!”  “Am I forgiven of all my sins?”  “In Christ, yes!”  “Do I get to go to heaven?”  “In Christ, yes!”  “Will God save me?”  “In Christ, yes!”

One thing you may have noticed in my answers to my hypothetical questions is that I prefaced each “yes” with an “in Christ.”  Because that’s what Paul says in 2 Corinthians.  Paul says that with God’s promises, they are yes.  Then Paul adds this little bit – “in Christ.”  For it is in Christ that all of God’s promises are delivered.  It is as we are in Christ that we receive the ultimate blessings God has promised to us.  Or to put it another way, Peter says this in Acts 4:12.  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  Paul says “in Christ.”  Peter says “in no one else.”

Note that Paul and Peter are talking about being “in Christ.”  They are not saying to follow Christ, but to actually be in him.  There is a difference in the two.  You can be committed to Christ, and you can follow him, but you may not necessarily be “in him.”  God is calling us all to do more than simply follow Christ, or follow his example.  Christ is more than an example to be followed, he is our salvation.  Peter says it.  Peter did NOT say salvation is found by FOLLOWING nobody but Christ.  He said salvation is found by BEING IN nobody but Christ.

Isn’t hearing a “yes” answer to a question more satisfying than hearing “it depends”?  Do you want to hear a “yes” answer to those questions you may have for God?  “Will you save me?”  “Can I live with you forever?”  In order to get a “yes” answer for those, then it’s simple – be “in Christ.”  And to enter in to Christ, in order to be in him, the bible tells us that quite simply, the way to do that is to be baptized.

-Mike Hendricks