The patent phrase among us we just go by the Bible is both dishonest and absurd. Our goal is to go by the Bible. We surely have a ways to go.
This gesture is neither demeaning nor discouraging. We have great work to do...John 6:28-29...to believe in the One whom He sent.....Jesus.
There is a healthy bend in the church toward Jesus.
Hasn't such always been the case? Surely not. Our slant has been forcefully and emphatically upon doing church right. Still, in too many communities, the church isn't about Jesus. Rather it is about one-up-man-ship on our religious neighbors; they do--we don't, we do--they don't.
Jesus changes the rules, the playing field, and the goals. Pride goes out, humility enters, and a great awakening of what can be arises as the early morn. Jesus puts life in well-oiled church organization and power in routine works. Without him, we remain a testy and belligerent sort who whittle every other group and congregation down to unanimous disdain.
With him--oh with him--darkness cracks open and light rushes in. We see nothing become something and the dead begin to live. This is to be our obsession; not the preserving of the true church but the aggression of reaching the Truth: Jesus.
As Jesus stated in John 5:39ff, many simply are unwilling to come to him. Thus the annoying claims of going by the Bible continue to chant. Jesus, though, pleads that we are to use scriptures to get to him; not to declare ourselves the correct of religious correctness.
We have work to do. We must shift toward an obsession with Jesus.
2 comments:
Jesus is building His church. He's using this great post by you today to build it up. When we build with Him things are good. When we build away from Him we do bad things in bad ways.
Larry in Denver
"Without him, we remain a testy and belligerent sort who whittle every other group and congregation down to unanimous disdain"....this is perfect.
'Religion' and 'practices' cause us to look down our noses at others who don't do it right. Jesus, and realizing who and what we are is ONLY because of his taking the wrath due us on the cross, makes us humble, with great love and compassion toward others.
Jay
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