It is easy to make fun of Christianity if you’re on the outside looking in. I’m not talking about the obviously kooky people who sometimes hang around church or even about those who are mentally unbalanced who seize Christian jargon and add it to their confused grasp of reality. Ordinary Christians, those who are sincere, are easy targets for mockers. What sense does it make to forgive others? It’s much more natural to ‘make’m pay!’ How logical is it to contribute to the needs of the poor? Just take care of yourself and your family and forget ‘em! Studying an ancient collection of writings and letting the words in them become a guide for living in the 21st century is … well, you’re getting my point, I hope.
\But, for those who know Christ and in whom lives the Spirit of God, the secret of a rich, full life is found in forgiveness, generosity, and the principles of the Word. What is foolishness to those without the Spirit is the wisdom of God to those who know and love Him. But why do Christians make such choices? It goes beyond a lifestyle choice. They are not just ‘trying to be religious.’ In Christ, they are made entirely new, a different kind of person, with a undeniable reality though they are part of a world unseen with human eyes.
I am not big on the word ‘mystical,’ but it’s the one I will use. I cannot explain how a person once consumed by selfishness, or once held in the grip of lust or greed or addiction, or full of hatred can be transformed into a loving, gentle, pure person – but I have seen it happen, again and again, when that person acknowledges his spiritual bankruptcy, his total inability to live in a way that is good or pure; and then invites Christ Jesus to be his Savior, a mystical transformation begins. It’s real! Jesus likened the change to the growth of a seed. It germinates hidden away in the soil, but in time produces a visible crop that is many times larger than the first seed!
So, the question for you, reader is this – are you merely religious, or is there an undeniable reality about your faith in Christ? Pay no attention to the mockers. They stood at the Cross of Christ and have stood on the periphery of the Church for two millennia. Sometimes their mockery points out hypocrisy and is deserved. However, often their derision is rooted in their ignorance of Who Jesus is and what He can do in those who love and serve Him.
Let me leave you with a word from the Word. "God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. … And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ." (Colossians 1:25-28, NLT)
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Lord, the light of Your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness shining;
Jesus, Light of the World, shine upon us;
Set us free by the truth You now bring us.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Lord, I come to Your awesome presence.
From the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness,
So our faces display Your likeness;
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirror'd here, may our lives tell Your story.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine.
Fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze.
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow.
Flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word,
Lord, and let there be light.
Shine, Jesus, Shine
Kendrick, Graham
© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
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