I have been overwhelmed lately with how rare it is for Christians to actually know what the Bible says. We know what we 'believe' Christianity to be, what we have heard, or what we think, but what does the Bible actually SAY? We have become illiterate.........wait! Not illiterate, for we do know HOW to read! If we were illiterate we could have an excuse. But we are without excuse! For we can read, but choose not to. What a shame.
Of course, there are some Christians that do read the Bible, but even of these, many do not comprehend and apply God's truth. The reading is just another notch in their totem poles to 'God'. Just like totem poles of old, the totem poles of these Christians have nothing to do with God, or should I say, He has nothing to do with them! The scriptures do teach us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things, so why do so many 'Christians' not understand and practice what they read? After all, the scriptures also tell us that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17) I'll leave that for you to consider and figure out.
Please don't think I am ranting to tell you or anyone else off. This ranting is for me. For you see, as I have been forced to see other people's lack of real knowledge of God's Word, I have also come to find that many of these same so called 'Christians', when presented with the truth of God's Word, do not care! And, as if this is not enough to leave my mouth gapping, my mind spinning, and my heart aching, God reveals and even more disturbing truth.......I'm carving out a similar boat to float my life in. What does Paul say? "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." (Romans 7:15)
I want to be like Christ, but a lot is going to have to change in me before progress can be made. I've been thinking the answer is faith, and yes, real faith (obeying God's word no matter what) is vital, but God's word says there is something even greater than faith! I recently set out to memorize I Corinthians 13:4-5. If you have been a Christian for awhile, you know right away that this is the 'love chapter.' Below is a portion of this chapter that has been on my heart and mind. This kind of love will fix a lot of what ails us. I want to love like this and with God's transforming power, I will:
Love is patient,
Love is kind
And is not jealous;
Love does not brag
And is not arrogant,
Does not act unbecomingly;
It does not seek its own,
Is not provoked,
Does not take into account a wrong suffered,
Does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
But rejoices with the truth;
Bears all things,
Believes all things,
Hopes all things,
Endures all things.
Love never fails......
But now faith, hope, love abide these three;
But the greatest of these is love.
(NASB)
