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Not Elementary, My Dear Watson

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

This verse is piercing truth into my heart today.  I get tired of all of the elementary teachings that have become divisive in churches.  And then, not only that, but it keeps the focus on things that allow no depth to the soul.  We must complete step one, or the acceptance of Jesus, in order to move ourselves on to deeper and more mature topics, yes.  The issue is that we get caught up in step one by trying to save everyone around us, which keeps us from going deeper with Christ.  I think it was my dad who said something like, "We are to be fishers of men.  But it's not our job to clean them, it's God's."  We get so caught up in "cleaning" with trying to teach all of the right things to do and the right theology to believe, that we forget there is so much more to a relationship with Christ than just the teaching, doing, and believing.  We want a list of dos and don'ts and that's just not what depth in Jesus is.  Really, becoming mature in your faith is about activating the Holy Spirit in your life and turning Jesus loose in your world.  When we do that, the depth we will experience will be such that nothing can shake the foundation that has been laid in Christ Jesus.  I pray that you meet Jesus on your "road to Damascus" and your life will no longer be the same because you have met the one who "cleans you" and gives depth to your soul.

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