Matthew 5:20-
In continuing the study on the Sermon on the Mount, we are going to update our format slightly to provide more study points for all blog participants.
Beginning in Chapter 5, verse 20 0f Matthew we see that Jesus begins a discussion on sins as considered by the law, culture, and God.
v. 20 many people think that this is an easy verse to attain to since the righteousness of the Pharisees is considered to be a false righteousness. However, it should be noted that the Pharisees, in their falsehood, adhered to a standard of living that few others managed. As Paul stated (Phil 3.6), according to the righteous given in God's law they were blameless.
v.21 The reference made here is to the 10 Commandments posted in Exodus 20. Interestingly, the word translated "danger" in the KJV, NKJV, "subject to" NIV, and "liable" in the NAS is the Greek word "enochos." This word means, "guilty of a crime and deserving of punishment," but it has a personalizing quality. In other words, this was a word that meant you are guilty, not just found guilty.
v.22 Look now to the word "danger", "subject to", and "guilty" (KJV, NKJV, NIV, & NAS respectively). It is the same word used in v. 21 "Enochos." The first crime is being angry. The presentation here, however, refers to holding on to anger towards someone. Second, the term Raca, or "good-for-nothing". This seems to be superceding God's determination of value for a person with your own determination of worthlessness. Finally, "you fool". The indication here is that you are expressing detest for a person and determining them to be incapable of anything worthwhile. According to Christ, God equates these sins to murder, probably because each of them is a leading motivation to those who murder: strong anger, feeling them to be worthless, and a disgust for them. What Christ is beginning to present here, is you need to put an end to things early on, before they become what we consider horrible sins.
v. 23, 24 Christ continues, by stating that if you have caused strife with a brother, it is better to try to achieve reconciliation before you present your service to God. Notice that God does not say that He will not accept your offering. I think this then shows us that God is concerned for His namesake more than your act of service. He wants to make sure that you worship Him out of a pure heart in a manner that will not cause another to stumble. Now some of you are saying, "Huh?" God knows that if you have an argument with a brother (not righteous anger), then show yourself in public worship, you are sending the message that your actions were in clear conscious to God and they are the ones in the wrong. This is why God wants us to seek reconciliation with our brothers and sisters before worshiping Him.
v. 25 The idea of sticking to your guns is only useful when you are standing for God's promise and truths. Obey God rather than man. In every other circumstance, be peaceable and if necessary defrauded for the sake of the gospel (Prov. 25:8, 1 Cor. 6:7).
v. 26 If you don't listen to the advice given in verse 25, this is your likely result. Most people don't have compassion for those who fight them. But, even the unsaved show compassion to those who earnestly seek reconciliation.
v. 27-28 Again the inward attitude is considered an equal to the sin. In this case, lusting is shown to be equal to adultery since lusting is a foundational component of adultery. These verses help show us a very important truth regarding our spiritual lives: The attitude of your heart is just as important as the things that you say and do (Psalm 19:14)
v. 29-30 These two verses outline the cure for addictions and for the sins that so easily beset us: radical amputation. This concept is the idea of removing from you the thing which causes you to stumble. In other words, if you are tempted by television shows and commercials... turn the TV off; if there are books or magazines that keep you from God and Christ-likeness... throw them out; if you are addicted to alcohol, drugs, smoking, or pornography.... get rid of it as fast as you can. Jesus was telling us here, that we need to be drastic in how we live to get results from Him.
v. 31-37 Two things to consider here: 1) Marriage is for life...period. All these reasons that Christians come up with for divorce are mainly materialistic or superficial. The truth is: marriage is a spiritual bond which is only broken by sexual immorality or adultery. These two sins cause a person to physically deviate from their vows and to spiritually discontinue their oneness with their partner. Don't be deceived, though, reconciliation can happen through repentance and forgiveness. But without it, the marriage responsibility was ended in God's eyes through those two sins. 2) Be careful about what you promise or make a vow on. It is no mistake that these concepts are presented back to back since marriage is a vow. Taking it further, though, Jesus warns us that breaking promises and vows is lying. Furthermore, God shows us that we cannot swear by anything because the only thing in this universe that we can control is ourselves. That is why we are to simply respond honestly with a "yes" or "no".
As we continue in the next series, we will see that Jesus was developing momentum towards a life of godliness that could only come from following Him. The next portion of this sermon considers relationships and positions.
