Gentleness draws people to the Lord.
So let's consider how the world sees us - and why those who make a spiritual (mystical) experience of Jesus central to every moment of their lives will project a GENTLENESS that is extremely attractive.
The John Michael Talbot tune, "My Yoke Is Easy", opens with a hauntingly beautiful flute melody. It sounds like something you'd hear in the Garden of Eden or the Paradise of God. In your heart you picture a gentle people - a people who would love each other in life or death - a people who would even love their enemies.
Just like most modern Christians.
What?
Not???
Hmmmmm . . .
It's not the message. When Christians were tortured mercilessly toward the end of the dark ages, their tormentors are recorded as saying things like, "They pray for us as we torture them. They love all men. We would almost think they were the very children of God rather than heretics and the children of Satan."
That's because they WERE the very Children Of God.
But they had a simple gospel that had, as its primary goal, to obey, "The Great Commission" - to make disciples, teaching them "to obey everything which I have commanded you". They were crazy that way.
They didn't have Schofield Bibles back then. They didn't KNOW that Jesus' teachings in "The Sermon On The Mount" held "neither the privilege or duty of the church". They didn't have a multitude of "Bible Schools" to teach us how to disobey the bible and feel good about it.
We aren't too dumb.
We're too smart.
Something tells me that if we followed Jesus, in the power of His Sweet Holy Spirit, just seeking to be CHRIST-LIKE, we could be as loving and gentle as the gentle People Of Jesus of old.
The truth is simply this: You cannot live in Romans 8 and be any other way.
We have explained in previous discussions of the Fruit of The Spirit that religion, human effort, and the human "mind of the flesh" are forever stuck in Romans 7. In that realm, you can try as hard as you want - if you even get that far - and you'll still fail.
The frustration of Romans 7 drives people nuts, so they go to liars who speak of a false "grace" which forever leaves them stuck in Romans 7.
What do we really need?
It's very simple.
We need to be broken. We need the closeness and attachment to Jesus that comes when we are before his cross as he pours out his life's blood for us. That causes our religion and pride to snap like a twig. When you see him as Lord, with the humility of one who has been brought to emotional and mental surrender, then you get to have a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" - not before.
You simply can't talk "theology" in Romans 8. I know people claim to. But they are not speaking the truth. God won't live like a lab rat - for you to dissect. He doesn't want you to analyse him - or His ways. He wants you to get rid of your ridiculous pride and submit to him. He OWNS YOU, not visa versa. And he bought you with his life's blood. That's very personal.
In Romans 8, the Law Of The Spirit of Life sets you free from the Churchianity you learned from man. It's real, it's spiritual, it's very "mystical".
In Romans 8 you wouldn't be able to explain why Jesus doesn't mean what he's plainly saying - any more than you'd flirt with the Pastor's wife. It's profane. It's wrong. It's not appropriate.
Spirituality, in Jesus, is always humble, submissive - and gentle.
Gossip goes away. That inner lack of peace is dealt with. More on that later. We'll do another posting on "Peace".
You can tell a tree by it's fruit.
Modern American Churchianity - evangelical, pentacostal, or whatever - does not seem "gentle" to the average unbeliever.
No doubt we are when our knees first hit the floor at an altar of repentance. But then we are educated by the mutant spawn of "Bible Schools". Man takes the place of Jesus.
Once we become much, much dumber - dumb as a little child - we get to see the Kingdom of God.
Could Leonardo paint the 'Mona Lisa" with Crayons? Would you do brain surgery with a screw driver? Would you trim hair with a weed whip?
Your unbroken mind of human reason, full of pride, full of folly, cannot be used to handle spiritual things. That's what Jesus was trying to tell Nicodemus. "You must be born again to see the Kingdom Of God."
When we live in Romans 8 we are "Led Of The Spirit'. If are not led by the Spirit, like the Wind, we are not His Children. Spirit gives birth to Spirit. That's why it's "mystical". Our spirits communicate with the Spirit of God. Our communication is in the realm of the Spirit, not the mind.
Jesus' words are "Spirit and Life". But without the Spirit we can't handle them.
So live in Romans 8. Let the "Law Of The Spirit Of Life", in Christ Jesus, mystically set you free from the "Law of Sin and Death".
Not theologically.
Not theoretically.
In your actual experience, in how you think and feel.
Then you will bear good fruit and gentleness will flow out of you like a river.
No comments:
Post a Comment