To preach Christ is a very offensive thing. He's not exactly politically correct. It's that thing He says about being the ONLY way (John 14:6) It's hard to get that part past people these days. Jesus is, as C.S. Lewis mentioned "The great iconoclast." meaning a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions. This can be true with Christians and unbelievers alike. Christ is, as stated in I Corinthians 1:23 a stumbling block. If you'll notice in this verse it says He's a stumbling block to the Jews but merely foolishness to the gentiles. The Jews!? Weren't they the religious folks?
Yes, they were and for years they followed a very intense system of rituals. If a person followed this system rigorously and "religiously" it would supposedly guarantee their eternal salvation. How would it guarantee salvation exactly? Well, a religious leader would look upon their performance, deem them justified and worthy of salvation, pat them on the back and call them a child of God. Many of the Jews simply couldn't accept that they needed Jesus to save them because they felt they were already right with God. Many Christians are in this very same predicament. I know, because I was one of them for a very long time.
What happens years down the road when rigorous adherence to the behavior modification program leaves you exhausted. When the praises of man are no longer fulfilling enough to motivate you to stick to the process. What happens when you feel as miserable as those who don't follow Christ even though you've mastered every rule of Christianity? When you've read your bible, prayed your prayers and attended church faithfully but you still feel......well.....dead inside.
This is the fork in the road where a lot of people sadly decide to give up on God. These are the people you'll meet who'll say "I've tried Christianity but it didn't work for me." They are correct, they tried it and it didn't work because Christianity in itself can't save anyone, ONLY Jesus can! Salvation can't be earned, it is a gift, simply to be received by faith.
We are saved by grace, through faith, not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
I came to that fork in the road one day and I realized religion had simply moved me from the branch of the knowledge of evil, to the branch of the knowledge of good. The problem is these are two branches on the same tree whose roots lead to death. This is the tree that separated us from God in the first place. (Genesis 2:17) The Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil.
My problem was that my spirit was dead. I realized, regardless of what I did, I couldn't be good enough or perform well enough to bring it back to life. I needed Jesus (the Tree of Life) All those years I had been trying really hard but it just never worked. I could never be my own salvation. It was in that moment that I came to Jesus and said "I can't do it, I'm exhausted from trying. I just want to be your child. I just want to know You and love you and be accepted by You whether anyone else thinks I measure up or not." I am made righteous by your blood and not my own behavior (2 Corinthians 5:21) I prayed, "Lord, I just want to fall in love with who You are, because loving You is a strong enough motivator to keep me on a good path."
It was when I prayed this prayer, after 20 years of being a Christian, I was finally SAVED! Saved from myself, saved from empty religious works, saved from feeling so dead inside that I couldn't hardly stand it. I was saved by grace and NOT BY RELIGION. Now I feel so very alive that I can't hardly stand it! I feel so free I can hardly contain it. I want to grab and shake every Christian I see who is just going through the routine and say "WAKE UP!" "It's not by works, you have to know Jesus, I mean really really know Him!" Not just know about Him or hang out with people who say they met Him once" He wants to talk to you face to face as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11)
I want to tackle down non-believers and say "WAIT!" "It's not what you think, I'm not talking about how you need to stop doing bad stuff. I'm talking about meeting someone who'll make you want to! Someone who'll give you something better in exchange for it too! This is really good news!!
Seek Jesus, get to know Him, Focus on Him, He's the only one who can bring a dead spirit back to life. He is the only way!!!!!
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you Matthew 6:33
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth John 4:24
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