Where do we find ourselves now?
1/14/2010 1:18:19 AM
1 Corinthians/ Spiritual Growth
Good Day . . .
Where do we find ourselves now?
More than 2,000 years after Jesus Christ was born, he is still the most influential man who ever walked the face of the earth. True Christians endeavor to live as Jesus would have us, so far as we understand his life and teachings in Scripture, which truly shows the power of his influence, doesn’t it? When Paul was converted from Judaism to believing in Jesus, he completely gave himself over to telling others that Jesus was indeed the Messiah whom Israel had long awaited. The book of Acts talks about the early days of the Christian faith, and how the gospel spread from Jerusalem into Mediterranean lands, and into Europe and Asia—but all of the New Testament points toward Jesus Christ, God incarnate (in the flesh).
One decade into the 21st century, where do we find ourselves on God’s timeline for his children? Well, we are so fortunate to have the complete written word of God, and a rich heritage of Christian forefathers whose exegesis of the Scriptures we have at our at our fingertips, (literally, with the advent of internet technology). [‘What is exegesis?’ George asks. It is critical interpretation of the Scripture, which is invaluable. It allows biblical scholars of the Hebrew and Greek languages, in which the Bible was written—along with cultural historians to explain its meaning, which allows us to learn and apply God’s truths.] We have rich denominations that allow for some freedom in interpretation of doctrine, and style of worship. And most of us have complete freedom to pursue God, grow in relationship with him, and join with other believers to do so—though we often take those for granted, I’m afraid.
Just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, he turned to his disciples and said, ‘Go therefore into all the world and make disciples…’ so soon after Paul’s conversion, he set out to do just that. He taught there was one way to God—through Jesus, because of grace, and how that differed from living under the heavy hand of the Law. Paul taught us about the Holy Spirit—who he is, what he does, and how he gifts the children of God for purposeful service. Paul also taught on proper conduct within the church. All of these subject areas inform our lives today. And since he was writing to many of the people within the churches he had helped establish, Paul wrote with the love of a shepherd for his flock, even scolding when they were going astray.
In the last weeks, we have come to recognize that spiritual growth in our Christian faith comes largely through two things:
personal commitment to Jesus Christ, and
devotion to living as closely to him as possible.
We do the latter by studying his Word, and learning to walk in intimacy with him—prayer, worship, and praise. One danger when studying the Word of God is confining our study to topical matters, and then finding Scripture to support our preconceived notions, reading into it one’s own ideas, rather than the intended meaning of the passage within its context. (This is called ‘eisegesis’ as opposed to exegesis, more broadly defined than above as ‘an attempt to discover the meaning of the text objectively, starting with the text and moving out from there) For that reason, I have moved verse-by-verse through the books of Luke, James, Acts, Galatians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians—all available on the pastorwoman website.
Funny thing is, folks seem to ‘get’ this. This morning, at my Downtown Prayer Meeting, I challenged each person to say what his goals for spiritual growth are for 2010. Several said, ‘I really need to read my Bible more . . . ‘ and then they discussed it a bit. Finally, I said, ‘hey, you’re talking like I’m not even here—I send you Bible study every day!’ But you know what? In the recent weeks, I have been discussing topical matters, and simply supporting them with Scripture, that is, until we return to Paul’s letters. But more than that, if you simply read the Scripture I provide in the Morning Briefings on your screen, you may be tempted to skim through it. So, why not—either print it out, or better yet, look up the passage in your own Bible, and then go back to my study on it.
There is a supernatural transaction that happens when we truly read God’s Word---don’t miss out on the blessing, friends! Tomorrow, we shall turn the page to the next of Paul’s letters to the churches—that of 1 Corinthians. Until then, know that we are living in a favored time in church history, and may even see the Lord return in our lifetime; how exciting is that? I know that when he comes, I want to be found faithful, and involved in something a person full of faith in him should be doing.
Until tomorrow then. . . . may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Christine