Sep 21, 2009
May 30, 2009
The Famous Sermon - Part 1
Matt 5
When Jesus went up into the mountain and began teaching the multitudes, I wonder if the disciples realized that they were listening to one of the most important sermons the world has ever heard. Simple in structure, this sermon has been used by more people to develop philanthropic philosophy (or rules for men) than any other teaching I have heard of. In fact, if you evaluate other world religions you will find that they use some of the ideas presented by Jesus for their own teachings.
He starts out with what have become known as the Beattitudes. You know them by their start phrase, "Blessed are..."
v. 3 - Poor in spirit - to be honest this concept has baffled me for many years. It seems to be talking about those who are not self-fulfilled. But, since the reward for such a state is the kingdom of heaven, it seems it most likely refers to those who recognize their spiritual emptiness in need of Christ
v. 4 - pretty straight forward, those who see grief will also see comfort. When you think about it, comfort would not exist without the grief.
v.5 - the gentle (or meek), not referring to a namby pamby, but more of a Moses like frame of mind. If you recall, Moses was a reluctant leader, but he was a bear when the people crossed the line with God. I really think this is a mindset we can attain to, to only make an issue of the commandments of God and let everything else slide.
v. 6 - those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - these are people are truly seeking to be filled with Christ. God tells us in James if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.
v. 7 - mercy - you get what you give. Jesus will explain this concept much later in a parable, but Paul also gives us perspective in Galatians 6:7 - 8 "whatever a man sows that he will also reap."
v. 8 - pure in heart - this indicates a state of sincerity and integrity that allows a person to maintain their proximity to God. Although, I think it also could mean that having a pure heart allows you to see God at work in things most other people take for granted.
v. 9 - the peacemakers - these are not the Colt brand, but are people who are concerned for reconciliation. This is frame of mind that Christians should hold in high regard and yet we are very often swayed by personality conflicts and selfish ambitions.
v. 10-12 - This last bit speaks of the blessings that come from being attacked and persecuted for your faith in God's Word. Paul and Silas illustrated this perfectly for us when they were beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 16:22-34)
v. 13 - 16 - this is an important lesson for Christians to tell us how to behave in the world. We are salt and light and are supposed to stand out for our good deeds. I am so sick of hearing stories of judgmental and bitter church goers. I am tired of listening to the conversation and jokes of Christians that is not the least bit God honoring ( Eph. 5:3-13). In Philippians 2:12-18 further explains that this is a key mark of our salvation. Or as Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)"
v. 17-20 - God expresses to us that discipleship to Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, the whole law. We are not to be in bondage to manmade rules, only spiritually given over to what God wants from us. However, most importantly, we are not to change or ommit any part of God's commandments. I find that churches are especially good at this by developing a heirarchy of leadership based on government limits and necessity rather than on the spiritual guidelines that God gives us in His Word. This can only hinder the overflowing abundance of God's presence and also diminishes our reward and position in the kingdom. If you love Christ, then we really do need to pay attention and follow his commandments.
The theme that I noticed in all of this discussion is the markings of true disciples. God is not interested in the outward appearance we make in our religious workings. He wants a humble spirit with a loving heart to do all that He might ask of us. What do you think we could do to accomplish this in our lives?
When Jesus went up into the mountain and began teaching the multitudes, I wonder if the disciples realized that they were listening to one of the most important sermons the world has ever heard. Simple in structure, this sermon has been used by more people to develop philanthropic philosophy (or rules for men) than any other teaching I have heard of. In fact, if you evaluate other world religions you will find that they use some of the ideas presented by Jesus for their own teachings.
He starts out with what have become known as the Beattitudes. You know them by their start phrase, "Blessed are..."
v. 3 - Poor in spirit - to be honest this concept has baffled me for many years. It seems to be talking about those who are not self-fulfilled. But, since the reward for such a state is the kingdom of heaven, it seems it most likely refers to those who recognize their spiritual emptiness in need of Christ
v. 4 - pretty straight forward, those who see grief will also see comfort. When you think about it, comfort would not exist without the grief.
v.5 - the gentle (or meek), not referring to a namby pamby, but more of a Moses like frame of mind. If you recall, Moses was a reluctant leader, but he was a bear when the people crossed the line with God. I really think this is a mindset we can attain to, to only make an issue of the commandments of God and let everything else slide.
v. 6 - those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - these are people are truly seeking to be filled with Christ. God tells us in James if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.
