"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 5:20
In other words . . . .
If you're just religious like so many around you, you don't know Him.
If you do what you do out of obligation, so what?
If your heart isn't consistent with the Truth in your head, you missed it.
In a church age where so many churches reach nobody, where true mentoring/discipleship is often replaced by programming (if even that), where we love the lovely but conveniently shun others, we must filter our faith through this verse.
The scribes and Pharisees knew all the right stuff. And they were so puffed up about it that they disqualified themselves! They knew the rules, not the Ruler, therefore they could only get part of His intellect, but never His heart.
We all sometimes fail the 'why do you do what you do' test, but on a consistent basis it must be the passion of Christ that is flowing through us. That can only be known, experienced and passed on by intimate relationship with Him. What does 'intimate relationship' look like? No-holds-barred truth. Dealing with the most personal of topics. Going deep with God, and letting Him go deep with us.
When we do that, we encounter Him; not His rules, not a religion. Then He flows out of us, and He is seen, not us.
Remember, the Pharisees went to hell. They were an earthly imitation of the real thing. Artificial. Fake. Be real with God. Let Him get real with you. Then you can present the real God to a hurting world. Then you'll live in eternity with Him.
Writing With Excellence From a Christian Perspective
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I want to explore the concept of writing with excellence through the lens
of our Christian faith. As followers of Christ, we are called to live out
our f...
2 days ago
1 comment:
Amen to Authenticity! Keep it Real!!
I have been rejected by some Christians in the past because I dared to acknowledge that I deal with and struggle with human frailties and impulses. In college, I acknowledged that I was struggling with lust to a prayer group. I asked them to pray for me as I tried to get a "right mind" toward sexuality and women. Folks looked at me like I was from outer space, except one guy.
He was a therapist. He offered his support and respect to me. We developed a friendship, and he was very influential in my career choice as a therapist. He, like a Promise Keepers group I attended, was willing to cut through the religious crap and talk on a real level.
When I was leading a Christian camp for teen boys in 1998, the boys summed up the courage to ask for a group discussion on faith and masturbation. They had all wondered about the topic and were wrestling with shame and guilt for even thinking about it.
It not just about sexuality. If I say a four-letter word every now and again, if I spend too much money this month, if I break an appointment, if I am lazy, if I don't always have a rosy attitude, I am willing to acknowledge and admit it to my fellow Christians. I am not perfect. God does not except perfection, he expects surrender and growth.
I am so much more confident in His love and the love of a few here on Earth because I dared to live a life of honesty.
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