I remember reading a quote from Ghandi,
That quote hit me hard.
We live our lives happily calling ourselves 'Christians' when, in fact, we don't do very much to warrant that title.
The title 'Christian' wasn't even created by the first followers of Jesus, it was created by those around them who saw how they lived.
Acts 4:32-35
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
They were of one heart and soul? There was not a needy person among them?
If one of the first believers were to walk into a church today would they even recognise the people they were meeting as brothers and sisters in Christ? Would they feel that we were of one heart and soul? I don't know.
Disunity has been so widespread in the Church, self-righteous religion as slowly crept in to believer's lives and as all this has infiltrated the Body, following Jesus has became more of a saying of the Church, rather than an action.
Putting this all down in words really breaks my heart because I'm not saying this as an outsider like Ghandi, I'm saying this as a member of the body of Christ and as I say it - I know that I'm part of the problem. So often I can get caught up in the things of this world. On selfish desires and self-righteous thoughts. Thoughts that create actions that are so far removed from being the Christ-like disciple Jesus has called me to be.
What was different about those first believers? What did they have that made them so generous and loving? They had a personal relationship with Jesus, they had the power Holy Spirit within them, and they knew the love and grace of God. All these things are still offered to me - to all of us who know Jesus as our Saviour.
Something I am learning is the only way to change these problems in the Church is, number one - by being the change you want to see in it. By committing yourself to the Lord in prayer and in fellowship. With 12 disciples committed to the Lord and empowered by the Holy Spirit, God changed the history of the world. Who's to say with 12 people in your Church, in your Small Group, committed in to the Lord and empowered by the same Holy Spirit that God can't completely revive the Church? His Body?
However, at the end of the day. Faith isn't always simple, sometimes we mess up and get caught up in sin however what's so amazing about our faith is we that have a Saviour who pours grace upon grace on us when we do. So Ghandi, you might not like us and sometimes us Christians don't like ourselves either, but you know what? Our Christ loves us.
And that's pretty amazing.
If one of the first believers were to walk into a church today would they even recognise the people they were meeting as brothers and sisters in Christ? Would they feel that we were of one heart and soul? I don't know.
Disunity has been so widespread in the Church, self-righteous religion as slowly crept in to believer's lives and as all this has infiltrated the Body, following Jesus has became more of a saying of the Church, rather than an action.
Putting this all down in words really breaks my heart because I'm not saying this as an outsider like Ghandi, I'm saying this as a member of the body of Christ and as I say it - I know that I'm part of the problem. So often I can get caught up in the things of this world. On selfish desires and self-righteous thoughts. Thoughts that create actions that are so far removed from being the Christ-like disciple Jesus has called me to be.
What was different about those first believers? What did they have that made them so generous and loving? They had a personal relationship with Jesus, they had the power Holy Spirit within them, and they knew the love and grace of God. All these things are still offered to me - to all of us who know Jesus as our Saviour.
Something I am learning is the only way to change these problems in the Church is, number one - by being the change you want to see in it. By committing yourself to the Lord in prayer and in fellowship. With 12 disciples committed to the Lord and empowered by the Holy Spirit, God changed the history of the world. Who's to say with 12 people in your Church, in your Small Group, committed in to the Lord and empowered by the same Holy Spirit that God can't completely revive the Church? His Body?
However, at the end of the day. Faith isn't always simple, sometimes we mess up and get caught up in sin however what's so amazing about our faith is we that have a Saviour who pours grace upon grace on us when we do. So Ghandi, you might not like us and sometimes us Christians don't like ourselves either, but you know what? Our Christ loves us.
And that's pretty amazing.
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