The Division

I was over reading Brian Zhand's Blog again (See links over there --->). He illustrates an amazing point. In Jesus' Israel, there were four main types of Jews making up the body of the faith, these were:

1. The Moralists -- the Pharisees and their "take back Israel for God" movement.

2. The Zealots -- who wanted to take up the sword and violently overthrow the Romans.

3. The Compromisers -- The Sadducees and Herodians who collaborated with and adopted the values of the Gentiles.

4. The Separatists -- Like the Essenes who escaped into the wilderness in order to create the Kingdom of God separate from the wider world.

And then he goes on to make the point:

*Jesus was not a moralist. He ate and drank with sinners.

* Jesus was not a zealot. He taught His disciples to turn the other cheek.

* Jesus was not a compromiser. He called people to repent of their sins.

* Jesus was not a separatist. He was fully engaged with the surrounding culture.

I believe these four ideas are highly applicable to the church today. I know of Christians who are Moralists in the same vein as the Pharisees of old. There are entire denominations devoted to this idea. I have read of churches that are compromisers, changing the Bible to suit their political agenda. I know of entire Christian cultures that are seperatist and want nothing to do with the world at large.

Each of these is equally dangerous. All of them are based in pride. We want to take pride in our works instead of the Grace. What is the Grace? Its the very thing (the only thing) that can combat pride. Its the realization in the human heart that God will not accept us no matter how many good works we do or how good of a person we are. Every single one of us are guilty of breaking at least one of the Ten Commandments at some point in our lives. Most of us are guilty of breaking one (or more) each day! I include myself in this.

The Grace is the gift of God. It cannot be earned. NO matter how many old ladies you help across the street, no matter how honest you are, you still fall short of God's holiness. You are condemned to an eternity in Hell for your sins.

The Grace is God saying to humanity, ENOUGH! He has provided a Way for us to become holy. We can't earn it. We simply must accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He paid for our sin in full. We must follow Him with all our hearts and seek to examine ourselves daily to make sure we are in the faith. We must feed our spirit by reading God's word every day and grow in knowledge of who he is. Would you like to spend eternity with a stranger?

This is more than a blog entry. This is a call to action. Examine yourself today. Are you in the faith? Have you prayed a prayer one time to accept Christ but there is no evidence of a difference in your life? Jesus told a parable about the Kingdom of God that illustates this point. Its known as the Parable of the Sower and can be found in Matthew 13.

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fel l on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

And then we find the explanation of the story in Mark 4.

The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Live it out. Jesus came to save you. Your life is but a vapor.

BTJ