It's Time To Consider The Theological Implications of Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was sitting in my office last night and I heard a knock on the door, one of the women from our church was standing there and said, “Here, I’ve been reading Ephesians again.”

And she held out a container with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I’m holding them up to the screen, right now. If you put your nose up to the screen you might be able to smell them—online blogs have gotten tremendously sophisticated in their communication abilities. Smells good, doesn’t it?

A big smile lit up my face, and I said, “Oh my goodness, thank you.”

We both laughed. It’s a little joke that we share based on a silly remark that I made in a sermon, one time, about making chocolate chip cookies for the pastor of the church. I said something about “getting into heaven” by making cookies for the pastor and I mentioned that the scriptural proof could be found in the New Testament book of Ephesians.

The next week, sure enough, she brought me some chocolate chip cookies. (It turns out she was the only who was awake when I made that comment. But, if you think about it, helping people get some much needed sleep is a helpful service in our fast-paced culture. I’m just glad I can be of service.)

Obviously, I’m just kidding around about the cookie thing. You all know the “cookie” remark is just my silly sense of humor and Mary—the nice woman who gave me the chocolate cookies—knows it, too.  We know that salvation is not a matter of any kind of works, it is entirely a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Thank God for his wonderful grace. Baking cookies for the pastor WILL NOT get anyone into heaven!

However, this important theological point, is worth pondering:  Is it possible that fresh cookies for the pastor would determine the particular REWARDS a person might get in heaven? Certain passages in the book of Ephesians seem to point to this possibility (the exact chapter and verse of these passages eludes me right at this moment).

I don’t know. But it’s worth thinking about. I know that as I’m eating these chocolate chip cookies, I’m thinking deeply about it. Yes, yes….I’m eating a cookie and I’m thinking with great focus and concentration, right now.