A SIMPLE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS

A SIMPLE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS

I sometimes wish we could eliminate religion altogether. Do the religions of today even resemble the faith brought to us by Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago? I believe it grieves the heart of God when He looks down and sees all the pomp and circumstance we choose to call Christianity.

Think back to the early ministry of Christ in Jerusalem. Remember all the conflicts he had with the religious rulers of his day. How many times he corrected them for public prayers, repetition in religious behavior, and staunch adherence to religious rules. If one takes the time to analyze the conversations Jesus had with those in charge of worship it becomes very clear that he was far more concerned with the heart than he was with the religion.

Did you ever think about the church building itself? Today we build great edifices richly adorned to create an almost divine vision for those who enter, or even just drive by. Many may not be aware of it but (unless new evidence has recently been unearthed) there is no evidence of any Christian church building existing until almost 300ad. It seems the early church really put very little emphasis on where they met. Paul would go into synagogues to teach the Jews but that is not where the Christians were meeting. The early Church met primarily in houses, barns or even open air settings for over 200 years as far we know today.

For me, this raises a question. Why do we do what we do in our churches today? Look at your church and what it does on any given Sunday (or Saturday for some) and think very deeply for a moment. Now ask yourself, “why?” Think carefully about the ministry of Christ while he was living here among us. Would he come to your church today and be blessed by all he saw? Or would he come in like he did in the temple and begin turning over table and destroying much of what is there? I think most churches today could sell many of the things they think are valuable, melt down the gold and silver items and use the proceeds to feed, clothe and shelter the needy. That would bless Him even more.

Consider too the “worship service” itself. Was Jesus ever heard to say one thing that would lead us to believe we needed to be formal and ritualistic in our services? Every meeting in the New Testament was in a home, a barn or open air and always was relaxed and informal. Oh, we have our reasons for all we do. We have long histories of church traditions to follow which assures us that what we do is right and proper. But are we not just following the traditions of men? What should be our guide to Church worship and even Christian living?

I firmly believe if Christians began studying the Word of God many church buildings would be torn done and many denominations closed. Too many are looking to history and tradition for their blueprint of Christian living and worship and ignoring the Word of God.

"Let God be true and every man a liar." You see, even in life God's Word must be the final word. We cannot determine the validity of the Bible by comparing it to a person's life. No matter how good or bad a person is his life or actions do not alter the Word of God. How often it has been said, after seeing the actions of someone calling themselves a Christian, “If that is what Christianity is then I want no part of it.”

Having been saved or born again for some 45 years now there are plenty of things in my life that are not good examples of the, “faith once delivered to the saints.” However, does my life or do my actions determine whether or not the Bible is true? Certainly not. Can we look at those standing in pulpits, lecterns, or on platforms claiming to be men of God and decide the Bible is wrong because of their shortcomings? No. We must compare their lives and ministries to the Bible to determine if they are truly men of God, not to discover if the Bible is true. The Bible is always true. The Bible is Truth.

When we look at churches and religious organizations it must be with a broken heart as we see how their extravagances and religious arrogance have distorted the faith and helped to move people away from a true faith in God and personal relationship with him. The faith Christ preached was quite simple. He said to believe God sent him as the sacrifice for your sin and to worship God above all else in life and to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. I don't recall any building codes in there or any emphasis on religious programs...just, love God, trust his sacrifice made on your behalf, and love those around you.

A simple faith once delivered to the Saints.