Hi there,
So there is a mystery, right? That the Church is Christ's Bride and we are His Body? How then should we define our Christianity? The truth is we should do it, according to God's Gospel. But there is a lot in God's Gospel, because it includes the Bible (and the Bible includes a lot). Somehow people find a way of going between God and the Bible, and sort of trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit themselves: creating a bridge, between God and the faith. Some things are familiar, other things are foreign and the overall effect is either brilliant or brilliantly confusing. But there is a law, is there not - about making an image?
The second commandment is that "you shall not create an idol". Is that what we do when we try to do the Holy Spirit's work for Him? You should be able to tell by the fruit, that's what the Lord said. What I see, is doctrines that are based heavily in Grace and a reluctance to do even the simple things of God's Word, changing expectations of the things to come and confusion about what are and aren't dependable prophecies of the things to come. I won't say more than that, because I don't want to sadden or burden you with belief that is not your responsibility anyway.
So what can we do to keep from making an idol out of our Christianity. A good rule of thumb, is that if it has become part of Christian culture it can stand on its own two feet - you shouldn't need to worry that its not written in the Bible (the Bible after all, says not to worry). Specifically what is included and what isn't in terms of Christian culture is like keeping a collection of keepsakes, along with some real jewelry - you don't throw out the keepsakes just because they are keepsakes, and you buy as much jewelry as you can get, bearing in mind your flesh can't sustain all of it. Jesus used the concept of the Householder who had things new and old.
For example, there is a phrase in Christian culture that "there are three things the Christian has to deal with: the world, the flesh and the Devil" now, that's not in the Bible, but its catchy and it points to something that is in the Bible: The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin, righteousness and the Judgment. It could be elaborated on, if you wanted to, but as it stands it serves to remind us to keep watch. Jesus said "Watch!". Somehow then, we have a Christianity that's not strictly biblical, but on the other hand has no value to the world, which means that there is an opportunity to gather it (as the parable goes) with the other words (scriptures) that are in the Bible. Keeping it becomes a matter of love; you either remember where the inspiration came from or you love the disciple that inspired it. This, as I said a good rule of thumb pertains to, is a capacity for it to stand on its own two feet. If everyone in the Church kept some kind of cultural concept, we would be obeying the new commandment (that we love one another) if nothing else.
Will the Holy Spirit keep Christian culture? That really is the test. Ultimately, we know that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and we also know that God does not limit inspiration to the faithful - He could have limited faith to the Jews, but rather extended it to the Gentiles. The importance of testing this against the Holy Spirit, is that there is an easy way to do this and a light way. The easy way is to trust the Holy Spirit to remind you of it; the light way is to write it down and think about it, asking for suggestions from the Holy Spirit. The point is that if the Holy Spirit will not work with it at all, it probably won't stand on its own two feet. We should be doing this out of love.
Fundamentally, if we do not love the Christianity we have developed, then it is an idol - one we are keeping for selfish reasons. The Holy Spirit will stop there. The truth is: Grace should be free, in prayer, humble and undemanding. I have never insisted that someone's faith depends on their ability to understand what I write. I am not boasting in what I have written, I'm just saying: that is not my intention (to force everyone to understand me). What I want is good quality "culture", something that will draw the cords of love around my heart and cause it to beat for the Lord. I hope this has been of some blessing to you.
God bless.
So there is a mystery, right? That the Church is Christ's Bride and we are His Body? How then should we define our Christianity? The truth is we should do it, according to God's Gospel. But there is a lot in God's Gospel, because it includes the Bible (and the Bible includes a lot). Somehow people find a way of going between God and the Bible, and sort of trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit themselves: creating a bridge, between God and the faith. Some things are familiar, other things are foreign and the overall effect is either brilliant or brilliantly confusing. But there is a law, is there not - about making an image?
The second commandment is that "you shall not create an idol". Is that what we do when we try to do the Holy Spirit's work for Him? You should be able to tell by the fruit, that's what the Lord said. What I see, is doctrines that are based heavily in Grace and a reluctance to do even the simple things of God's Word, changing expectations of the things to come and confusion about what are and aren't dependable prophecies of the things to come. I won't say more than that, because I don't want to sadden or burden you with belief that is not your responsibility anyway.
So what can we do to keep from making an idol out of our Christianity. A good rule of thumb, is that if it has become part of Christian culture it can stand on its own two feet - you shouldn't need to worry that its not written in the Bible (the Bible after all, says not to worry). Specifically what is included and what isn't in terms of Christian culture is like keeping a collection of keepsakes, along with some real jewelry - you don't throw out the keepsakes just because they are keepsakes, and you buy as much jewelry as you can get, bearing in mind your flesh can't sustain all of it. Jesus used the concept of the Householder who had things new and old.
For example, there is a phrase in Christian culture that "there are three things the Christian has to deal with: the world, the flesh and the Devil" now, that's not in the Bible, but its catchy and it points to something that is in the Bible: The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin, righteousness and the Judgment. It could be elaborated on, if you wanted to, but as it stands it serves to remind us to keep watch. Jesus said "Watch!". Somehow then, we have a Christianity that's not strictly biblical, but on the other hand has no value to the world, which means that there is an opportunity to gather it (as the parable goes) with the other words (scriptures) that are in the Bible. Keeping it becomes a matter of love; you either remember where the inspiration came from or you love the disciple that inspired it. This, as I said a good rule of thumb pertains to, is a capacity for it to stand on its own two feet. If everyone in the Church kept some kind of cultural concept, we would be obeying the new commandment (that we love one another) if nothing else.
Will the Holy Spirit keep Christian culture? That really is the test. Ultimately, we know that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and we also know that God does not limit inspiration to the faithful - He could have limited faith to the Jews, but rather extended it to the Gentiles. The importance of testing this against the Holy Spirit, is that there is an easy way to do this and a light way. The easy way is to trust the Holy Spirit to remind you of it; the light way is to write it down and think about it, asking for suggestions from the Holy Spirit. The point is that if the Holy Spirit will not work with it at all, it probably won't stand on its own two feet. We should be doing this out of love.
Fundamentally, if we do not love the Christianity we have developed, then it is an idol - one we are keeping for selfish reasons. The Holy Spirit will stop there. The truth is: Grace should be free, in prayer, humble and undemanding. I have never insisted that someone's faith depends on their ability to understand what I write. I am not boasting in what I have written, I'm just saying: that is not my intention (to force everyone to understand me). What I want is good quality "culture", something that will draw the cords of love around my heart and cause it to beat for the Lord. I hope this has been of some blessing to you.
God bless.
