4 Teachings Of Jesus That His Followers (Almost) Never Take Seriously

Revangelical ^ | 12/19/2014 | Brandon Robertson

[editor-surveyor]

>> “It’s no secret that those of us who claim to follow Jesus Christ consistently fall short of living up to the way of life of our Rabbi. Being a disciple of Jesus is a lifelong journey towards conforming ourselves to the image and way of life that Jesus taught. However, so often, followers of Jesus chose to blatantly ignore some of the clearest instruction of our Rabbi and obscure it with vague theology so that we can get off the hook. Other times, followers of Jesus are taught something explicitly contradictory to the plain words of Jesus and then spend their lives obeying the instruction they received instead of the commands of Jesus.” <<

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This is a perfect description of “Churchianity.”
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[Steve_Seattle]

"Then you shouldn't have any problem backing it us. Where are the stats and where is the proof?"

You can do your own research, but divorce is quite common among Protestants, even evangelical Protestants, and I don't think I need to prove that it arises from many reasons: adultery, alcoholism, abandonment, verbal abuse, physical abuse, differing views on childrearing or use of money, simple "drifting apart," and many other reasons. Don't ask me to prove with statistics what everyone knows from first hand experience.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Show us where divorce rates are better for Catholics than the rest of the world."

Did I claim that they were? I was making a simple point about what JESUS says about divorce, and about how "scripture alone" Protestants seems to disregard those views. I made no claim about the rate of divorce among Catholics versus Protestants, or about Catholicism being generally "better" than Protestantism, EXCEPT on the very narrow point that the official Catholic position on divorce seems more scriptural than that of Protestantism.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Indeed. In time our separated brethren will come to the realization that sola scriptura is a losing proposition and will make their way home to the One True Church.

What a joy that day will be. Peace brother!

[editor-surveyor]

>> “THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD - that you BELIEVE in Him whom He sent.” <<

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To believe in him is to follow all he taught, and live as he lived. This is discipleship.

It does not mean to believe that he lived and died on the cross to pay for our sins.

Satan believes that, and it won’t save him!
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[mjp]

2. The only way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is through DOING the will of God.

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved (Acts 16:31
God saves those who believe (1Cor.1:21)
We are of those who believe and are saved (Heb 10:39)
saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8)
he who believes and is baptised will be saved (Mark 16:16)
your faith has saved you (Luke 7:50)
if you believe God raised him you will be saved (Rom. 10:9)
our faith in Christ overcomes the world (1 John 5:4-5)
lest they believe and are saved (Luke 8:12)

[Secret Agent Man]

yes. and we all know we can’t obey Him perfectly, but we can be confident He won’t forsake us when we fail.

[RansomOttawa]

1. Jesus, not the Bible, is God’s living and active Word that brings life.

“You don’t have His word living in you, because you don’t believe the One He sent. You study the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me. And you are not willing to come to Me so that you may have life.”- John 5:39-40 HCSB

If you are trying to argue "Jesus, not the Bible," it's a little self-defeating to quote the words of Jesus out of the Bible, isn't it?

[Iscool]

Who are you to say what is a false doctrine and what a true doctrine is? Undoubtedly you will say scripture. Yet I read daily that one man’s doctrine is not accepted by another man and both point to scripture.

Who am I??? I am a bible believer...And of course I will say scripture because that's what the bible says...

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Scripture is so profitable for doctrine and instruction that it will make a man perfect and thoroughly furnished...

Without one teaching authority, which Christ wanted, nobodies opinion on scripture or doctrine is as good as anybody else’s.

And the scriptures tell us what that one teaching authority is...And it's not the Catholic religion...

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Not a single mention of your religion, or a magisterium...

[editor-surveyor]

Unfortunately you do not appear to have any understanding of what the concept of ‘belief’ meant to the Jewish apostles that wrote the NT.

Belief requires a total lifetime of following what he taught, and living as he lived.

You have not ‘believed’ until you have lived your whole life as he lived, in obedience to his teachings.

Are you ready for belief?
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[Big Red Badger]

Huh,,
what?
You mean,,,,
wait,

[Kandy Atz]

#1 - One need only look at the last 2,000 years of Christianity to see the problem with not having a firm foundation established on God’s Word. God help the Body if we are turning to “friends and family” for Truth. When you put in quality time with the Word, you ARE with Jesus. Its not an either/or kind of thing. If you set aside the Word, you will end up in the religious ditch of relativism, and preaching a social gospel on one side of the road, or persecuting and killing folks who believe differently than you on the other.

