Encouragement
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BY COMMENTING
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE As A Member OR Visitor
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE As A Member OR Visitor
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
A CHALLENGE TO THE LOST-PART TWO
By
Lawrence Walkup
The lost need to stop looking to the church...whether it's the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church or whatever church...as the representative of God. True, the church should be doing its job as the representative of God to the world; but it is really no different than how Israel, including up to the present time, has misrepresented God for the past 3515 years. First Israel missed the meaning of the Law, and then they missed the meaning of who Jesus was to them (Rom. 3:20). The organized church (as opposed to the body of Christ) throughout its history has missed the meaning of salvation as explained in the New Covenant (Heb. 10:16-17). It still wants to live under the Old Covenant, or at best, it tries to mix the two covenants together which results in destroying both (Matt. 9:17).
The Old Covenant and the New Covenant are as opposite as anything could be (2 Cor. 3:6). The church has missed this. All the messages from the pulpit are the same. It's either about what we should be doing for God, or what it is we can get more from God. The message under the New Covenant is what God has done for us...resulting now in all that we possess in him. I hate to break the news to the church...but Christianity is not about us. Israel and the church have failed being good representatives of God because of what it is that makes up these entities...tremendously proud people. Pride and God do not go good together.
The lost, the critics of the church have mistakenly always looked at what makes up the church (people) as the determining factor for giving Christianity credibility. Since the lost, if they are honest with themselves, know that they are proud creatures themselves; they should know that people cannot be a credible representative of God. And it just so happens to be convenient for them to blame others, who are like themselves, and use it as an excuse to not have to deal with God. Even born again Christians still possess a flesh that wants nothing to do with God (Gal. 5:17)...is it any surprise that the lost will not look for any excuse to not have to deal with God.
All humans whether saved or not have been given a heart from God (for the purpose of guiding us) that condemns us of right and wrong (Rom. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:19). But people end up listening to societies (who want to be the ones that determine right and wrong) instead of listening to their hearts. We are different from the animal kingdom because we possess moral responsibility. But moral responsibility is ignored because the world has fallen under the spell of the theory of Evolution. Since we came from animals...we get to act like animals. Too bad for man that the consequences of ignoring moral responsibility can't be ignored. He's still trying to figure that one out. God saves people because they need saving; but he cannot save people who are not honest with themselves. And it's not because they can't be...it's because they don't want to be (John 3:19-20).
To the lost, let me direct you to what is representative of God. Coincidentally it just so happens to be the very first thing that Jesus did when he stared his ministry. There is nothing that is of more solid proof that upholds the Word of God as the Word of God than how Jesus throughout his ministry (the Gospels) lays out the validity of the Old Testament. This is the Word of God that existed at his time. Today we have the New Testament which was the continuing work of Jesus as revealed through the Apostles...just as Jesus had told them what was to come (John 16:13-14). If the Old Testament is valid, which Jesus without question proved it to be, then think how much more valid is the New Testament, because that is what we are under today, also known as the New Covenant that started at the death of Jesus (Heb. 9:16-17).
This is where you go if you want to find out about God. The foundation to be laid in order to know God starts with the Word of God, not the word of man. The church only has value to us, if it is saying, and is in agreement with what God has already said...not adding to or taking from. God meant for us to have these writings on paper. He meant for them to be preserved for these thousands of years in order to be read. And if he meant for them to be read, then he meant for us to discover what is in them. And if he meant for us to discover what is in them, then it can't be that hard to find the treasure.
God saves individuals. Individually you have to make the effort to get the life of Christ in you. You don't get saved in groups. You don't automatically acquire someone else's faith. You have to get your own faith. The Bible says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Your biggest problem is going to be getting past the belief that the Bible is an ancient book for ancient times and has nothing to do with today. What makes it so easy to believe this is because everybody believes this. The beginning of being honest with yourself begins with asking yourself the question: Why do I believe in what I believe in?
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 707 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Lawrence Walkup or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 707 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.