Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Signs of His Work

Joshua 4:6 to serve as a sign among you.  In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' I realize this is a very fragmented verse, but go with it.  This got me to thinking.  What are the stones in my life that serve as signs of God's work in my life?  I am not a big fan of material items because I don't really care about stuff.  It's just that, stuff.  So, I've had to think a little harder about this.  The obvious sign of God's current work is the tennis bracelet I wear in memory of Mom.  Other obvious signs that might include my Bible, Dalton's grandmother's wedding ring, and my wedding ring.  However, if I think of the things in my life that are the most evident of God's work, it would be the stories of the different journeys God and I have been on together.  The story of how I got my current job and the multitude of "God things" that surrounded that moment.  The story of a college friend telling me, "...
Post a Comment
Read more

Channels Only

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Our treasure is the Spirit of God and the jar of clay is our earthly body.  In this section of scripture Paul is explaining to the people of Corinth that they are a channel for God to shine through and that through Jesus we will never be separated from God again.  At the hospice house, Liz, my sister, sat down and played Channels Only on the piano.  This is a song that has deep and lasting meaning for my family, but today I instantly thought of my mother lying in the bed in the next room and felt the truth in the words of that song.  Tears began to stream as I recognized to the fullest extent what it means to be a channel for God.  It is my prayer. Channels Only by Mary E. Maxwell How I praise Thee, precious Savior, That Thy love laid hold of me; Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me  That I might Thy channel be. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Are You Troubled?

Luke 24:38 He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?" (Jesus speaking to the disciples when he appeared to them after his resurrection.)  I feel as though Jesus was asking me this question today.  My struggle has been seeing the situations in and around my life and discerning His movements and purpose.  We are so quick to jump to judgement of what we think God must be, or not be, up to.  Why is that?  Doubts pop up so easily and run amuck within the mind.  We take the crummy parts of life and run with them, believing the silliest lies that Satan throws at us.  The disciples had the resurrected Jesus in the room with them to show who He really was.  They could see his scars and watch him eat.  Where is the resurrected Jesus in our situations when we become troubled and begin to doubt?  Wouldn't it be something if Jesus physically appeared at those times?  Fortunately, we don't need Jesus to phys...
Post a Comment
Read more