July 31, 2010

Bye Bye


So, author Anne Rice says she's given up Christianity for Christ. Hmmm...

I cannot help but think about Jesus' words in the book of John- the words he spoke after many couldn't accept his teaching about His sacrifice,

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." "
(John 6:63-68)
USA Today's article includes this quote by the author about herself: "... an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God ... Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become."

Yes, God is loving. But we are wrong in thinking he redeems the people He created when they hold an "anything goes" attitude and do not embrace his call to a different life- a life whose focus is His pleasure not ours.

Loving Jesus and following Him requires an exchange: we no longer live and He lives in us. Our life is now his, and our choices, our lifestyle, must submit to His wishes. In other words, we were bought at a price- His blood.

Anne is right about this: Christianity is changing- but not for the better. It is moving away from classic Christianity into a new season where nothing is required of us, and God exists to make us happy. Not Biblical, not true. Never gonna happen.

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