Why, with all its obvious shortcomings, does the Church of
Jesus Christ continue to grow? Have you seen the bumper sticker that says,
“Jesus, save me from your followers”? Kind of nasty, wouldn’t you say? The
sentiment probably shows a resistance to the pull of the Spirit of Love. Like
modern Adams and Eves we try to escape God by hiding behind the trees of
other’s faults. Nevertheless, we believers know that we are just sinners saved
by the absolute grace of God and nothing else. To be a Christian in the first
place, one must acknowledge one’s utter depravity and lost-ness. The biggest
problem with Christianity is us. Still, with all our iniquity, we have not
destroyed the “Faith once delivered to our fathers.” Why not?
Simple: There's a rhinoceros in our living room. Christ Himself lives in His
people. Though the world finds this idea outrageous, He lives on in the hearts
of all who call upon His name. Our faith is not an idea it is a Person. It is
not a way of life; it is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As a religion,
Christianity is considered foolish. The only reason it remains is because Jesus
Christ, by His Spirit, abides in it.
This
is why believers have a hard time taking seriously the excellent arguments of nay-sayers.
We’ve had an encounter with a being that cannot be ignored. It is like a
rhinoceros has taken up residence in our living room. He is our undeniable
Truth. Whatever our varied and conflicting dogmas, traditions and rituals; whatever
our good or bad behaviors, we are the house in which God lives. He loves us
forever, and promises never leave us or forsake us. I guess there’s just no accounting for taste.
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