THOUGHTS continued: CHANGES IN LEARNING THAT TRAP US
GREETINGS IN JESUS:
The greatest temptation that we face is to take the short cut.
There is a mindset that has been embedded within our society today that tells us we don't need to be complete in our understanding or in our relationship with God to claim Him as Lord, and then ourselves as complete in Christ. Somehow we have started to try to find short-cuts in our relationship with God by saying that our knowledge about God translates to a relationship with God; but that is not the case. What is starting to happen is a cheap imitation of Christianity that can be put on by anyone for a few hours a week and then discarded in private much like the scribes and Pharisees in the time and ministry of Jesus.
This kind of thing has become a norm in our society from politicians to entertainment. There is a public face and image that is portrayed and then there is a private life that is lived where none knows the real truth except the security that surrounds them. The very infrastructure of our culture has been built around this kind of deceit until now it is the norm to not have complete knowledge of anything but rather become a specialist in a very small part of it. As an example, our medical professions are now largely made of specialtists who are only qualified to practice in certain areas of health care, and who very likely would not do well in a general practice of medicine. All of this is to say we must realize that in our Christian life this is becoming a rather slippery slope to be on, as we are in the process of not even knowing who among us is a born again believer in Christ or has simply made a decision that they want to be a follower of Christ, but still have no personal relationship with Him..
Believe me when I say there is a tremendous difference in the two. I am finding many who have followed Christ for many years suddenly waking up to find they need to become a living sacrifice daily or to follow Christ in public baptism, and wonder why they had not thought it was important before. People have stood or sat in the back of a room and held their hands up when some asked if they wanted to accept Christ, but never had a conversation with anyone about that desire. Raising your hand at the invitation does not make you a child of God, it merely says " I want to". Many have been walking around in our churches for years without a clue as to what they are there for except for the Holy Spirit continues to draw them back again and again in hope that someone will eventually minister to them. Many of the basic things of the foundations are being left out today as we concentrate on preaching about love or other things that make us feel good about ourselves. The word was written for the church and not for the world. The very things that we often think about being written for sinners is for those of us within the church to hear and change within our own lives.
There is no need for confusion among us concerning our faith or our fellowship with one another if we understand the milk of the word from Christ's own word. It is when we take control of what should be the work of the Holy Spirit within us that trouble starts. I pray that you will understand the tremendous need for us to stay as close as we possibly can to the exact teachings of Christ instead of following someone who sounds good to us. Deceit is all around us today and is coming at us in every form possible. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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