There was a time in history when the word "Christian" represented an honorable and just and loving belief system that was so powerful, people actually LIVED it. Now it is just a label, that most often invites scorn. Why?
The obvious answer is that most Christians are hypocrites. Many run to church on Sunday and act just as evil as the rest of the world the remainder of the week. We could let the responsibility end there and throw our hands up in despair but I want to take it further and ask, "Why are these "Christians" hypocrites? Is it deliberate? Or is it ignorance? Or is it just "human nature"? I believe the answer is yes to all three.
But lets start at the beginning. I believe most of the fault lies with how most churches approach teaching the Word. Most churches teach using "memory by rote". Ask any Christian why Christ was crucified and they will tell you "to save us from our sins". (See Christ as the Binding Agent post) And that is all they know about the most historic moment on this planet. There is no deeper understanding of the crucifixion. Why? Because churches in their quest for power and control do not encourage questions. They do not want their authority challenged and yet if anyone ever bothered to pick up their Bible and read about the ministry of Christ, this is exactly what Christ did! He encouraged the people to look at the behavior of their spiritual leaders and discern FOR THEMSELVES exactly what the truth was.
Christianity is a static, unchanging label that has been around for a couple of thousand of years and yet, what it represents has changed and appropriately so. The Bible is called the "Living Word of God" and the word "living" by its nature represents change, it represents growth. And we have seen this play out in the church. At one point in history, the church believed that the murder of people who disagreed with the Bible was justified and so it launched the Inquisition. But as the consciousness of society rose, grew and changed, so did society's understanding of the teachings of the Bible and so Christianity changed.
So people start out with the bare facts as presented by the church and without any encouragement to study or question that is as far as they ever get and they remain ignorant. Unless...........their desire to know God is genuine. You can tell a tree by the fruit it bears. If a "Christian" decides to remain ignorant, then it is a choice and it becomes deliberate.
If we truly want to wear the label "Christian" then we better fully understand just what it is we signed up for. We need to show some initiative and explore, study and question for ourselves. I found, that once I took it upon myself to actively pursue the Christian tradition and study and question, that God not only willingly provided teachers to answer my questions but provided revelations Himself. And the more I learned, the easier it was to actually LIVE the Christian life because I understood the REASONS why Christ instructed us to live how He did.
And now here is a secret. Do you remember when you first started drivers education? We all started out by reading a book; The Rules of the Road. But how different was the EXPERIENCE of actually driving from just READING about driving? And what taught you more? Reading or actually driving? Guess what? God knew that experience was more powerful than just reading and so the true power of the Living Word is not just READING it but actually living it. And don't you know that this is the FIRST test we all face? If we just read the Bible and fail to live it's teachings, what do you think this says to God about your "sincerity" in being a Christian? Consider the Bible like a movie trailer and the actual movie is actually LIVING the Word. This is what will change you.
And here is where human nature comes in. We do not really want to change. It requires effort and discomfort. We want people to accept us for who we are. But that attitude shows a total misunderstanding of the Bible. There is not ONE idle word in the Bible and there is a reason the church is likened to the body of Christ.....all body parts work together and none are separate. If you want to walk, your legs must each do their appropriate job and agree on a common direction or you end up walking around in circles or you just plain fall down........and isn't this what has happened to the church?
gently,laura
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