A pretty young Hindu woman was assigned to my desk for what the local University referred to as a “task shadowing” mission. The goal become for the lady to spend four hours with an character whose career become that which she hoped to enter upon commencement. So, she scheduled an appointment with me and, at the appointed time, set approximately picking my brain in regard to the communications and advertising and marketing subject. She was so enthusiastic and wanted to study all that she could about America and its people. Naturally, we reached a point wherein our communique grew to become to faith. She said that it regarded absolutely everyone she met at faculty become overly worried approximately getting her to transform to Christianity and how she was tiring of this. She said someone even left a Bible at the floor out of doors her rental door and brought, “If that is what THEY think about their holy book, well…I threw it inside the trash.” I stated, “I assure you, that is not MY task. I’m trying to convert Christians to Christ.” She laughed. We had a tremendous go to. She left with the Bible I stored by means of my computer and a promise that I turned into here if she needed assist. My wife and I intend to have her over for supper.
Converting Christians to Christ? Yes, it’s my project – and with a experience of urgency. Far too many Christians are certainly clueless about the teachings of Jesus, particularly in contrast to what they recognise of the lessons of their denomination. Face it, now not most effective has denominationalism in no way received all and sundry entrance to Heaven, but it proves to be a completely shaky basis whilst times of trying out come.
Do you keep in mind the parable of the 2 constructing contractors? The Bible has statistics of this parable. One is in Luke 6:47-forty nine. The other is in Matthew 7:24-29. These verses report that the human beings were “astonished at His doctrine.” Part of that doctrine became the story He informed approximately constructing on an amazing basis. Paul also refers to constructing a foundation as being Christian Blog a part of the doctrine of Christ: In Hebrews 6:1, he says,”consequently leaving the concepts of the doctrine of Christ…Now not laying again the muse….” Paul then continues to listing the content material of the doctrine of Jesus.
As “Christians” – a word meaning “little Christs” (after all, it is Him we need to aspire to; the Head of the Body) – we ought to set ourselves upon some thing stable, a rock upon which we will assuredly set foot. That rock is not anything less than the doctrine of Christ. You see, there are three forms of doctrine noted in Scripture: the doctrine of man, the doctrine of devils and the doctrine of Christ and of God. Second John 1:9-11 reads as follows: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth now not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth within the doctrine of Christ, he hath each the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and produce now not this doctrine, get hold of him not into your private home, neither bid him God velocity. For he that biddeth him God pace is partaker of his evil deeds.”
A CLOSER LOOK AT HIS DOCTRINE
Let’s take a look at 2 John nine within the authentic language, okay? Get out that concordance and check this out for your self: ‘Whosoever goeth onward’ (Greek: pas o proagwn). In different words, ‘Every one that goes ahead.’ Proagw literally means “to go on before.” (See Mark 11:9). That in itself seems first-class, industrious, like an formidable self-starter…But wait! The textual content then says: ‘And abideth no longer inside the teaching OF Christ’ (Greek: kai me menwn en te didache tou Christou). NOT the coaching approximately Christ, however the coaching OF or FROM Christ.
There it’s far! THAT on my own is the same old of Christian doctrine; the teachings FROM Jesus TO all folks that select to follow Him. Over thirty instances the Scriptures make a few reference, a few variation, to following Him; best ONE to being “born again.” I believe God’s trying to tell us some thing. We Christians make each effort to get people to be “born again” according with our precise denomination’s gadget for doing so, but make a universally meager attempt at coaching the Doctrine of Christ and thereby making disciples as Jesus instructions us in Matthew 28:18-20: “…Go consequently and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, coaching them to observe all matters that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you continually, even to the quit of the age.” Our negligence in obeying this command explains MUCH of the problem in the Body of Christ nowadays. We’re hugely illiterate to what the Teacher taught and show a gross loss of problem regarding that of which we ARE aware.
The stroll of Christ is the instance for the Christian stroll. Look at those verses in 1 John 2:6; 7:16; 18:19. Why did the author write a lot about this problem? When this letter become written, the Gnostics claimed to be the enlightened ones of the day, the wondering class, and were traumatic to leave Jesus inside the dust as they raced forth into their own logo of spirituality. This equal war maintains today among scores as they technique Biblical studies. Is Jesus merely some kind of landmark along our path, or is He the aim, our instance, as He claimed He become? Progress is right, but progress TOWARD Christ is what is vital, NOT development faraway from Him.