John 6:63 (KJV)
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

You cannot separate Jesus from the Word. The Word is God’s Wisdom and Will. Faith comes from hearing the Word. Faith is what pleases God. The Word is Alive and Truth. Faith MUST be founded on Truth. You need BOTH, the Holy Spirit and Truth.

“While the Bible is an important and authoritative guide for Christian faith and practice, it isn’t the foundation or center of our faith- Jesus is.”

There is a really good reason Jesus is referred to as the Word. The Bible is a Revelation of Jesus. And while the author’s sentence sounds nice, to neglect the Word, or treat it as just a guide, opens the door to all sorts of other “guides” that are not God’s Truth influencing your life and undermining whatever faith you might have. And without the Word, there wont be much.

1 Peter 2:2 (KJV)
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (KJV)
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

#2 - I am assuming the author does not understand the difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. The KOH is an earthly kingdom centered on Israel with Jesus as King. The KOG is a spiritual dominion of God. With that Truth in mind, what the heck does the Body of Christ have to do with the KOH?

If he actually would READ God’s Word, especially Romans through Thessalonians, the letters written specifically TO THE CHURCH, he would see the folly of his faith versus works argument. There is either NOW NO condemnation, or there still is. The Body is either made alive in Christ and seated in Heavenly places, or not. Believers are either Children of God, or not. Jesus, Paul, and James should not contradict each other. However, they could be addressing different audiences and different dispensations and all be correct.

#3 - I somewhat agree with his third point. Christians attempt to fight against sin in the flesh. Its a spiritual conflict and needs spiritual weapons. And you must catch a fish before you can clean it anyway. Billy Graham once said, “It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.” There is a whole lot of truth in that statement. Be the Light for others. You may be the only Jesus that a sinner will ever meet. Preach the Word and let it do what its supposed to in the life of an unbeliever.

#4 - Love, but not compromise. I can pray for elected leaders and still know right from wrong, good versus evil. All Believers need to learn not to be easily offended, avoiding strife and division. I value differences of opinions on scriptural issues - iron sharpens iron. It makes me dig into the Word, study, and pray even more.

After reading his bio, it explains much about the article. It appears an effort to swing evangelicals politically to the left, or at least divide them. The Bill Maher video was another big red flag. I am wary of anyone who seeks to diminish God’s Word, a trick of the enemy dating back to the Garden.

Brandan Robertson is a progressive evangelical writer, activist, speaker, and spiritual entrepreneur who is committed to getting Jesus second hearing among the cynical, skeptical, burned, and spiritual but not religious people. He desires to build-bridges across cultural, theological, and political divides and to help others rethink, reform, and renew what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus in our post-modern, post-Christian world.

Brandan is the host of the Project:Awaken Podcast and the director of an action-oriented social justice initiative called Revangelicals for a Better Tomorrow.

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/revangelical/about#ixzz3MNp9yihB

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved (Acts 16:31

Ahh, but here’s the rub ... how does one manifest that he is indeed a believer in the Lord Jesus?

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” ( James 2:14)

[avenir]

Amen! Thank you Lord Jesus for sending us Paul.

[avenir]

Amen. Right division! Without it you end up confused like the writer.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Seems this guy wants to put us back under the bondage of works.” <<

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There is no ‘bondage’ to obedience to the commandments of Yeshua.

Did you get that “workers of lawlessness” in Matthew 23 that you just posted?

You appear to be a “worker of lawlessness.”
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[editor-surveyor]

What do you thing this “right division” is?

Are you a “worker of lawlessness?”

By deliberately misinterpreting Paul’s instruction to Timothy to divide the word of truth from the words of falsehood, one becomes a worker of lawlessness.

Confused you are!

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[huldah1776]

I view it like this. Jesus is the Word. He is the physical embodiment of every jot and tittle. INCLUDING the Old Testament. To know Him I have to read the whole Bible. There is so much about the life of Jesus in the Old Testament and especially His return and rule as the Great King that Billy really needs to read the whole thing.

[Gamecock]

Yup.

A little more on the rich young ruler, if I may;

The rich young ruler took great pride in the laws he was able to keep, in his own estimation anyway. Jesus, knowing the young ruler’s heart, went right to the core of his deep rooted sin, the love of money.

All too often those same words are turned on all of us, as if we all suffer from the love of money. Granted some of us do, but the deeper point here is God knows exactly what out sins are and we will be judged on the on that great and horrible day. Only those who look to Jesus will have those sins forgiven.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “But I guess we are not supposed to read the Bible, but listen to this guy.” <<

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If you listen to him, you will become a “believer,” one who believes what Yeshua taught, and follows his teachings, and lives as he lived.

That is what believe means.