Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season,
if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
though now ye see him not, yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls.
1Peter 1:6-9
These blogs pointing out the differences between Authentic Christian Faith and cultural Christian faith, or liberal Christian faith may seem to lead to despair, impossible, or not want to make any changes (let things alone, I have never done things that way), but this is not the case. It is being pointed out that our ambitions, or exercise of life are to be led into true Authentic Christian Faith, a faith given to all believers in God. Joy is a major part of a Christian' life. Happiness is a major part of a Christian' life. Authentic Christians are motivated by the very fact that we have something that no Atheist, no Agnostic, no Cultural Christian, no Liberal Christian, has: we have freedom, we have joy, we can have peace in the midst of all the troubles this world may toss your way. We have something more: we have not only peace, joy, happiness in this life: we have eternal life that is the reward freely given to an Authentic Christian. So we have every reason possible for us to be joyful.
With all this that I have said it is sad to point out that this joy, this happiness, this freedom is misused by Cultural Christians, by Liberal Christians. How? All things are good if used in the right way, to be used as intended for them to be used: example: to hitch up a Volkswagon to a 53' trailer loaded with 40,000 pounds of goods is a misuse of that car. Yes, it is a vehicle, but it is intended to be used as built and not to be a truck. If it does pull the trailer a person may give praise to such ability, "Look, it is a good as any tractor," might be said, only when it gets to a hill it will not pull that trailer up the hill, it is being misused. Joy, is so misused by Cultural Christians as though they are using this vehicle (joy) to show that they are praising God, they give praise to a form of euphoric joy. They shout, scream, fall over with guttural sounds, and as done by the Bethelites at the School of the Supernatural here in Redding does: they run through a tunnel a tunnel of fire, or lay on tombs, and for them, they find some sort of personal joy. Music is so misused in the Church. Cultural Christians have allowed the musicians to be tattooed, to look like the worldly musicians, long scraggy hair, shouting, screaming out sounds and people listening become full of joy, a euphoric joy. There are Churches: i.e., Church of Christ, that does not allow instruments as though this is godly, and Scriptural, even some Presbyterian do the same. Both sides of this joy is being misused. How? Because all this does not reflect what the Bible teaches about how Authentic Christians are to live, to exercise their faith. Authentic Christians do no have an inordinate love of worldly glory even if they know that they cannot achieve such glory. Far too many so-called Christians have a love of flattery, admiration even when given in ordinary circumstances. People go to great lengths to protect their misuse of Christianity and they even get angry when what they are doing is wrong in the sight of God, wrong from Scripture. They fear a loss of that which makes them feel pious, godly, as though they are doing the will of God when in fact all they are doing is filling their need for self-satisfaction.
The antics performed in so many so-called Christian Churches is confusing to the world. In fact: they just consider that all this means that Christianity is just another religion, even one who seems to be more like themselves than that of what is known about the early Church. Paul points this out: "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,having received the word in much affliction, with joy of he Holy Ghost: so that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia" (1Thessalonans 1:6-7). It is not that those in Thessalonnica were doing all sort of seeming joyous antics that caused them to be examples, no, they were following the guide giving to them by Paul and Paul gave to them what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write to them. Notice this fact: The Corinthian Church had to be admonished for doing things that were not of God, and Thessalonnica is only 50-60 miles north of the Corinthian Church, so why did not Paul have to admonish them as well for those antics that were not of God? It was because the Thessalonicans stayed on course and were an example of Authentic Christian Faith.
As Authentic Christians we will face all sorts of trials and persecutions, those things of life that are unpleasant, yet, we have something that the world, those cultural Christians do not have: we have solid faith in that which we have not seen, that which we have come believe and we have freedom to live, to enjoy this life, to know that God is with us in all circumstances, and we know that we do not need to do anything that Christianity is not, we use Christianity as God intended or it to be used, and we do not do things that it was not designed to do, to be used. Paul exhort this for all Authentic Christians to be reminded of: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour" (1Timothy 2:1-3). There is no need to point on a "show" for the world to think that we are godly, no, all we have to do is to live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness, that is, to become Authentic in our Christian Faith.
Blessed are they that dwell
in thy house: they will be
still praising thee.
Psalm 84:4
Great joy is yours: a gift from God
Richard L. Crumb
No comments:
Post a Comment