Following the Instructions
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV)
The Road Map
Sometimes we look at the Word of God as a road map. To use a road map we need to know three things. We need to know where we are, we need to know where we want to go and we need to find the road or roads that take us from where we are to where we want to go. In the Bible there is only one road that takes the lost from where they are to where they want to go and that road or way is faith in Christ. Of course in order to follow Christ to our destination or heavenly home, we need to follow the written instructions in the word of God. They are simple but unfortunately there are people who think they are Christians who have never followed the instructions. People think that they can be saved without first being lost and that is not how God works. We don’t have to get lost to be saved; we have to find out that we are lost to be saved. Most people who find out that they are lost look for God’s way of salvation. Usually the lost have no trouble trusting in the Lord by trusting in the truth that Christ died for them.
The Recipe
This time of the year, our cooks are going to use their chemistry skills to create culinary masterpieces for our Thanksgiving Day feasts. Many of these cooks are going to use old family recipes. However, in many cases, the culinary masterpiece is not going to taste anything like what grandma used to make. In some cases, that will be because grandma didn’t write the recipe down and so the instructions are not clearly remembered. In other cases the person using the old family recipe hasn’t really followed the instructions. When that sour cream chocolate cake “falls” it may be because the cook didn’t use the right amount of sour cream. When the pie crust is hard instead of flaky, it may be that the cook decided to substitute margarine for lard. When the custard doesn’t seem to taste just right, it may be that the cook thought the recipe called for too much sugar or they may have substituted a cheap vanilla for the real stuff. But when all of these recipes turn out to be subpar, is it the fault of the recipe or the fault of the person who “substituted ingredients” or was careless in following the recipe?
I am afraid that we are prone to treat the Bible like some people treat the old family recipes. And then we tend to blame God when the church becomes more of a social organization than a living breathing testimony for the Lord. In some cases the church becomes big business even though the Gospel is free. We wonder why our young people are disenchanted with the church. We wonder why everyone says that they are Christians but no one seems to want to talk about becoming a Christian. I personally wonder if the Lord would be comfortable in most of the gatherings where people say they are worshiping the Lord. Are we changing the recipe for salvation, for church testimony and for the crucified life following salvation that God has given us?
The Value of Doing it God’s Way
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 NKJV). To me, this is a scary verse and should cause a lot of self-examination. What does the Lord really want? He wants us to believe on Him. That is fundamental. Then He wants our worship and affection. Our worship and affection is seen in our following the instructions. We had to follow them in order to be saved and we need to follow them after we are saved. He wants transformation in our lives and not our willingness to be conformed to the world, particularly to the religious world. He wants to be first and not last.
Let’s all read, study, and follow the instructions. We will love the resulting culinary masterpiece that will result.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of November 11, 2018