v. 7 - mercy - you get what you give. Jesus will explain this concept much later in a parable, but Paul also gives us perspective in Galatians 6:7 - 8 "whatever a man sows that he will also reap."
v. 8 - pure in heart - this indicates a state of sincerity and integrity that allows a person to maintain their proximity to God. Although, I think it also could mean that having a pure heart allows you to see God at work in things most other people take for granted.
v. 9 - the peacemakers - these are not the Colt brand, but are people who are concerned for reconciliation. This is frame of mind that Christians should hold in high regard and yet we are very often swayed by personality conflicts and selfish ambitions.
v. 10-12 - This last bit speaks of the blessings that come from being attacked and persecuted for your faith in God's Word. Paul and Silas illustrated this perfectly for us when they were beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 16:22-34)
v. 13 - 16 - this is an important lesson for Christians to tell us how to behave in the world. We are salt and light and are supposed to stand out for our good deeds. I am so sick of hearing stories of judgmental and bitter church goers. I am tired of listening to the conversation and jokes of Christians that is not the least bit God honoring ( Eph. 5:3-13). In Philippians 2:12-18 further explains that this is a key mark of our salvation. Or as Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)"
v. 17-20 - God expresses to us that discipleship to Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, the whole law. We are not to be in bondage to manmade rules, only spiritually given over to what God wants from us. However, most importantly, we are not to change or ommit any part of God's commandments. I find that churches are especially good at this by developing a heirarchy of leadership based on government limits and necessity rather than on the spiritual guidelines that God gives us in His Word. This can only hinder the overflowing abundance of God's presence and also diminishes our reward and position in the kingdom. If you love Christ, then we really do need to pay attention and follow his commandments.
The theme that I noticed in all of this discussion is the markings of true disciples. God is not interested in the outward appearance we make in our religious workings. He wants a humble spirit with a loving heart to do all that He might ask of us. What do you think we could do to accomplish this in our lives?
Apr 25, 2009
An Interesting Start - John 2
Sorry about the long absence in posts. It has been a crazy time in my life with everything coming to a head at once. I am not in the clear yet, but I at least am able to focus on the Bible study again.
Did you ever notice that Jesus worked in the most peculiar manner? Let's first analyze the passage in John 2 regarding the first miracle of Jesus' ministry: the water into wine. This passage has sparked more than one controversial discussion.
Here are some things to think about? Did Jesus condone drinking as part of a cultural celebration ceremony? Verse 10 has the master of the feast asking about the wine using the statement, "after the guests are drunk?" While many pastors try to explain how this is not the case and the wine was actually just a tasty form of grape juice, I think it is a moot point. That is not the focus of the passage and should not be used as such to support an argument in either direction. The focus of the passage is on Jesus and his response to his mother. Perhaps it would be better to look at this passage from the perspective of how to be honoring to your parents. After all, Jesus was not acting on his own initiative, but was responding to his mother's request despite it not being a necessary element of the larger plan. There's something to think about: God allowed Jesus to exercise authority of miracles toward a situation that only brought glory to him in Jesus' act of honoring his earthly parents.
Another question to be considered is the level of faith maintained by Mary in this situation. As we discussed several weeks ago in our group setting, Mary did not take the happenings of God lightly when Jesus was conceived and born. She thought about everything with an open mind toward God. I say that, because she was a part of events that had never been seen in Israel or the world for that matter. Then about 30 years later, she sees a problem and turns to Jesus for help. In one regards, it is perfectly natural for verse 3 to take place since she was being a proper Jewish woman and seeking the advice of the head male for the family. (It is assumed that Joseph has passed away, making the eldest son, Jesus, the head of the family.) But her answer to Jesus' question, "what does this have to do with me..." is very peculiar. She tells the servants to obey Him to the letter. Why? My impression from this passage is that she judged by His response that He would help. She exhibits a curious faith here, because I would take that answer as a no.
Did you ever notice that Jesus worked in the most peculiar manner? Let's first analyze the passage in John 2 regarding the first miracle of Jesus' ministry: the water into wine. This passage has sparked more than one controversial discussion.
Here are some things to think about? Did Jesus condone drinking as part of a cultural celebration ceremony? Verse 10 has the master of the feast asking about the wine using the statement, "after the guests are drunk?" While many pastors try to explain how this is not the case and the wine was actually just a tasty form of grape juice, I think it is a moot point. That is not the focus of the passage and should not be used as such to support an argument in either direction. The focus of the passage is on Jesus and his response to his mother. Perhaps it would be better to look at this passage from the perspective of how to be honoring to your parents. After all, Jesus was not acting on his own initiative, but was responding to his mother's request despite it not being a necessary element of the larger plan. There's something to think about: God allowed Jesus to exercise authority of miracles toward a situation that only brought glory to him in Jesus' act of honoring his earthly parents.
