Approved Concentration

But God forbid that I should glory, 

save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

by whom the world is crucified unto me, 

and I unto the world.

Galatians 6:14

     Remembering the day that you or I made the decision to put our faith, our belief in Jesus Christ.  This day changed us are there was emotion as to our decision as to our Lord Jesus Christ who was and is our Savior. You may have cried, shouted, sung songs of joy, even danced about exuberantly because you have a faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. Vows were made, vows that He would always be first in your life. You made changes in the way you lived those external things that you had come to know were abhorrent to God. You attempted to change those external things: and then, life hit you hard, questions came up that seem not to have answers, circumstances in your life changed as they willed and your faith began to waver. Is this not what has happened to many of us? Yes! We were now planted in the "garden of God" but our roots were not yet deep causing us to not be grounded in God. Paul had those same things happen to him and yet he had something we had to or have to develop: a strong coherent underneath deepen root system so that when our circumstances in life change we, like Paul, would not become so distressed, so emotional, so questionable (not that questions are wrong) that we allow life to cloud over our faith. A problem that had and is following many is that there is not a deep spiritual coherent life for you, or me, allow ourselves to be grounded in externally. Paul, and we too should, be consistent and grounded in the fundamentals. What is our fundamental as to our faith? It is the agony of God in the Redemption through the cross of Jesus Christ. 

     What is it that you believe? Is it the agony of the cross and if so and you have allowed yourself to diminish its importance: get back to the fundamental fact of Christianity: it is the cross! It cross is the infinitesimal thing and it is more important than anything in this world. Liberal Christianity, and in many Churches that are not necessarily liberal, have gotten away from this narrative, they are not teaching about the agony of the cross, this tragedy of God for this then means that this type of faith produces nothing. It does not convey the energy of God even though it carries something that is interesting but it is not that which pleases God. Yes, it is this foolishness of preaching that is done to save those that believe. 

      Do you want to know the energy of God? If so, look to the cross, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The energy of God can be your energy but only after you begin to brood on the tragedy of God. Too many who call themselves Christian have not cut themselves loosed from their personal interest in their spiritual and considered, with any depth, the tragedy of God and if you do: the energy of God will be in you. You will not have to produce it! You will not have to go about in some euphoric trance and call yourself, or see yourself as pious. That is to concentrate on yourself and this is not the right thing on which to concentrate. We must come to the point whereby our energy, our concentration is in the truth of God, and the cross. It is the cross that must come to be the center of our lives. In those movements that concentrate on spiritual experiences the concentration is not on the cross of Jesus Christ, only the effects of the cross. This criticism is justified as there is a feebleness of spiritual energy because the is not enough, if any, brooding on the tragedy of God: the cross of Jesus Christ. There is where redemption lies, and it there were we come to have the redemption that only comes from our faith in Jesus Christ, an Authentic Christian Faith that has as its foundation: the cross. By the Grace of God, by the Love of God, by the Mercy of God, you can have redemption, salvation, and have the promises of God applied to you and one such great promise is eternal life with Him. Do you want that more than yourself? 

Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity,

     and passeth by the transgression of the remnant

of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever,

     because He delighteth in mercy.

He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us;

    He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou will cast

all their sins into the depths of the sea.

                        Micah 7:18-19

Redemption can by yours

Richard L. Crumb