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While I was getting ready this morning, I was thinking about what Paul said when he was talking about considering all things as garbage, rubbish, dung, compared to knowing Christ.
In context, what he meant was all his religion, scripture learning, and zeal for his brand of spirituality. And yes, much of his was God given commandments but they were now passing away.
Read Philippians chapter 3 for the whole story.
That's where I've been. It seems that the harder I tried to learn, the harder I became. No matter what brand of Christendom it is, religion is religion. It was love and the supremacy of knowing Him, even without learning all the details that has turned my heart around.
And I find that loving, really loving in the midst of life: the good, the bad, the trying, the wonderful, the depressing, the boring, the hopeless, the hopeful, the fearful, the doubt, the certainty....
Is much more challenging than religion. Religion I can do, easily.
This is the real deal. But I cannot fail. He has promised otherwise.
This is true!!! Religions have a set of rules, and you believe them and follow them. Being a Christian, we are not ruled by the law, but by trying to be like Christ in everything we do.
ReplyDeleteAmen my friend.
ReplyDeleteThat's where I've been too! "It seems that the harder I tried to learn, the harder I became."
ReplyDeleteWe do not learn to be all that and a bag o'chips but to know Him deeper and to love fuller "the good, the bad, the trying, the wonderful, the depressing, the boring, the hopeless, the hopeful, the fearful...." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 comes to mind.
Yes, 1Corinthians 13:) I could go on and on.
DeleteI "get it" now about the love in theory, now it's just the practice of it. All the life stuff does seem to make it hard to do.
Good stuff Ma. Death comes from man made religion. Life comes from love.
ReplyDeleteI so agree Ma!
ReplyDeleteHi Ma,
ReplyDeleteI agree somewhat... I still believe that correct understanding matters a lot. Much of the new testament talks of warnings of false teachings, so if we are sealed no matter what anyway, all of this wouldn't need to have been said. There's a part that is still missing for me somehow which still causes me to swing from one extreme (extreme "it really doesn't matter") to the other ( "it extremely DOES matter"). I know that Jesus has all under His control AND He also holds me responsible to do my homework and know what He said, and pay attention (to watch and pray), not that I'll do it perfectly, and yet He still wants me to do it.
;-)