Another question to be considered is the level of faith maintained by Mary in this situation. As we discussed several weeks ago in our group setting, Mary did not take the happenings of God lightly when Jesus was conceived and born. She thought about everything with an open mind toward God. I say that, because she was a part of events that had never been seen in Israel or the world for that matter. Then about 30 years later, she sees a problem and turns to Jesus for help. In one regards, it is perfectly natural for verse 3 to take place since she was being a proper Jewish woman and seeking the advice of the head male for the family. (It is assumed that Joseph has passed away, making the eldest son, Jesus, the head of the family.) But her answer to Jesus' question, "what does this have to do with me..." is very peculiar. She tells the servants to obey Him to the letter. Why? My impression from this passage is that she judged by His response that He would help. She exhibits a curious faith here, because I would take that answer as a no.
When Jesus turns the water into wine, he does it as a silent miracle. Only the servants know about it, and they are in no position to explain to the wedding guests what has happened. Thus, the focus is still on Jesus and His mother. He responded to her request by politely reminding her that she was asking Him to perform an action that was not a requirement of His calling and purpose. Then, he does it. He did not have to, but he did. He showed honor to his mother. Jesus, Almighty God in human flesh, submitted to His earthly mother and fulfilled the law in honoring her. You can ponder that for years, and I wonder if the magnitude of it will ever sink in.
What do you think?
Mar 27, 2009
The Temptation of Christ
Scripture: Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13;
The temptation for Christ has been the subject of many debates among Christians. First and foremost is the peccability or impeccability of Christ. In other words, could he sin or not. Another of these debates is that this is a model for overcoming temptation to Christians. Yet another discussion arises about the nature of the temptation that Satan provides and his range of authority. These are all very excellent philosophical viewpoints, but they are all isolated and lack a global viewpoint...that is, they sort of ignore the whole context of the passage.
I am not even going to get into the argument of whether or not Christ could have sinned as that is irrelevant. He didn't. That should be good enough for all of us.
What I will consider is why we find a discussion of Jesus' temptation in 3 of the 4 gospels (Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, & Luke 4:1-13) and the main points of that discussion. After all, let's look straight at the Word and see what God speaks to us about.
In all three accounts of this part of Jesus' life Jesus was first led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for the sole purpose of facing this temptation...alone. That is an interesting point to me, since most pastors that I know will tell you that the best way to face temptation is with help from another. In fact, I find that many people promote accountability as the most effective method for dealing with temptation. Some of the passages that are used to support these thoughts are Eccl. 4:9-12 and Gal. 6:1-2. So why does God lead Jesus into the wilderness to face temptation alone? My suggestion is simple...God can enable us to overcome temptation using His Spirit and the Word as support alone. It really supports the concept of God and me is the majority.
Next look at the specific nature of temptations and the specific Word of God that was used to refute them. We will consider the list of worldly aspects as presented in 1 John 2:16: Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, Pride of Life. First, Satan presents Jesus with the temptation to use his power to cure the hunger that has grown from his awesome fast (lust of the flesh). Jesus responded by quoting Moses (Deut 8:3). What is important to note is that Jesus does not refute the fact that eating would bring him satisfaction. Otherwise, he would have said, " I have no need of Bread, but of the Word of God only." This is important to understand I think, because sometimes temptation will come in an area that will gratify and satisfy the flesh...for a time. Jesus shows us, though, that there is something more satisfying. Read John 4 and you will find that Jesus promotes the more satisfying sustenance to a Samaritan woman. Jesus basically said, "yeah I'm hungry, but I'd rather eat what God tells me to."
Following that, Satan challenges Jesus's birthright (if you are the Son of God...). He was just saying to Jesus, come on...prove yourself (Pride of Life). Jesus sidesteps that temptation with a quote from from Moses (Deut 6:16). Jesus simply responds to this with a...God has nothing to prove. This is important for us to remember when this temptation flares in our lives...If you were a good Christian, you would... We have nothing to prove to anyone, that is God's job. Our biggest responsibilities are to live as he commands us to (Matt 22:37-40).
