Many of the
people we know, probably like some of you, grew up in a Christian home, and
were familiar with Christian jargon. I however, being raised in an atheist
home, barely heard of or thought about God, and didn’t really know who Jesus
was. It may surprise you to know that after just a couple of weeks at church, I
had this conversation with my (at the time) 7 year old son:
Ryan: “Why
do they call him Jesus Christ?”
Me: “That is
his name, Jesus is his first name and Christ is his last name.”
Ryan: “Oh,
ok.”
I laugh now
at the thought of this conversation, but at the time I realized I did not
really know anything about being a Christian.
If you have
been following along these last couple of days, you already know I struggle
with begin a control freak. Another part of that issue is the constant drive to
achieve perfection. I am a research nerd by nature. I always did well in
school, enjoyed studying and was good at reading the material, memorizing it
and mastering that skill. I prided myself on being able to study virtually any
subject, learning all I could and then mastering it. So, shortly after making a
profession of faith, I set off on my new journey. My plan was to read the Bible
from start to finish, learn the material, and then master it; becoming the
“perfect Christian.”
I started in
Genesis and worked through the law. I was curious why we didn’t still sacrifice
animals, and of course, I stopped eating pork. I did not eat pork for almost 4
months until I got to the New Testament and found out that the dietary laws had
been lifted. (This explained so much, as I was confused why so many Christians
sinned by eating pork! No, I am not kidding.)
You may be
thinking this all sounds ridiculous, and as I look back now, it was. But, at
the time, I truly wanted to live my life exactly like the law demands. My
striving for perfection would soon be replaced with a humbling realization that
I cannot fulfill the law’s requirements, which is why Jesus had to come to
fulfill the law. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans
3:23). If we could read the Bible, master it and be “perfect Christians” there
would be no need for Christ’s sacrifice.
“We have
this treasure in earthen vessels (clay
pots), that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2
Corinthians 4:7). As a clay pot, we are full of imperfections, leaving no doubt
that it is God at work in us and through us. We need to be reminded often of
our poverty and inability to be perfect on our own, apart from Christ. “For by
one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews
10:14)
I hope you
have found this week’s posts encouraging. Find your comfort and peace in
Christ, and quit striving on our own to achieve that which is given freely to
those who are called by His name.
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