Christianity is still viewed by a
significantly large amount of people as a hard religion, even in view of verses
where Christ says that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
Christianity is perceived as no
different from other religions which state that God's behavior towards you is
dependent on your performance and obedience. However, it is also Paul himself
who talks against the rules, in the sense that he says they have no power in
restraining sin.
The thing is, if it's always
going to be about the rules, then we are surely going to break them. The Law
kills, but the Spirit gives life. We see in the Old Testament how the
Israelites were already busy smelting an idol just after the Ten Commandments
were given.
We can take all these rules - we
could fall into the trap of taking these rules, sprinkle a little Jesus here
and there, but if that's where we're off to, then we're off to die. Again, it
is the Law that kills, but the Spirit gives life! The law certainly does not
encourage us to live - The Spirit tells us it's not about the rules, it's not
about 'have-tos' but Christ giving us a new life with a totally new list of
'want-tos'!
Unfortunately there still exists
the mixture of the true message of Christ, where we are saved by grace... but
we need to meet all of His expectations. The Truth states that we are loved as
much now as we were when Christ was thinking of all of us, loving us dearly at
the cross, and, honestly, we would need a lifetime to really ponder on that.
If we are so fixated and focused
on what we aren't allowed to do, and all the 'nots' and 'have-tos', guess what?
We are going to break them! Again, the message is that we have a Father that
loves us dearly - He cries when we cry, and He laughs when we laugh! We need to
focus on that more than anything else.
We have been forgiven of all of
our sins, because of the finished work of Christ - and God does not keep score
in that regard. The thing is, God loves you so much that He is showing you His
best each and every day, and He is so determined to be so involved in your life
made new!
Let's not make the mistake of
making the creation the Creator - God wants to 'save us the trip' - He's a
Father, and not a Judge, who cares so deeply about you, more than anyone or
anything He has ever created! The Creator is your Father, and as their love and
smiles are always for you, so their discipline (discipling) and their counsel is
always for you!
Discipline is training for the
future, and not punishment for the past!
There still exists the temptation
to be religious and to look at things in black and white. If we are looking at
the world through the specs of right and wrong, or the knowledge of good and
evil, then we are just setting ourselves up for failure and frustration.
All things are permissible, but
not all things are profitable. We ought to be reminded of this, reinforcing
that we have God and He will truly never leave us nor forsake us. We have be
reminded that God has given us freedom, and that this same God is bigger than
anything we think can ruin us.
Indeed, addiction is not
profitable. Be wise about things that were not profitable. You will know what
is not profitable. Having a list of things to do and not do is actually
counterproductive. We've moved above and beyond the 613 laws NOT to make
another list of laws and call it Christianity!
Jesus, I wanna have an awesome
time with you each and every day!
We haven't fed on the Tree of
Life, who is Christ, just to gorge on the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and
Good and Evil! We have something so much more, and these are the fruits of the
Holy Spirit produced through us because of Christ in us! We are right because
of Jesus Christ, and not because of what we do and not do!
Because we have Christ in us, we
can ask Him what can be joy-filled, what can be fun and profitable.
On Marriage – it’s a choice. Not everyone has the gift of getting
married. Not everyone has the gift of being single. Let’s enjoy Christ and be
free of any notions that make us think otherwise. We are not obligated to have
children – Children are blessings, but our identity remains to be in Christ,
and that’s what the focus always ought to be on.
Don’t call your role your
identity. Your role changes, but your identity in Christ will never change.
On being Republican – Our hope in not in a Party, our hope is not
in the government, but our hope is in Jesus Christ, and Christ alone! Don’t
call your political affiliation your identity, because, again, your identity is
in Christ!
We simply cannot make our choices
and views in government mix with our beliefs and where we stand, because Jesus
is Jesus, and He is a greater foundation than anything we can ever build
ourselves. In other words, when thinking of the mountains of influence, they
are mountains, indeed, but it is Jesus Christ alive in us that causes us not
just to ‘invade’ these mountains, but to speak with authority to them, to the
point that they would be moved into the sea.
We are not arrogant in Christ. In
fact, His love humbles us as much as it secures us. We speak with authority,
but not with arrogance. We speak with humility, and not out of hubris.
Going back to result-oriented thinking
frustrates us to the point that we call on Christ for help, but being
Christ-oriented produces the results which have the most effective (eternal)
implications. We speak from Christ, to Christ.
On avoiding other cultures, beliefs, and worldly systems – We need
to be careful about this ‘warning’. In contrast, we are strengthened and
edified when we shine Christ in diverse cultures and belief systems. The world
may be thinking of climbing up to God, when grace says God climbed down the
ladder to be with us, dying for us to be with Him.
If we couldn’t understand people
and their cultures, we will not be able to establish any relationships, and
people will not see Christ, only religion in us! You are rock-solid with
Christ, and nothing can snatch you away from His hands.. so be free to learn
and see Christ in all things!
On ‘I Never Knew You..’ – Remember the verse before this – Jesus was
talking to people who were bragging about their works and what they did –
though they were doing it in His name, they were doing it thinking that would
give them blessings, favor, and/or salvation. If it’s going to be about us,
then we ought to stop right there!
On ‘Be perfect’ – Christ said none of the Law is going away until
all is fulfilled, and proceeded to give a picture of perfect following of the
law – cut off your hand if it sins, thinking murder is murder, etc. He attacks
our temptation to go back to ethics with presenting the perfect, unattainable
law. We cannot reach His thrice holy standards, but because of Christ’s
offering, we have been made perfect!
The Law drives us to grace. Moses
leads us to Jesus. When we realize that we cannot try to reach it, we ought to
trust Christ, who has already reached it.
Will The Real Christianity Please Step Forward?
“Do you see that it is a life of Grace, and it is about a God of grace?
That it is a Father with a deep concern, and a deep love for you? It’s not
about rules, it’s about relationship. It’s not about principles, it’s about a
Person – Do you realize that it’s not even about right and wrong, and good and
evil, it’s about knowing Jesus, and expressing Jesus? Christ in you, Christ
through you? That’s what it’s all about.”
_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26