Finally, Satan tempts Jesus with a lucrative offer, King of the World. He is really telling Jesus a lie...worship me and I will let you have more authority than me in the world. Now this one seems like a no-brainer to us, but think more importantly what Satan was aiming at. He knew that Jesus was God in the flesh and had submitted himself to following God's will totally. Jesus set aside his right to express his higher upness to the world to become part of the world. Satan was telling Jesus, he could play it by his own rules if he wanted to. Jesus responds to this one most interestingly with a quote from Dueteronomy 6:13. He challenges the action being asked of him, not the tempting result. Really, I think Jesus was saying to Satan, "Worshipping God is worth more than anything this world has to offer."
At the end, angels ministered to Jesus. Perhaps this is an indication to us that when we have to face temptation on our own, God will send angels to attend to us. Think about these things and let me know if you have any thoughts or questions.
God Bless you all.
The temptation for Christ has been the subject of many debates among Christians. First and foremost is the peccability or impeccability of Christ. In other words, could he sin or not. Another of these debates is that this is a model for overcoming temptation to Christians. Yet another discussion arises about the nature of the temptation that Satan provides and his range of authority. These are all very excellent philosophical viewpoints, but they are all isolated and lack a global viewpoint...that is, they sort of ignore the whole context of the passage.
I am not even going to get into the argument of whether or not Christ could have sinned as that is irrelevant. He didn't. That should be good enough for all of us.
What I will consider is why we find a discussion of Jesus' temptation in 3 of the 4 gospels (Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, & Luke 4:1-13) and the main points of that discussion. After all, let's look straight at the Word and see what God speaks to us about.
In all three accounts of this part of Jesus' life Jesus was first led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for the sole purpose of facing this temptation...alone. That is an interesting point to me, since most pastors that I know will tell you that the best way to face temptation is with help from another. In fact, I find that many people promote accountability as the most effective method for dealing with temptation. Some of the passages that are used to support these thoughts are Eccl. 4:9-12 and Gal. 6:1-2. So why does God lead Jesus into the wilderness to face temptation alone? My suggestion is simple...God can enable us to overcome temptation using His Spirit and the Word as support alone. It really supports the concept of God and me is the majority.
Next look at the specific nature of temptations and the specific Word of God that was used to refute them. We will consider the list of worldly aspects as presented in 1 John 2:16: Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, Pride of Life. First, Satan presents Jesus with the temptation to use his power to cure the hunger that has grown from his awesome fast (lust of the flesh). Jesus responded by quoting Moses (Deut 8:3). What is important to note is that Jesus does not refute the fact that eating would bring him satisfaction. Otherwise, he would have said, " I have no need of Bread, but of the Word of God only." This is important to understand I think, because sometimes temptation will come in an area that will gratify and satisfy the flesh...for a time. Jesus shows us, though, that there is something more satisfying. Read John 4 and you will find that Jesus promotes the more satisfying sustenance to a Samaritan woman. Jesus basically said, "yeah I'm hungry, but I'd rather eat what God tells me to."
Following that, Satan challenges Jesus's birthright (if you are the Son of God...). He was just saying to Jesus, come on...prove yourself (Pride of Life). Jesus sidesteps that temptation with a quote from from Moses (Deut 6:16). Jesus simply responds to this with a...God has nothing to prove. This is important for us to remember when this temptation flares in our lives...If you were a good Christian, you would... We have nothing to prove to anyone, that is God's job. Our biggest responsibilities are to live as he commands us to (Matt 22:37-40).
Finally, Satan tempts Jesus with a lucrative offer, King of the World. He is really telling Jesus a lie...worship me and I will let you have more authority than me in the world. Now this one seems like a no-brainer to us, but think more importantly what Satan was aiming at. He knew that Jesus was God in the flesh and had submitted himself to following God's will totally. Jesus set aside his right to express his higher upness to the world to become part of the world. Satan was telling Jesus, he could play it by his own rules if he wanted to. Jesus responds to this one most interestingly with a quote from Dueteronomy 6:13. He challenges the action being asked of him, not the tempting result. Really, I think Jesus was saying to Satan, "Worshipping God is worth more than anything this world has to offer."
At the end, angels ministered to Jesus. Perhaps this is an indication to us that when we have to face temptation on our own, God will send angels to attend to us. Think about these things and let me know if you have any thoughts or questions.
God Bless you all.
