i don't know that it's possible to read about Him and ignore Him at the same time.i think it's possible to get caught up in following spiritual standards/laws and miss out on Christ in the streets. the whole "i'm not gonna play with you if you keep saying bad words" thing.did i miss your point? keast
Keast thanks for the comment I love that you ask such thoughtful questions. A few thoughts in response. First, when I said, "how often in our times 'with God' do we ignore Him and simply read about Him." I was referring to those times when we go into our "quiet times" or our "bible study" times that we put scripture and the stories about God as equal with God. Jesus is our savior and the bible reveals Him, but when it comes down to it we need to take those things that have been revealed in scripture and live in them. I must have faith in Jesus for my salvation or I am not saved. No matter how much I read scripture and can break down the points for you in an intellectual way, the scripture has done nothing for my salvation. Instead, it is Jesus revealed in scripture that has saved me.
John 5, 39-40Jesus said to the Jews "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
When I read this scripture I was thinking of the Jews and how they relied on the Torah and Circumcision for their salvation. In Romans Paul talks against this idea of salvation by works by pointing Abraham out in Chapter 4. Paul reveals how Abraham was saved by faith alone and not by any types of works (which includes reading, knowing , and having scripture). The Jews big problem in this scripture in John is that they had the stories and they saw the person, but they didn't put the two together. I think that we do a lot of this today. I know of Jesus in the scriptures and I know Jesus personally, but for some reason these two things don't always connect in my mind. Sometimes I feel like these Jews who couldn't make the connection because it seemed like the stories and the person were two different things. Does that make any sense? If not please continue the conversation.
I was intrigued by this quote, "i think it's possible to get caught up in following spiritual standards/laws and miss out on Christ in the streets" because we just talked about the law in my Romans class. Why have we ceased to see Christ in the law? What is the law? It is God's will for mankind. What he would desire of us, don't hear me saying that I agree with all of the interpretations of how to follow the law (i.e. Jews that interpreted the 365 laws and then made the practice into thousands of practices), instead i am saying let us hear Jesus in the laws. I was condemned by the law before Jesus, but now with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in my life I am no longer condemned by the law, but have been given power to begin fulfilling the law in my heart and actions as Jesus did. Just a random thougth...What do you think?
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4 comments:
wow.....you don't make it easy on me, do you?
i need some time to think.....but i'll get back to you....i don't get these conversations enough
-keast
i'm just curious....in what ways are the "Jesus you know personally" and the "Jesus in the scriptures" different? why do you say they don't connect?
to my understanding, the Jews were anticipating a savior.....but Jesus just didn't fit the mold that they were expecting. in many ways, Christ was a "lesser king" than they were expecting, but in many other ways, He was so revolutionary and so intense.....He was beyond anything they were ready for. (I hesitate here, because God's timing is perfect, so.....in a sense they were ready.....but they weren't pleased with the results or something.....)
if this is the case, i think i understand what you mean by "the Jews' big problem in this scripture."
-keast
another thought i had....i've heard several statements from professors and friends about the Jewish community's love of the law. (and not just in ancient times, but today too).
in many ways, the law represents a standard far beyond anything we could ever accomplish. there's simply no way for me, in my human nature to be as perfect as the law requires. and like you said, i am condemned because i just don't measure up. so then, we're completely dependent on Jesus and his power (which you said so well) "to begin fufilling the law in my heart and actions."
but why was the law even written to begin with, if God knew we couldn't manage it? was He feeling mean? was He creating a way for the Israelites to approach Him in His perfection? Maybe the Law is something that reminds us of how incredible God is--He can actually fufill all these standards! or maybe the Law is something to remind us of our humanity. Maybe the Law is there so that when I'm spiritually dry and raging against God, i at least have something to remind me that i belong to the Almighty.
-keast
no....we're not saved by the Law....i don't know if it was ever something that could save us.....maybe just a "covenential" agreement to remind us of our connection with Him. i follow the 10 commandments, not because i'm saved by my own actions, but because they are specific examples of how to love others as Christ loves them.
so.....maybe i'm saying that i like the Law....it doesn't save me......it helps me. it's possible for me to get so caught up in the Law as a list of standards and forget why the heck they're even there.....thus "missing out on Christ in the streets."
i want to follow Christ the right way......and the Law has always been a way to measure that. but i really don't have the authority to do the measuring in the first place....i didn't write the Law.
sorry it's so long...i just don't get God....and i should really stop pretending that i do.
-keast
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