It Is Finished.. (lol)

In my last post I talked about being a hypocrite and covered a story from the Bible in which Abraham gives the low down to someone that didn’t make it to heaven.  The guy is trying to warn his family about the truth and Abraham sets him straight.  In this story, Abraham himself said that the Word was the way for people to believe and know the truth.  Not miracles.  Not the walking dead.  Not some super experience.  The Word alone.  If they believe and know and have a relationship then they’ll end up in heaven as Lazarus did.

The Eternal Word
(Gen. 1:1-2:3)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [fn1] comprehend it.

The Word Becomes Flesh
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

I believe this.  I really do.  So then, if I believe how can I not study the Bible?  How can I not study the Word?  How can I not open up this thing that is Jesus?  How can I not stop to learn about the One that has now taken up residence inside me?  It’s easier to neglect Him than you might think unfortunately.  But, if I don’t study it, if I don’t seek to glean information about my creator from it, how do I succeed?

I don’t.

I’m a failure without it.  Ask any of my family members.  Ask my wife.

I’ve got friends that are failing right now, going to parties, abusing their bodies and minds, that shouldn’t be.  They’re throwing their witness down and trampling it in the mud like it’s some common worthless thing.  I’ve got friends that are trying to fight their way out of those situations.  Ones that are trying to fight the temptations to join the ones already lost in the lust.  All of them are in this because they’ve failed to take their part in their lives seriously.  They’ve failed to study God.  They’ve failed to learn about Him, and who He really is.  They’ve left all of their education up to Sunday School and youth groups, worship sessions, life experiences and whatever other wind of change came their way.

You see, way back several posts ago, I started with a mock argument.  In the argument one person was defensive about not studying the Bible, kind of trying to justify not getting to know God.  How in the world can anyone argue against studying the Bible.  Against reading it more.  Against talking about it more?  How was I able to justify that in my head?

In that conversation, the instigator didn’t even get a chance to finish his sentence.  He started with saying “I think you should study the Bible more.” But was really cut off before he could finish.  He was going to say “I think you should study the Bible more so you can learn more about Jesus, and though that knowledge you can see how far you’ve come in your walk already, and how much more Jesus still loves you.”  Why would we say no to that…

I’m going to start digging in.  Seriously.  I’ve got ideas, and passion stirring again in me.  It’s been a long time.  It’s exciting.

It’s about the relationship

It’s because life and death, eternal life and death, are decided upon whether or not we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and Him as our Savior.

Ephesians 1:4-8
4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

The Bible says that we are adopted into the family of God.  If we are in His family; if we have been adopted as children of God; if we wake up each day and live our lives for God and to bring Him glory we have salvation.  If we’ve confessed with our hearts and our mouths that we are sinners, and as such are worthy death, that we believe Jesus is the true and only Son of God, that He came to this world to die a perfect death paying the price for our sin, if we confess our sins and ask Him to forgive us, to come into our lives and save us from our selves, we have salvation.

It’s the relationship that gives it meaning.

The fool that uses the argument mentioned earlier spent the entire time talking about himself, and what he’s done, and what he can do, and what he should do.  In reality, it has nothing to do with the individual’s ability, productivity or history.  It’s about what Jesus did.  That’s what makes it something.  That’s what makes it church.  That’s what makes it a relationship.  It all comes down to what Jesus did.  Everything from the beginning to time until the end of us all points to the culmination point at which Jesus died for us.

Is He our Lord?  Is He our Father?  Are we in His family?  Have we accepted the adoption process and are we now calling ourselves sons and daughters of God?

If so, if He’s our Savior and our King, then why aren’t we trying to learn about Him?

This learning process is a natural thing.  When we join a club, a team, a company, anything new, we learn about what it is we’re now associated with.  When I joined the Army, they taught me all about it.  I didn’t really get a choice.  When I signed up with the phone company, same thing.  But, as funny as it seems, the choice to join Christ didn’t automatically lead me to learning about Him.  It was a growing process.  I went from a milk feeder, to wanting meat, and in that process I began to learn about Christ, about God, about who He is and how He operates.  This didn’t come from the music, the people, the building, the clothing, the regimine, or anything else.  This came from studying God’s Word.  It’s Him.  He is the Word.  This is one of the greatest mysteries in the world today.

I think you should study the Bible more.

I think you should study the Bible more.

Why should I study the Bible?  I mean, why should I do it, like, on my time?  Isn’t what I hear on Sunday enough?  Isn’t what I hear at Youth Group fine?  I mean, I listen to the Christian radio station.  I buy Christian music, wear Christian shirts, have Christian stickers on my car.  I say prayers before I eat, I volunteer at the Church functions.  I dress up on Easter and attend every Sunday I can.

Haven’t I done enough already?  I’m not trying to be flippant, really, I just don’t understand, isn’t what I’ve done enough?

No, it’s not.

What about me?  What about my time?  When do I get my time, Ben time?  If  I church, church, church, church and church, and that’s not enough, and I’ve got to do more, when do I get to be me?

What are you talking about?

I just don’t get it.  I really do think that I’m doing enough as it is.  I believe that God loves me, and that I’m doing more than my part.

What???   Are you serious???

Yeah, seriously, I’m a good Christian.  Jesus loves me, He’s not going to make me do this and that, I mean, that’s legalistic.  That’s silly.  I’m free in Christ.

Wow

What ever, stop judging me.  “Judge not lest ye be judged!”  That’s in the Bible, so, leave me alone already.  Like your way is the only way!!!

Sure thing, later man…