Days Journey

A few years ago I started eating some pre-packaged meals that I thought were good for me. But, one day a friend made a passing comment about the amount of sodium in those meals. I had not thought about checking out the nutritional content of the meal. It appeared appetizing, it tasted good, the name suggested “healthy.” I had made some assumptions without whether or not the content of this meal would really help facilitate good health.

Upon examining the nutritional contents, I discovered that the meal (not a large portion) contained 50% of the recommended daily allowance of sodium and more grams of fat than I really needed.  There was no continuity between what the name suggested and the reality of what was inside.

Unfortunately, we sometimes see a similar problem within the Christian faith.  The Apostle John writes in his first of three letters:

“3:1 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children – and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. 3:2 whenever Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. 3:3 And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure).” (1 John 3:1-3, NET Bible, www.bible.org)

Notice the “label” God’s children that is given to those who are in Christ. That is a pretty serious label. If you think about it, what higher calling is there? If we’re not careful, we can fall into the prideful thought that some other criteria (denomination, church involvement, etc.) makes us a better kind of Christian. But, that kind of reasoning has no Biblical foundation. Rather, the text in view emphasizes that the label of being God’s children is a demonstration of God’s amazing love for us.

But, the text doesn’t just say this to make us feel good about ourselves. It serves to inspire our attitude and to motivate our actions. It challenges us to question whether or not the label we wear is consistent with the contents.  I believe that one of the “contents” John suggests is necessary is “faith.” This is evident by the fact that while we are now called God’s children, we have not yet arrived at the complete transformation into what God will make of us. That will come in the resurrection. John’s words indicate that he understands that his readers have faith that they will really be raised from the dead and transformed into a “pure” state.

Just in case someone might think, “Well, if I’m going to be made pure in the resurrection, I can live however I want right now” John says that “everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just a Jesus is pure.” (3:3) His point is think about how God has loved you and will fulfill his promise to you in giving you eternal life. Let this motivate you to honor Him by seeking to live a pure life.  Let the contents be consistent with the label.

May the Lord help us cooperate with His Spirit in putting to death the deeds of the flesh.  Amen.

I was reminded today of an interesting thing to ponder. That is, before the printing press was invented in the 15th century, most people did not own a personal copy of the Bible, nor other books for that reason. In light of this, how are we to think about the Bible in relation to our daily lives as Christians? From childhood I was taught in the Church that Christians should read “their” Bibles. That it was part of the Christian life. But, what did people do before the printing press?

I have always had a problem being disciplined enough to read the Bible every day, and I’m a seminary student! On the other hand, I feel like the Word is part of my life on a daily basis, though I might not read it every day. This is not to say that I don’t think we should strive to read it every day, but maybe we should reconsider the different ways the scriptures are learned and applied in everyday life. Before Bibles (in common languages) became available to the masses, Christians learned scripture by listening to readings at church. The liturgical calender for scripture reading was developed so that the entire Bible would be read in a year. Today, sermons tend to be more centered explaining the scriptures than presenting the scriptures (at least in non-liturgical settings). I guess this is because preachers assume parishioners are failure with the scriptures from their own readings.

My point is, that it seems that the history of Christianity tells us that the scriptures are the important thing, not the means by which you learn the scriptures. We must be careful not to substitute the means for the end.

“Now I saw in my Dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was
fenced on either side with a Wall, and that Wall is called Salvation. Up this
way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty,
because of the load on his back.
He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that
place stood a Cross, and a little below in the bottom, a Sepulchre. So I saw
in my Dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his Burden loosed
from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and
so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the Sepulchre, where it fell
in, and I saw it no more.”

-John Bunyan; the Pilgrim’s Progress

As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent Me. Night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)

“Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men, do not pray for tasks equal to your power, pray for power equal to your tasks!”

–Phillip Brooks