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Trying Harder

Just Trying Harder Is Not the Answer

As Christians we do not “try hard” to love or to forgive or to hear God or to have joy. Trying real hard to be brave or to serve others or to please God will not get us very far.

Instead we die, we surrender and we absolutely fix ourselves on Jesus Christ both in private and together.

Then after death the life of Jesus Christ becomes energized in our lives. This life of Jesus is energized and motivated by love and by Gods nature. We die so that Jesus can use our bodies for himself.

Trying hard to “be good” or “please God” is almost the opposite of how we are to live in Christ.

“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.” – Jesus Christ in John 6:57

I view “trying hard” as a religious humanistic snub to Jesus. I know for the vast majority of cases and people this is not intentional. Its more of a misunderstanding of how to live out the Christian life, it is a lack of discipleship. It is what they tried at Babel, it is what they try in every world religion. But it is sticking our nose up to what Jesus taught and set up for us.

For more on this topic read my post series comparing the ministry of Judas to John the Baptist, click here.

If you want to know more then I highly recommend this Living By the Life Of Christ course by Frank Viola.

 

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Love Love Love

Many people periodically say “love is the most important thing“. Yet that can mean different things to different people. For some people it means to just be super friendly and do what you think they should want.

But here is my two cents on this topic:

To Love God is our first priority:

Loving God often means to do and say exactly what HE wants …even if it gets us into trouble. Even if it embarrasses or causes us loss. Even if it causes people to accuse us of being insane and unstable.

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God, we know God by Jesus Christ only. So to love God first our#1 is to absolutely be focused and centered on Jesus Christ, not on people. Not on evangelism, not on exposing Satan’s schemes, not on “making the world a better place“. We will get to all that in time, that all happens naturally within Jesus.

Jesus Christ is love and he is taking over, so we are to look to him with every part of our lives.

The kingship and glory Jesus Christ is God’s top priority, not people. The salvation of people is an aspect of Jesus Christ. Our salvation is one (wonderful) subset of him.

To love people:

  • Be patient with everyone.
  • Be kind to everyone.
  • Forgive and overlook offenses.
  • Be happy when people get blessed and you do not.
  • Give as much as possible to the poor, (even if you become poor.)
  • Give to those who steal from you.
  • Submit to people (even those who don’t deserve submission), out of a motive of brotherly kindness.

What does love mean to you?

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Mistaken Vs. False Teachings

Is That False Teaching or Is He Just Mistaken?

There is a difference between how we should react to false teaching vs. mistaken teachings in churches and ministries. A mistaken teaching is accidental with good intent, sincere before God. False teachings however are knowingly sinful. False teachings intentionally divide and try to make a fool of certain people. They intentionally line themselves up under men who are not Jesus Christ for the purpose of divisions.

  • We are to listen to and forgive have a conversation around mistaken teachings, gently try to correct, help and discuss errors with a motive of love.
  • But we are to expose false teachings directly.

I see divisiveness is one of those to expose. It’s one thing to accidentally be divisive with good intent. It’s another to openly teach and encourage divisiveness.

Divisiveness today is emphasizing and taking pride in “doctrinal distinctions”. It is arguing against others not present or able to respond (usually with mic in hand). They get the last word because they are who they are and their opponent is not.  Divisive teaching is false teaching and it needs to be confronted.

“I follow this pastor or that denomination. I am of Paul, I am Calvinist, I am of Wesley, I am of the pope, I am orthodox, I am Pentecostal, I am of Apollos.”

Fleshly, jealousy motivation, using strife to gain and to keep your crowd.

“…you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?”

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 NASB

The Dividers Won

If you study church history the dividers won over the vast majority of Christians, the divisions immediately began. To the point where we are one of the most fractured and divided religions on the planet. I believe Jesus himself is undoing this and uniting us again under himself. Its time to recover our oneness under only Jesus Christ. Every teacher/ ministry who undermines this and openly intentionally divides his people will not be well with the Lord.

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