Scripture:
Matthew 16:13-19
These Lenten devotionals are to
encourage us to prepare ourselves for the most exciting celebration of the
greatest event the world has ever seen . . . the resurrection of JESUS
CHRIST. It isn’t merely about a man who
was killed coming back to life. It’s
about the culmination of GOD’s redemptive plan which was preordained from the
foundations of the world. The work has been done. It is finished. There is nothing left for us to do, even if
there were something else we could do, except to believe (John 6:28-29). And therein lies the problem . . . we don’t
believe . . . though we think we do.
We do not truly believe the
GOSPEL OF JESUS is “the power of GOD unto salvation to all who believe” (Romans
1:16). We do not truly believe JESUS is “The
Christ, the Son of the living GOD” (Matthew 16:16). We do not truly believe that this confession
is the “ROCK upon which JESUS is building His Church and the very gates of
hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).
Why do I think so much of the
Church does not truly believe? Because
so much of the Church substitutes the GOSPEL OF JESUS with the following weak
ineffective cheap imitations: fighting
cultural wars--using human logic and reasoning-- practicing religious
activities--using man-made tools to attract people and manipulate people to
come to church--continuously speaking judgment and condemnation--developing
long “to do” lists--an incredible library of “how to” books—lack of
discipleship, mentoring, investing in the lives of broken people—a rising
objection to JESUS’ call to love GOD and to love our neighbor—an unwillingness
to develop authentic relationships with the unchurched and with the outcasts of
our religious environments. And I could
go on and on.
It seems to me, if we truly
believed the GOSPEL OF JESUS . . . if we truly believed in the significance of
the absolutely astounding, glorious, unbelievable, amazing, overwhelming resurrection
of JESUS CHIRST the world would not be as it is and the church would not be as
irrelevant and out of touch as it has become.
I believe this because I believe
all people of the earth have been created by GOD and have been created in the
image of GOD and are primarily spiritual beings. And for this reason the very things they are
searching for, longing, and yearning for are fulfilled ultimately and
completely in and through the GOSPEL OF JESUS!
All other arguments are ineffective and irrelevant because the ultimate
meaning of life is spiritually discerned and therefore JESUS is the answer!
JESUS is Risen . . . !
Richard Holloman
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