My friend Thom Cooper finished a book last year titled "What's the Meaning of This? (Clarifying Christian Concepts)." The object of the book is to bring clear understanding to a lot of the common words used in the Christian community. Words like love, fear, sin, the glory of God, righteousness, confession of sin, and the new birth. Depending upon your faith background, your understanding of the Word of God, and your perception of the nature of God - your definition of these words could be quite different from mine. The question my friend often asks is "What gives us the right to believe what we believe?" The answer? Ultimately we must allow the TRUTH of God's Word to be the foundation for all that we believe and that truth is found in Christ.
Think about it. How often have we found ourselves arguing over meaningless things simply because we don't want to be wrong? We will go to great lengths to defend what we believe about a particular subject. It's like being a contestant on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" because we will even phone a friend if it means backing up what we believe. The Peanuts cartoon that I posted says it all: "Have you ever considered that you could be wrong?"
Here are just a few areas where I see the church going in circles:
- A greater awareness of the devil than the presence of God
- A greater sense of sinfulness rather than one of righteousness
- A greater belief in judgement instead of the unconditional love of God
- A greater understanding of who we were in Adam rather than who we are in Christ
How is it possible that we have come "so far" in the Christian faith and yet we have missed out on some of the greatest truths in the Bible? I personally believe fear has dominated our thinking more than faith. We have chosen to go along with the theological crowds rather than believe what the Word of God teaches us. We recognize the divisiveness that comes with conflicting beliefs and it keeps us from pursuing what we discover to be true in Christ. I realize that some of you may disagree with what I'm saying but I have seen it happen over and over again. It's much easier to tow the theological lines of the church rather than possess the mindset of God.
One of the basic concepts that Paul taught the church revolves around our identity in Christ. Jesus came as the Last Adam. He came to restore all of mankind to God's original design and intent. He accomplished that through His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. We have been redeemed. It's a fact that is clearly outlined in the Bible. However, because of our religious background we fail to see ALL that was accomplished in Christ. Have you ever considered that there was a day that you chose to accept Christ but that Christ accepted you at the Cross? Have you ever thought about how much preaching/teaching/witnessing is done to get people "forgiven" but fail to recognize that God chose to reconcile Himself to all of mankind - "not counting their trespasses against them"? These simple questions must lead us to either embrace the truth of the Bible or to continue to accept the theology that has been handed down to us for generations.
I'm hoping that these questions will push you to look deeper. I hope they will force you to ask the Holy Spirit to open up your understanding to the Word of God. I'm praying that you will encounter the truth during this process. This (I believe) is where the Lord is taking His people in this day. It's time for a reformation! Not just a reformation of what we believe but a reformation of how we live as sons/daughters of God. Sure...it may mean moving against some long held beliefs. It may mean questioning some of the beliefs that have long been held has "core values." But what if this is exactly what God is calling us to do? What if this is how we gain the understanding of who we truly are in Christ? I believe it is. AND...I'm enjoying the journey.
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