Well hello strangers! Here's my ramblings of the evening: at church on Sunday. The pastor said something small - but magnificent. We are not human "DO-ings" we are human "BE-ings." Ah. So simple.
His point was this. Churches these days (and the world most of the time) like to tell us we need Jesus AND something else. Our works, mainly. But that isn't biblical. It's the opposite of Biblical. According to that source, Jesus is ALL we need. So, pardon my poor grammar here, it isn't what we DO that serves to get us into heaven, it is simply who we BE. And who we believe in.
And it is that Jesus component, at least in my life, that tends to get lost. I focus on "being a good person" (and failing most of the time, mind you). I focus on what Paul in Scripture tells me. Or what I learn from the Old Testament. Those things are all great, but who is this Jesus and how do I focus on HIM?
As I was reading today in John, I came across that famous verse of John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And do know what hit me like a ton of bricks? JESUS said that. Not John. Jesus. John just wrote it down. Why this is significant for me today, I can't tell you, but it seems to make the words hit home in an entirely new way.
And you know what, there's a BE in that word Jesus told us: that whoever BElieves in him shall not perish. That's a stretch, I know, but I still like it! :) Notice it wasn't whoever does this and this and this shall not perish but have eternal life...it was simply whoever believes in him. Jesus said our salvation wasn't based on what we DO, it's based on believing that He is who He says he is.
We get caught up in the doing. So caught up that sometimes I think we lose sight of the believing. I'm not sure if it's because believing and the "be-ing" seem passive? It's the passive voice - which in writing we are told to avoid - I am , you are, he/she/it is, etc. But God is the great I AM. And he's not passive at all. Simply choosing to BE and BElieve Jesus Christ is not passive either. It's an active choice, every day, to choose Jesus. To decide that He is enough. And in that daily choice, some "doings" come along. Positive ones, if the root reason is actually following that Jesus-love inside of you. Not so positive ones if you lose sight of Him.
Can I tell you that my prayer for all of us is that we focus more on the being part of our relationship with Jesus Christ and our creator? That in that simply "being" we learn in love who Jesus is and through that knowledge we act. Not because our focus is on the "doing" but because as an overflow of "being" in tune with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit we have no choice BUT to act and let that love go somewhere? I pray that we focus more on our relationship with Jesus Christ and that leads us to action rather than try to work our way to heaven with no heart. I pray that you simply BE the person God created you to be - loving the Lord, with Jesus in your heart.
His point was this. Churches these days (and the world most of the time) like to tell us we need Jesus AND something else. Our works, mainly. But that isn't biblical. It's the opposite of Biblical. According to that source, Jesus is ALL we need. So, pardon my poor grammar here, it isn't what we DO that serves to get us into heaven, it is simply who we BE. And who we believe in.
And it is that Jesus component, at least in my life, that tends to get lost. I focus on "being a good person" (and failing most of the time, mind you). I focus on what Paul in Scripture tells me. Or what I learn from the Old Testament. Those things are all great, but who is this Jesus and how do I focus on HIM?
As I was reading today in John, I came across that famous verse of John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And do know what hit me like a ton of bricks? JESUS said that. Not John. Jesus. John just wrote it down. Why this is significant for me today, I can't tell you, but it seems to make the words hit home in an entirely new way.
And you know what, there's a BE in that word Jesus told us: that whoever BElieves in him shall not perish. That's a stretch, I know, but I still like it! :) Notice it wasn't whoever does this and this and this shall not perish but have eternal life...it was simply whoever believes in him. Jesus said our salvation wasn't based on what we DO, it's based on believing that He is who He says he is.
We get caught up in the doing. So caught up that sometimes I think we lose sight of the believing. I'm not sure if it's because believing and the "be-ing" seem passive? It's the passive voice - which in writing we are told to avoid - I am , you are, he/she/it is, etc. But God is the great I AM. And he's not passive at all. Simply choosing to BE and BElieve Jesus Christ is not passive either. It's an active choice, every day, to choose Jesus. To decide that He is enough. And in that daily choice, some "doings" come along. Positive ones, if the root reason is actually following that Jesus-love inside of you. Not so positive ones if you lose sight of Him.
Can I tell you that my prayer for all of us is that we focus more on the being part of our relationship with Jesus Christ and our creator? That in that simply "being" we learn in love who Jesus is and through that knowledge we act. Not because our focus is on the "doing" but because as an overflow of "being" in tune with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit we have no choice BUT to act and let that love go somewhere? I pray that we focus more on our relationship with Jesus Christ and that leads us to action rather than try to work our way to heaven with no heart. I pray that you simply BE the person God created you to be - loving the Lord, with Jesus in your heart.
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