Wednesday, September 17, 2008
John 15
John 15:18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ~Jesus
I guess it's a good thing when the "world" hates you for being a Christian, as we do not follow the same leader, or live by the same rules. Jesus was hated for being and saying the truth, therefor, logically and scripturally, it should be accepted that Christ followers will be hated as well when they resemble Him. But, what do you do when it's the Church that is against you? When God calls you to some radical (or not so radical) decision in life, which makes you depend on Him and obey Him. Yet, the organization of the church, like the Pharisees of old, get scared by it. God seems to be calling people to a different way of following Him. As Christians, we are chosen by God to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last scripture says. We each are at a different place in our walk, and each need to bear fruit where we are at.
It should not be the Churches place to dictate that what God is doing in our lives is right or wrong. Some Churches have seemed to take on a position of playing God in people's lives, directing them in the direction they think they should follow, instead of seeking God's direction. What does a Christian do when in the position of being rejected by their own church? By the one's who are supposed to be guarding and shepherding their lives?
It makes one look afresh at Scripture to define this Church. Is this really what God intended Church to be? A main leader, with all the financial blessings the people have to offer, who gets to make all the decisions, and is responsible for hundreds of peoples spiritual lives? How can that be expected of one man? The Church is just as prone to destruction as we all are in our individual lives, due to sin. I guess all one can do is go back to scripture, trusting God to make something glorious out of what the Devil tries to destroy. In the words of Jesus himself, I will try to continue to love as Christ loves me, with all my faults and blemishes.
