Today's devotional reading took me to Philippians 3. In the margins I have written "what we are on the outside doesn't always tell us what's inside. Labels don't make a person a believer in Christ." How true that is. You may say you are a Christian, you may be considered a Christian by those around you, but to really be one is something else.
Philippians 3:2-3 says "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
In Old Testament days, "dogs" were what the Jews called Gentiles - i.e., everyone who was not Jewish. Here in Philippians Paul is saying "dogs" are those who strive to steal away the true beliefs of Christians. Those "who do evil" try to add something to faith as the way of salvation.
Faith is believing without seeing. Faith does not need appendages.
Jesus died for each and everyone of us individually. Faith is when we accept His death, burial and resurrection and believe it was and is for me.
Believing that requirements are necessary because someone said so is in direct opposition to the True Gospel. The True Gospel is that of Jesus Christ. There is no other. You who don't think Jesus matters may find out too too late just how much He does matter.
What we are labeled by others is not always a true description of who and what we are. It is merely often their singular belief. We should not fall prey to another.
Verse 3 paraphrased says, "We worship God in the Spirit, not the flesh, and rejoice in Christ Jesus." It is a matter of the heart. When we worship in the flesh, we are doing our own thing. We are not one with God the Father and Christ the Son.
Where are you?
No comments:
Post a Comment