What's a Mouse Doing in the Cookie Jar?
by Kathy Brown on June 19th, 2009 | 0 comments
Recently, one of my best friends remarked to me that anyone can say they are a Christian. This happens often, without any evidence it's true, because our heritage in America (despite what our President says) is Christian. We have benefited from the ideas that flow from Biblical truth.
Of course, being a Christian is understanding that God found a way for anyone to get into a relationship with Him through the sacrifice of His Son. Believing and trusting in this extreme provision sets us free from the bondage of a natural desire for our own way. Although this life is full of flesh stuggles, the Spirit of God, given in the transaction, provides the inclination and power to live a new life. Jesus is the arbitrator on behalf of sinners. Often He is referred to as the "Word". To be a Christian is to realize that the governance of this life is not by our own created preferences, but by the breath of our Creator, written down in the Scriptures, through inspired men for everyone.
It is absolutely possible to take the direction of the Bible and not have a personal relationship with the Son of God. Without the forgiveness that only Jesus can give, there is no spiritual re-birth. God claims that we are spiritually dead until the eternal Swap is made. But, the Old Testament law and New Testament grace spawn behaviors that incline men and women in a good way. The Truth of how things really are does not change, whether we submit to the Lordship of Christ or not. Living according to directions given by the Maker of everything makes as much sense as traveling with a map that orients properly toward north.
The chasm that emerges between a legalistic version of "Christianity" and a Spirit - filled life in Christ is enormous and becomes evident eventually. This is because the "law" (summarized in the Ten Commandments) cannot be lived out by anyone without the Spirit's advising and empowering. In fact, its very purpose is to bring us to a place where we know, in our soul, that we cannot please God by our good works. We need the Presence of the Living God within us to become what we are made to be.
In the articles to follow, the inconsistencies of a Biblical worldview will be explored. However, it is most important that the essence of Christianity is understood. It is not based on human effort. It is receiving, by faith, the forgiveness we need through Jesus Christ. It is being transported into His Kingdom to live here on earth as redeemers and reconcilers. This is the backdrop for a Biblical worldview.
Without the underlying switch from the natural nature to the supernatural, we can expect outward proclamations that adhere to the tenets of Biblical Truth, but are not supported by a life in the process of becoming like Christ. Yes, anyone can say they are a Christian. It is also possible to put a mouse in a cookie jar and call it a cookie. But that doesn't make it a cookie.
Next entry: Does "Everything Happen for a Reason?"
Previous entry: Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass
back to Blog Archive