“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:6-8
Above all else Christianity is an experience. There are certain things Christians believe, but Christianity is not rooted in a doctrinal or religious belief. There are things Christians do, but neither are these things the root of Christianity. Christianity is something that, by our choice, happens to us.
The experience is called a new birth or being “born again”. Like most experiences, it loses something in the translation. That is, if you haven’t experienced it yourself, it is difficult to grasp the depth of the reality. This truth is evident in the biblical invitation to “taste and see, the Lord is good.”
My description of the taste of, let’s say, apple pie is nowhere near as clear or as real as taking a bite for yourself. Some may say, “Not everyone likes apple pie”. True and not everyone likes Christianity. Our scripture text today is one of the reasons Christianity is not for everyone.
Christianity is not a one-and-done experience—it is an everlasting one that calls for personal transformation. That transformation is driven by pursuing the life of Christ for the same reasons, and in the same manner, that drew us to him in the first place.
Recognizing that our imperfections are not, merely flaws, but acts of rebellion against God, we have chosen to surrender, unconditionally to God’s sovereignty. God’s will becomes our command—that’s the way a kingdom works.
Furthermore, we understand that we are not worthy of the price of obtaining peace with God. As it is an everlasting experience, we never become worthy of our position. It is only by God’s grace that mercy has been shown to us. If we wish to continue in that mercy, we must extend it to others.
If you’d like to spend hours on this, I invite you to Liberty Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama on a Sunday or Wednesday night.
To sum it up quickly for those not inclined or able to pursue it further:
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
If you can spend eternity perfectly doing these two things, in word, deed, and thought, you already have peace with God. If you have failed in the slightest, you need God’s forgiveness to have His peace. The choice is yours.
Maranatha
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