Behold what manner of
love
the Father has
bestowed on us,
that we should be
called
children of God.
Therefore
the world does not
know us,
because it did not
know Him.
Little children, let
no one
deceive you. He who
practices
righteousness is
righteous,
just as He is
righteous.
1John 3:1-2, 7
Recently I
was chided for my brashness that faith is not something private, that it is a
faith that can be seen by others, but I was told that I should not speak so
publicly, and that their faith is their concern and not necessarily mine. I
could not wonder: what is in their hearts? So often those who will only admit
to faith being a private matter usually don’t have a concern for faith in the
privacy of their interior lives. There is no trace of Authentic Biblical Faith.
They might go to Church, smile, laugh, and seem to have a hold on their faith,
that it is what they put forth so that others may not know that deep inside God
does not have a place, or is a source for their hopes, fears, joys, or sorrows.
Yet, they admit and are thankful for their health, success, wealth, and
possessions, but they don’t have a thought to any possibility that these things
are all signs of God’s provisions. Some so-called Christians have swung so far
into signs and wonders, and miracles, and hearing the voice of God, that they
believe that they are holy, pious wonders for God. Some as did many of the
ascetics, those who lived in monasteries, (I am not condemning them totally for
the monks did much to preserve Scripture, and they did many good things), and
they thought that by living in poverty they were pleasing God. For those who do
admit that God provides, it is done in a perfunctory manner, there is no real
sincerity.
How can I
say such a thing? Speak with those who are more culturally minded with a
serious discussion and soon it will be apparent how little Christianity has
anything to do with their faith, that faith taught by Jesus Christ. Everything
becomes subjective. Their conduct is not measured by the standard set forth in
the Bible. They have developed their own philosophies, that which they attempt
to teach others as Christian faith. We see this subjective form of Christianity
in such Churches that teach signs and wonders, and miracles, and other forms of
liberal Christianity, especially can it be seen in our local “Church” Bethel.
The conclusions they have reached is not by any study of the Bible, or if they
do use the Bible they misuse Scripture so that Scripture says what they want
Scripture to say, this is isogesis, this is false teaching. For many the Bible
comes out only when the go to Church or if they happen to attend a Bible study,
and most of the time the Bible sits on a shelf. How do I know? Let ask you to
do this: check how many people come to Church with the Bible? When they are
asked question concerning the Bible they are seen to be illiterate, their
knowledge is limited, even only as high as a little child.
Another
question: “Would there be a difference in our world if our system was based
upon the Bible? Or would it be different is the standards for morality were
devised by cultural Christians? Some Churches allow homosexuals to be pastors,
or Bible study teachers, elders, deacons, etc. and even allow for women to be
pastors, or to teach men. Read the Bible on these subjects! One such moral
dilemma is that of divorce and Christians do not do well for the stats on
divorce is appalling, more than 50%, and the reasons for divorce cannot be
found in the Bible. For some of us who divorced, or were divorced, find that the
grass is not really greener on the other side; in fact if your grass is not as
green as on the other side of the fence, then you need to fertilize your lawn.
You see; the standards set by cultural Christians are not the standards of the
Bible. Some leaders of the Church have attempted to bring light on this
problem, the fact that much preaching is superficial, in fact often it is
nothing more than some psychological babble. They feel that if they could just
give more information on how to live and this they do by using the same
techniques that the secular world does, but this inadequate faith is serious
for it is eternal issues that are being dealt with: the stakes are high.
I wonder:
What does God think about all this? The Bible is clear: we all must give an
account as to how we have lived, and what we have done with what God has given
us. If God is concerned about these issues; shouldn’t we? We will be held
accountable for there is potential instruction available so that we all can
learn Authentic Biblical Faith. Will God hold us accountable for our voluntary
ignorance?
OK! It is
hard; it takes effort to understand Christianity. You must be intentional so
that you seek the truth and not just acquiesce to someone’s teaching, to the
good feeling one gets when the serve, or hear of great signs and wonders,
miracles, etc. Even the natural world, the secular world teaches us this
principle that we must work and study if we are to improve ourselves so that we
may understand what it is we do. God has provided but it takes effort to enjoy
all that God has provided. No one expects to reach their full potential, to
reach the heights of success in education, the arts, finance, or athletics
without a great deal of hard work and perseverance. I guess it is true: “You must
really want it!” To grow in your faith, to learn Authentic Biblical Faith it
will require the same. God is not going to just pour knowledge into you without
study. He has given us a revelation that is filled with information; this
information is not accessible by the natural mind. We cannot master this true
Authentic Biblical Faith without diligent effort.
When we
carefully study the Bible we soon come to know how ignorant we are. We will be
challenged to reject a superficial understanding of Christianity. This study
will reveal to us that it is imperative not to just be simply religious or
moral, but also to master the Bible intellectually, to integrate its principles
in our lives so that we live morally, and then this faith will be demonstrated
by our actions derived from that faith: we will put into action what we have
learned.
Other
religions, especially Islam, feel that they can overcome Christianity because
so many Christians do not practice what they preach. Many Christians cannot be
seen as different. If the shoe fits wear it! We do not have to remain
indifferent, ignorant, we can take off the gloves, remove the blinders, and
begin to study and teach our families, to be involved in the Church, or hold
home Bible studies, and we can walk away from idle gossip and jokes, we should
be seen as a Christian, not by us saying so, but by our lives.
The question: Are you willing?
This I say, therefore, and testify
in the Lord,
that you should
no longer walk as the rest
of the Gentiles
walk, in the
futility of their mind.
Ephesians 4:17
Live Life: Love God
Richard L. Crumb
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