9-9-2009
Christian Commitment
As we dive into the gospel of Matthew, chapter 10 versus 34-39 get about as blunt as any part of the Bible as it pertains to Christian commitment.
32"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - 36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Christian commitment may separate you from friends, peers, and even family. Our first priority should be Christ. Anything away from Christ is temporal, and in the end meaningless. Christ is eternal, and you will have to forfeit some of the pleasures of the world in order to fully follow him. What’s awesome is the fact that chasing worldly things leaves you empty inside in the end anyways. There’s nothing wrong with having fame, power, money, popularity, as long as you understand those are gifts that God has allowed, thus they need to be used to bring HIM glory and not you. To truly understand the meaning of life is to die to self and live to serve. Never allow anything or anyone to stand in the way of your relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 10:32-39 carefully
2. Who or what do you allow to stand in the way of your relationship with Christ?
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I have a few questions about your savior. How is there any proof to anything he says from an academic prospsective. Meaning, the first testament all 3 major religions of the world acknowledge its credence. Why was it so undeniable, did not need to use the sword to viciously kill so many people to forcefully convert others,(crusades, spanish inquisition, Himelensky massacres). I'll tell you why the 1st testament did not need any help to sell itself. Because when it was given on Mount Sinai 3 thousands years ago it was in front of the entire Jewish nation. The the whole world knew about it. Jus like no one can deny the American Revolution, know can deny what transpired 3000 years ago. Which is so far from the case of Christianity. Basically I know who you are and I am posting this comment in the hope that you have real answers that answer the question.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting some questions with respect to Christianity, as this is one of the primary reasons for the daily devotionals. We are always here to help you with clarity with respect to your faith journey. I respect and love everyone, and am not here to judge anyone. Now, here are a few answers gathered from ministers and the like for your questions that should bring clarity.
ReplyDelete“Would you consider reading a short book written by a British scholar over 50 years ago? It’s entitled The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? The author is Professor F.F. Bruce of the University of Manchester. If what he says has the ring of truth to it, then we must give serious consideration to the Jesus depicted in the 4 Gospel accounts. If what he says is false, then we can know next to nothing about Jesus, and his teachings and life purpose are really up for grabs.”
A response from another reader sent by email:
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the previous comments your reader will discover that there is more historical attestation to the validity of the New Testament documents than there is the Old Testament. Especially with regard to the length of time that passes between the actual historical events and the first extant copies of the text. We have a portion of the Gospel of John that has been dated around 120 A.D. One collection of 9 New Testament letters is dated back to 200 A.D. The time frame between many of the events in the Old Testament and the first appearance of the Torah in the 5th century B.C. would be a difference of 7 centuries. So, in this one category alone, there is much more opportunity for the texts to be corrupted in the OT than in the New.