Mar 6, 2009
The Importance of Christ - March 6, 2009
As I was studying the Bible I came across a very interesting fact. Did you realize that in all four gospels, Christ is proclaimed as God before we are told of his ministry and teachings? Matt 1:23 presents Jesus as being Immanuel (God with us); Mark 1:1 calls Him the Son of God; Luke 3:22 describes the voice proclaiming Jesus as the "Beloved Son"; and John 1:1 literally calls him God. There are other references to Christ's relationship to Almighty God. The thought that comes to me is this: If the Word of God takes great care to assert that Christ is God become flesh to bring salvation to man, why do so many Christians minimize the need to be Christ-like?
I was troubled by a discussion a pastor's gathering a few weeks ago when the discussion turned to the difficulties being faced by the church. The answer, as they presented, was to develop a mission objective for the church. They were greatly impressed by the book The Purpose Driven Church and talked about how they could and should use it in their ministries.
Why did this bother me you might ask: there was very little attendance to the Word of God. They talked about what the book said and what we should be doing in the church, and sometimes they were right on with the Word of God. After all, the Bible does tell us that where there is no vision, the people perish. I am just worried that we get so caught up in the perspective one person gives to the Word of God that we lose the Word of God as living, breathing, and valid to our everyday lives (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Do not misunderstand the purpose of this discussion, I don't think that these Christian writers are invalid or necessarily wrong in their presentation of a Biblical concept. What I am trying to say is that we need to rely on the Word of God first and use books like The Purpose Driven Life/Church, The Prayer of Jabez, The Battlefield of the Mind, etc. to supplement our understanding of the Bible. I am sure that we all agree that we should never replace the Bible with these other books. Still, that is what is happening when you sit around and discuss how to apply a book to your life and/or church without discussing why it is the Biblically correct thing to do. If you ignore the Word, you walk on dangerous ground.
So how does this relate to the topic of Christ's Deity? Being imitators of Christ is the purpose of spiritual growth. Every book that we use to help us grow should be Biblically based first of all. This means that it should be read critically and matched up to what the Bible says. Second, it should emphasize Christ since that is the focus that we need to have as Christians (Col 3:1, 17). Finally, I believe that some books are not for everyone and should not be used as such. Even though Christlikeness is the goal for every Christian, we must realize that the process will be different for each person. That's because we are all different. Some of us will face persecution for our faith while others will be spiritually oppressed. We all may have different sins that easily beset us, or struggle with different types of personality. This means that God needs to work on us according to His method and His design. This is why it is important to keep the importance of Christ as presented in the Scriptures in focus.
What are your thoughts?
I was troubled by a discussion a pastor's gathering a few weeks ago when the discussion turned to the difficulties being faced by the church. The answer, as they presented, was to develop a mission objective for the church. They were greatly impressed by the book The Purpose Driven Church and talked about how they could and should use it in their ministries.
Why did this bother me you might ask: there was very little attendance to the Word of God. They talked about what the book said and what we should be doing in the church, and sometimes they were right on with the Word of God. After all, the Bible does tell us that where there is no vision, the people perish. I am just worried that we get so caught up in the perspective one person gives to the Word of God that we lose the Word of God as living, breathing, and valid to our everyday lives (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Do not misunderstand the purpose of this discussion, I don't think that these Christian writers are invalid or necessarily wrong in their presentation of a Biblical concept. What I am trying to say is that we need to rely on the Word of God first and use books like The Purpose Driven Life/Church, The Prayer of Jabez, The Battlefield of the Mind, etc. to supplement our understanding of the Bible. I am sure that we all agree that we should never replace the Bible with these other books. Still, that is what is happening when you sit around and discuss how to apply a book to your life and/or church without discussing why it is the Biblically correct thing to do. If you ignore the Word, you walk on dangerous ground.
So how does this relate to the topic of Christ's Deity? Being imitators of Christ is the purpose of spiritual growth. Every book that we use to help us grow should be Biblically based first of all. This means that it should be read critically and matched up to what the Bible says. Second, it should emphasize Christ since that is the focus that we need to have as Christians (Col 3:1, 17). Finally, I believe that some books are not for everyone and should not be used as such. Even though Christlikeness is the goal for every Christian, we must realize that the process will be different for each person. That's because we are all different. Some of us will face persecution for our faith while others will be spiritually oppressed. We all may have different sins that easily beset us, or struggle with different types of personality. This means that God needs to work on us according to His method and His design. This is why it is important to keep the importance of Christ as presented in the Scriptures in focus.
What are your thoughts?