When noticeable goes unnoticed!

 

We can either be the best example of Jesus in this world or a bad model of Christ’s teaching. Contradictory lifestyle is a result of superficiality and dishonest commitment towards God. When we want to follow God and at the same time satisfy our noticeable and sometimes unnoticeable selfish intentions to please the world, we end up living a life of contradiction. As we get used to it, our conscience is undisturbed, providing us with justifying reasons to hold on to that lifestyle.

In the book of Romans Chapter 2 Paul points out the contradictory behavior of the Jews and condemns them for being the reason God’s name is getting blasphemed (Romans 2:24). This is so true even today.  Beside people’s personal reason for rejecting God they give themselves valid reason to be offended by other Christians and yet live a contradictory lifestyle. Somehow we become the reasons for their offense.

Let me direct your attention to Romans 2:22, where it says,  “.. You who detest idols, do you rob temples.” Well I don’t intend to list out the contradiction concerning the Jews in this blog, but definitely want to draw all your attention to the contradictions sustained by the Christian world.  Sometimes our zeal for the Lord is so compartmentalized. Yes, you heard it right, compartmentalized. Many are upset on general evil the Bible condemns,  but overlook other evils brooding in their heart. And the sad part is that it finds approval to act on it.  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in one of the writings states, “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of you and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every man. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

Today many Christian leaders can be so loud in their condemnation against all idolatries but still be comfortable to make Church an enterprise for a sustainable financial return. It doesn’t hurt them at all. The Mission of Christ continues to suffer because money covertly becomes a goal for the Church’s existence. The mandate of Christ in many cases has become a nice philosophy to mobilize funds and to do every other thing, beside actually reaching out to people with the good news. And Paul is right when he raises the question. It can be easy to detest the idols and still rob the church. Then in the days before Jesus the temple structure was seen as a holy sanctuary to a larger extent. But then the temple of the Lord was destroyed in 70 A.D fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus which was accused by Jesus for turning it into a business center. But today in the new testament era when God redefined the temple it culminated to a movement, a gathering, an assembly of believers coming together for a grandeur purpose. But when the grandeur purpose is robbed, we all stand condemned. Just meeting the pharisee’s legalistic requirement of not missing the Church gains importance.

Church leaders ensure that their congregation’s faithfulness is shown in the way they render their offerings and ensure that they don’t lose anyone. And the people are happy that they are fulfilling the church obligation i.e., by attending the Church and paying the tithes. Is this all the purpose of the Church? Today, by all means the purpose of reaching souls with the gospel is robbed. Just because you are pious in one activity doesn’t give you leverage of disobeying another Biblical requirement and most importantly, the Great Commission. Christians, Pastors and leaders be watchful that your Church is not robbed of its essence and the purpose and merely existing as a beautiful structure. 

In case you missed to read the last blog, "Price in the hand of the fool"  CLICK HERE

 

Click here You can follow on Twitter