Phil 3:18-19
As I see the kind of “Gospel” that’s often preached today I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul, who with tears warned of a cross-less Christianity that leads to destruction. In Phil 2:1-13, 3:4-17 Paul taught us all to follow the Lamb nature of Jesus, that because of our union with Him, and our partaking of His love and comfort, we could follow the Lamb and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. In other words, walk out the denying of self so He can live in us and thus, we experience the reality of “Christ in us, the hope of glory.”
Real Christianity includes suffering that yields a deeper union with the Lord. In these chapters, Paul makes it clear that carrying our cross opens the door to the increase of the knowledge of God. Each struggle refines our faith. Tested faith moves mountains. It seems many proclaim an “easy street Christianity.” This cannot be. We have a cross to carry, but with our cross we also gain intimacy, deep love, and true fellowship with the Lamb of God.
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March 31, 2007 at 9:11 pm
James Harborough
I think this is the very reason that so many deserted Jesus when He said, “Eat My flesh and drink My blood”. Of course Christ at this point was testing his followers and seeing who would follow Him despite their lack of understanding, and His apparent lunacy.
If you “decode” the situation at hand… People were posed with a simple choice:
1) Do we continue to follow Jesus who we have a STRONG degree of certainty is the living God?
or
2) Do we abandon Him because of a lack of understanding? And the possibility of looking like lunatics?
In a sense, the people who left were choosing to no longer embrace the cross which makes no sense on the surface.
They didn’t know that Christ was actually offering them more life.
April 19, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Pastor Rick
James, I agree with everything you said. I am very concerned that much of our preaching is creating those foolish virgins Jesus talked about in Matthew 25.
God Bless,
Rick Wright