Thoughts for another day

July 23, 2012.

Today's verse: 2 John 1:9. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (NRSV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Spot on is the Scripture we have today and it has many implications for us in our time and our world.  There're many things in the Bible Jesus said which are so easily side stepped as 'literal' (whatever that means) and shouldn't be taken literally.  This isn't the malaise of a particular denomination but unfortunately has crept into some of the most evangelistic Christian groups around the world and I reckon it has happened because those handling such teachings feel that such doctrine wouldn't be acceptable to most of their congregations and therefore some dilution must be made.  Of course solid thinking in the 'Spirit way' isn't involved here as then, such thoughts would just be junked.

I'll place before you some of those thoughts and let God's Spirit help you decide how you should think.  One saying of Christ, 'If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away;' is often singled out for the 'literal' bit.  If you've been reading this reflection over the years, you know Jesus said this because sin is such anathema to God and so harmful for man that it's better not to have an eye that causes you to sin!  Then Jesus said, 'Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden…' but we go to all and sundry, even the pastor's wife, except to Him.  The obnoxious part is, we rationalize by saying, 'See Jesus speaks through them too, no?'  What a horrifying statement; for really why would Jesus say come to Me, if He were to speak through someone else.  By going to Him, you acknowledge Him as the One who will help you in your problem and thereon are supplied with His Grace to overcome it.

My friend, face it, if Jesus says something, He sticks to it and nothing can change His utterance, for it is permanent.  There's no point in ducking the issue and slipping away from it through vain precepts.  It is immensely beneficial to abide by His teaching and by that I mean all His teaching, for then you have both Him and His Father with you – what more can a man need?