Thoughts...
In Acts 9:2 Christianity is refered to as "the Way." That has always struck me as significant. The Way... not a religion as it's typically understood as, not just a system, but a way, a new and living way (Heb 10:20).
It's odd....when the kingdom of God was "at hand" and John came anouncing it's coming, the people gathered. And when they asked them what they must do, he told the crowds that if they had two tunics, to give one to the person who has none. When the tax collectors came, he told them not to collect more than what was required. When the soldiers asked, he told them not to extort money but be content with their pay (Lk 3:10-14). Out of all the things John could have told them, he essentially just told them not to be greedy. ..when someone has two....he gives to the one who has none.. It is ....people taking only what belongs to them...and being content. This is what it's about? That's it?
When crowds asked Jesus, what they should do to do the works of God "'Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent'" (Jn 6:28-29). That's it? Just believe?
Jesus had a lot of these encounters such as the rich young ruler. He asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to give His wealth up, which was his life and passion from what the Scriptures seem to convey. And once the rich young man had given all that up, to follow Him. IWhat's being askisn't very complicated. But the idea of letting go of all of our "stuff" go...is apparently hard. Giving up on our idea of how we want our life to be. But what is the Way? It's believing and and then doing. It isnt a complicated set of rules and regulations as some understand religion. It isn't just not doing certain things.
Jesus said "Be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48) I am convinced more and more that this "perfect" comes from just doing the simple thing that we either don't think of doing or can't bring ourselves to do. Letting go of everything, and living a life, that's free from everything outside of real life. I think things begin being set right, and become "perfect", when people begin to give one of something to a person who has none. When a person begins just believing that the Messiah was who He said He was, and relying on the truth of all that implies. Maybe it starts with talking kindly, and being understanding when you really don't feel like it. Or giving up control over things that are not in your hands, because you trust. Maybe it's that simple.
The only time the New Testament ever uses the word religion is in this passage in James.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (Ja 1:27)
True religion is "pure and faultless," this kind of religion is not lofty philosophical speculation, it's taking what's screwed up about the world, and attempting to make it right. It's keeping your heart from everything else that is not right (or unrighteous) about the world. Real Christian religion starts with trust in the God who is reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus, and this religion ends with His people being ambassadors of that reconciliation, following in the Way Jesus revealed when He visited the world He made. God's reconciliation is the fixing, the binding up, the putting everything back together again. The world is the way it is because the human heart is in the condition that it is in. Unless hearts turn from their own ways, and do what is right, unless they get this free forgiveness offered by God through Christ, the whole world will reflect the heart of fallen humanity. The world is the way that people are. It is the same even with a person's individual world, that too is a reflection of the condition of their own heart. A change of heart has to occur, reconciliation with God has to happen, for it to be made "perfect".
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:18-20).
I just went on one of my tangeants...thinking... dwelling on Scripture. I thought i'd post my reflections.
Peace
It's odd....when the kingdom of God was "at hand" and John came anouncing it's coming, the people gathered. And when they asked them what they must do, he told the crowds that if they had two tunics, to give one to the person who has none. When the tax collectors came, he told them not to collect more than what was required. When the soldiers asked, he told them not to extort money but be content with their pay (Lk 3:10-14). Out of all the things John could have told them, he essentially just told them not to be greedy. ..when someone has two....he gives to the one who has none.. It is ....people taking only what belongs to them...and being content. This is what it's about? That's it?
When crowds asked Jesus, what they should do to do the works of God "'Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent'" (Jn 6:28-29). That's it? Just believe?
Jesus had a lot of these encounters such as the rich young ruler. He asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to give His wealth up, which was his life and passion from what the Scriptures seem to convey. And once the rich young man had given all that up, to follow Him. IWhat's being askisn't very complicated. But the idea of letting go of all of our "stuff" go...is apparently hard. Giving up on our idea of how we want our life to be. But what is the Way? It's believing and and then doing. It isnt a complicated set of rules and regulations as some understand religion. It isn't just not doing certain things.
Jesus said "Be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48) I am convinced more and more that this "perfect" comes from just doing the simple thing that we either don't think of doing or can't bring ourselves to do. Letting go of everything, and living a life, that's free from everything outside of real life. I think things begin being set right, and become "perfect", when people begin to give one of something to a person who has none. When a person begins just believing that the Messiah was who He said He was, and relying on the truth of all that implies. Maybe it starts with talking kindly, and being understanding when you really don't feel like it. Or giving up control over things that are not in your hands, because you trust. Maybe it's that simple.
The only time the New Testament ever uses the word religion is in this passage in James.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (Ja 1:27)
True religion is "pure and faultless," this kind of religion is not lofty philosophical speculation, it's taking what's screwed up about the world, and attempting to make it right. It's keeping your heart from everything else that is not right (or unrighteous) about the world. Real Christian religion starts with trust in the God who is reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus, and this religion ends with His people being ambassadors of that reconciliation, following in the Way Jesus revealed when He visited the world He made. God's reconciliation is the fixing, the binding up, the putting everything back together again. The world is the way it is because the human heart is in the condition that it is in. Unless hearts turn from their own ways, and do what is right, unless they get this free forgiveness offered by God through Christ, the whole world will reflect the heart of fallen humanity. The world is the way that people are. It is the same even with a person's individual world, that too is a reflection of the condition of their own heart. A change of heart has to occur, reconciliation with God has to happen, for it to be made "perfect".
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:18-20).
I just went on one of my tangeants...thinking... dwelling on Scripture. I thought i'd post my reflections.
Peace