The Church of Christ has a long way to go before it can claim what it tries to claim....that being the completely restored true church with nothing left to remodel. I read document after publication rehearsing the same ol' same ol' about how we are not only the true church....we are the only church that is right.
One indictment against us, however, is our perpetual operation under the umbrella of fear. There is great need for our people to break the bonds of living on eggshells for fear God will put out our wick. Two or three texts of God zapping those who didn't do everything exactly proper have bred a psychological misfire in His people. In general we are afraid.....afraid of silence, afraid of new, afraid of old, and afraid of not being acceptable to God.
When the eggshell element is present, worship goes out the window. Our gatherings are not monitored by the heart involvement; but rather by the dumbing down to the common denominator of "was anyone offended". It matters not whether God had any feelings about the matter. Fear leads us to gatherings of both rigidity as well as frigidity.
I remind you that Jesus is the Lord of Life. Satan is the master of robbery. Fear is more than the opposite of love; it is the opponent.
As we among many strive to become more like Jesus, one of the great hurdles for the Church of Christ is to clear the high step of fear. It strangles the church when it has no idea it might be suffocating. It is. Jesus alone sets us free.
May our courage increase.
2 comments:
The beauty of Christians can be found in Philippians 4:6-7. Paul reminds us to be careful for nothing, but in everything in prayer. Fear is my own acronym for Forgetting Everything About Righteousness. When we fear we forget our righteousness with God. For Paul continues to say, "the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ." Fear is the absence of peace. When we don't have the right relationship with the Father then fear sets in. The Holy Spirit has sealed us into his Hands. What Christian would want to walk away from the loving kindness and a living peace to go into a world of confusion and fear?
John (1 John 4:17-19) reminds us, our love is made perfect so that we have boldness in the day of judgment. Therefore, let us not forget everything about righteousness, but to stand boldly in love before Him.
The beauty of Christians can be found in Philippians 4:6-7. Paul reminds us to be careful for nothing, but in everything in prayer. Fear is my own acronym for Forgetting Everything About Righteousness. When we fear we forget our righteousness with God. For Paul continues to say, "the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ." Fear is the absence of peace. When we don't have the right relationship with the Father then fear sets in. The Holy Spirit has sealed us into his Hands. What Christian would want to walk away from the loving kindness and a living peace to go into a world of confusion and fear?
John (1 John 4:17-19) reminds us, our love is made perfect so that we have boldness in the day of judgment. Therefore, let us not forget everything about righteousness, but to stand boldly in love before Him.
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