Bible Verses:
(1 Peter 2:9, Romans 3:31, Romans 6:15, Exodus 23:21, Jeremiah 31:33, Exodus 20:1-17)
This stuff keeps popping up all around me. How IN the world can we be before we are also OF the world? How much like the world should we look like, even if we’re supposedly doing it in the name of preaching the name and acclaim of Jesus to those who need it most? How “secular” is too secular? There are some examples which are obviously going way too far (admittedly, this is only my opinion of what is obvious). But I would say that a church telling a witch that she’s on the right path and that God is proud of her is going too far for any church. (Although, I’m guessing that this is more an example of a false prophet than it is a sanctioned act of the church.) Well, at least any church which is a Christian church. This may be a good thing for a church of satan…
But, how much is too much? If you ask some people, they would say that sitting in chairs instead of uncushioned pews in a sanctuary is an abomination before God. If you ask some people, they would say that reading any translation of the Bible other than the King James Version (even though you may have trouble reading it) is not true Christianity. Is all of this true? Does a pastor have to stand behind a pulpit in order for the church to be a Christian church? I guess my answer to that would be that the early church met in houses, not buildings with pulpits, were their teachings any less filled with the Holy Spirit’s anointing?
In the end, all of these arguments are about tradition, not Biblical truth. The truth, as I see it, is that none of these things matter. Do you love Jesus? Have you submitted your actions to the authority of the Messiah? Do you seek to make yourself discernably different than the world so that you can act as a light shining out into the darkness, attracting those lost in the darkness?
And, how many of us are in danger of “taking the LORD’s name in vain”? Admittedly, most people think this means saying “goddamn”, which certainly isn’t a good thing, but explain to me how that even makes sense when being described as “taking the LORD’s name in vain”. Let’s look at this reasonably, though. In Exodus 23:21 we learn that the Angel of Yahweh (most feel that when the “Angel of the LORD” show up in the “Old Testament” that this an appearance of Jesus) has the name of the Yahweh inside of Him. When we take up the mantle of being “Christians” are we not taking the name of the LORD (even if we rarely say the actual name [Yahweh – or however you want to pronounce it])? How many of us call ourselves Christians (take the name of the LORD) and yet do nothing to show that we are His? Are we not, at that point, taking the name of the LORD in vain?
Isn’t this what being a Christ follower should truly be? Shouldn’t we, like Him, live our lives in subjection to the will of God? Shouldn’t we avoid sin at all costs, if we are truly trying to follow Jesus?
But, too often, we call upon the grace given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus (which is amazing, don’t get me wrong) as an excuse to continue to live in sin (Romans 3:31, Romans 6:15). I am not “holier than thou”, I am not nearly as set apart as I should be. I am convicted of this every day. If my body is truly a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), why do I keep profaning it? Every day there is a new abomination of desolation, if the body is truly the temple of the Holy Spirit. Why don't I care more?
(1 Peter 2:9, Romans 3:31, Romans 6:15, Exodus 23:21, Jeremiah 31:33, Exodus 20:1-17)
This stuff keeps popping up all around me. How IN the world can we be before we are also OF the world? How much like the world should we look like, even if we’re supposedly doing it in the name of preaching the name and acclaim of Jesus to those who need it most? How “secular” is too secular? There are some examples which are obviously going way too far (admittedly, this is only my opinion of what is obvious). But I would say that a church telling a witch that she’s on the right path and that God is proud of her is going too far for any church. (Although, I’m guessing that this is more an example of a false prophet than it is a sanctioned act of the church.) Well, at least any church which is a Christian church. This may be a good thing for a church of satan…
But, how much is too much? If you ask some people, they would say that sitting in chairs instead of uncushioned pews in a sanctuary is an abomination before God. If you ask some people, they would say that reading any translation of the Bible other than the King James Version (even though you may have trouble reading it) is not true Christianity. Is all of this true? Does a pastor have to stand behind a pulpit in order for the church to be a Christian church? I guess my answer to that would be that the early church met in houses, not buildings with pulpits, were their teachings any less filled with the Holy Spirit’s anointing?
In the end, all of these arguments are about tradition, not Biblical truth. The truth, as I see it, is that none of these things matter. Do you love Jesus? Have you submitted your actions to the authority of the Messiah? Do you seek to make yourself discernably different than the world so that you can act as a light shining out into the darkness, attracting those lost in the darkness?
And, how many of us are in danger of “taking the LORD’s name in vain”? Admittedly, most people think this means saying “goddamn”, which certainly isn’t a good thing, but explain to me how that even makes sense when being described as “taking the LORD’s name in vain”. Let’s look at this reasonably, though. In Exodus 23:21 we learn that the Angel of Yahweh (most feel that when the “Angel of the LORD” show up in the “Old Testament” that this an appearance of Jesus) has the name of the Yahweh inside of Him. When we take up the mantle of being “Christians” are we not taking the name of the LORD (even if we rarely say the actual name [Yahweh – or however you want to pronounce it])? How many of us call ourselves Christians (take the name of the LORD) and yet do nothing to show that we are His? Are we not, at that point, taking the name of the LORD in vain?
Isn’t this what being a Christ follower should truly be? Shouldn’t we, like Him, live our lives in subjection to the will of God? Shouldn’t we avoid sin at all costs, if we are truly trying to follow Jesus?
But, too often, we call upon the grace given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus (which is amazing, don’t get me wrong) as an excuse to continue to live in sin (Romans 3:31, Romans 6:15). I am not “holier than thou”, I am not nearly as set apart as I should be. I am convicted of this every day. If my body is truly a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), why do I keep profaning it? Every day there is a new abomination of desolation, if the body is truly the temple of the Holy Spirit. Why don't I care more?
This isn’t meant to depress you (or me), this is a call to holiness. In days of
old, worshippers had to go to a building, just to be close to a room which God
resided in, and there His law was written in stone. But now, our bodies are the
temple, and the Holy of Holies is our heart where Jesus lives, and the Torah of Yahweh is written
upon it (Jeremiah 31:33/Hebrews 10:16). How many of us even know that law which
is supposed to be written on our hearts? We can sing every word of our favorite
album, but God wrote down what is important to Him, and we’re lucky if we can
even paraphrase His top ten (Exodus 20:1-17).
I’m speaking to myself, as much as, and more than, anyone else.
If I am truly God’s workmanship (poiema), why do I oftentimes look so much like something He would never come close to for fear of destroying it because of it's lack of holiness?
Teach me, O Lord. Show me the path you have set out for me. Guide me through the snares of the accuser. Let me have Your Word always on my heart, mind and tongue. Help me to be an example of Your love to those around me. Let me hear valid reproach without being resentful. Let me feel the guiding of your Holy Spirit, so that I can help others find their way to You. And let my every intention be only to grow in my knowledge of You and to help others grow in their knowledge of You.
All these things I ask in the name of Yeshua, Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
Amen
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." (Exo 20:1-17 ESV)
I’m speaking to myself, as much as, and more than, anyone else.
If I am truly God’s workmanship (poiema), why do I oftentimes look so much like something He would never come close to for fear of destroying it because of it's lack of holiness?
Teach me, O Lord. Show me the path you have set out for me. Guide me through the snares of the accuser. Let me have Your Word always on my heart, mind and tongue. Help me to be an example of Your love to those around me. Let me hear valid reproach without being resentful. Let me feel the guiding of your Holy Spirit, so that I can help others find their way to You. And let my every intention be only to grow in my knowledge of You and to help others grow in their knowledge of You.
All these things I ask in the name of Yeshua, Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
Amen
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." (Exo 20:1-17 ESV)
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