Strange Things (Part 2)
Could it be that we too see strange things when we read about the miracles and study the message of Christ? It could be that these seem strange to us because we do not spend time studying the word of God as we should. A lack of knowledge of God’s revealed will is a serious plague in our land. So many are following their own way in matters religious instead of allowing God to direct their paths through His word (Jeremiah 10:23). Far too many are enslaved to sin because they have not been set free by the word of God (John 8:24). The gospel message, the good news about salvation, is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16). Therefore, men must hear and study this message if they will come to have a faith that will lead them to the Lord (Romans 10:13-17). By studying and obeying this message one’s soul will be made pure (1 Peter 1:22). The good news stored up in our hearts will keep us from sin (Psalm 119:11). One who will be truly happy is the person who will meditate upon the word of God day and night (Psalm 1:2). In our land there is a famine of the word of God (Amos 8:11), not because God has taken His word from us, but because so many are unwilling to read and study it. This problem is not limited to those who are amoral, or those who are not religious. Spiritual ignorance, unfortunately, is a great problem even among God’s own people. A lack of knowledge of the word of God led to the downfall of Israel (Hosea 4:6), and it is doing the same to spiritual Israel (the church, Galatians 6:16) today. Too many Christians fit the description given by God through Jeremiah: “My people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jeremiah 4:22). Indeed, the teachings and actions of Christ are strange to so many because of ignorance of God’s word.
It could be that the teachings of Christ seem so strange because they do not fit our own preconceived ideas. It is detrimental to the well-being of our souls to approach the Bible with the idea that we are going to prove what we think is right, and reject anything that would conflict with our thinking. How many come to the Bible with the idea that faith only saves, picking and choosing passages that they feel supports this premise, while rejecting any that would contradict their idea (such as James 2:24)? How many are influenced to believe that denominationalism is divinely sanctioned, or at least tolerated by God, and will refuse to see that there is only one church that enjoys divine authorization (Ephesians 4:4), the one and only one church that Christ will save (Ephesians 5:23)? When one approaches the Scriptures in this way, he exhibits an attitude identical to that of the religious leaders of Christ’s day. His teachings did not fit their thinking, so they simply dismissed him with the wave of a hand. Jesus condemned the self-righteous religious leaders for this attitude (John 5:37- 40). In order to be pleasing to God, we must approach a study of the Bible with the attitude that whatever it says, that we will do. We must allow our lives to be shaped by the word of God rather than trying to make the word of God conform to our thinking. To many, the teachings of Christ are strange because they conflict with strongly held opinions which many are unwilling to give up.
Are the teachings and deeds of Christ strange to you? Is it because the word of God is unfamiliar to you due to a lack of study? Is it strange to you because it does not fit your preconceived notions? Resolve now to remedy this problem by studying the word of God fervently. Approach this study with the attitude that you will follow the will of God without reservation and without pretense. To do so will lead to the salvation of your soul, and eternal bliss in the life to come.
-Patrick Morrison
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