I began thinking about which does organized religon today put more importance on, the priciples of Christ or fellowship with Christ. According to Vine's, principles is the teachings of Christ relating to the elementary facts concerning Christ. Fellowship according to Vine's is communion, sharing in common and communication.
Over the years I've been involved in many Bible studies and have gone through many study books. The one thing all these studies have in common is the feeling of something missing and disatifaction when I was going through them. I was always confused and perplexed as to why I felt that way. One study impaticular I had to force myself to keep going through it. It was to the point of not just feeling disatisfied but I could hardly stand to read the study book let alone go to the study. Feeling that way really bothered me and I put it off to that the subject of the study was stiking a nerve and I was being convicted. Now I think I was wrong with my self diagnosis.
I went through the pile of study books I've collected over the years. Each book is concerning a different subject. One is on having faith another on obedience and etc.... As I was thinking back to the contents of each book I went through the check list of things a "good" study book should have. Was the subject Biblically based? Yes. Were the principles and teachings of Christ in there? Yes. Did it give scriptures concering the subject of the book to study and meditate on and even encourage doing so? Yes. Were there study questions to provoke "deep thinking" and discussion? Yes again. So if all that's in there what was causing these feelings? What's wrong with me?! Why did it seem like the teachings in these studies seemed to leave me feeling disatisfied while others seemed to be enriched and fulfilled by them? The studies are designed to produce whatever Christlike charactoristic the subject is on by bringing out the priniciple and truth concerning it in scripture. Then we get together once a week to discuss how we should be like this and not like that,do this and not do that and then go over the scripture that shows us that. We also discuss the things we can do to create whatever Christlikeness the study's about, wether it be faith, obedience, or purity, ect... But I feel like one very important thing is being overlooked. The cause of our lack in Christlikeness. I believe lack of faith, lack of obedience, or ect.. are only the symptoms of the true problem. We're focusing on the wrong thing. Example, for two years before getting married Jim and I lived together outside of marrige. Now let's look at this situation in a Bible study format. If asked what sin was being commited we would all answer sexual immorality, which would be correct, after all the Bible clearly states that. Then if asked what the cause of our sin was we would probably all answer disobedience, which I do not believe is the correct answer. I have always thought that the problem was the disobedience I was living in at that time. When I asked for forgiveness and then got married I thought problem solved. After all I was forgiven of my sin and was now married, but in the famous words of my uncle Greg, "here's the thing". The disobedience didn't go away, it simply moved to other areas of my life. So, should I go out and get books on obedience to further treat my symptom? The only way to get rid of the symptom is to treat the cause. It had never occured to me that I was living out of fellowship with Christ, after all I would read my Bible, pray, and even go to church on a semi regular basis. Which are the things we are taught to do to be close to and know the Lord. So why was the teachings on the principles and truths of Christ not enough to solve my problem? Because the true intimate fellowship Christ wants to have with me was missing. Going through studies that only treat the symptoms weren't helping me to spiritual mature and grow in the areas I lacked in. Knowing and understanding the principles and truths of Christ taught in study books and even meditating on and memorizing them wasn't cutting it. By doing those things it may relieve my symptoms for a while but it wasn't curing me. What little change I may see is only surface deep and only to the benefit of those around me who can only see the surface. Can we reap any benefits by applying the principles of Christ in our lives? Sure, but again they are only surface deep. Organized religon has made the priniples of Christ their christ. If it helps our behavior on the surface most christians are satisfied with that. Just as the pharisees rejected true righteousness through Christ in order to hold on to their own self righteousness through their delusional surface deep observance of the law. We are all so concerned with acting Christlike we completely over look how we truly become Christlike.
Another example to explain when I was talking with a friend who told me they recently left the church they had been attending. This surprised me because she had always talked so highly of their church. When they first started going there she really enjoyed the fact that scripture was being taught and explained in a Biblical way. The principles and truths in scripture were being brought out every sunday morning, but over time she started struggling with a feeling of disatisfation when she would go. She couldn't understand why since the scripture was being taught and explained. After some time of struggling they stopped going and she told me that the truths in scripture that we strive to attain were being taught but what causes true change and growth was missing. As her husband and her spiritually matured they had a need and desire to go deeper and that need and desire wasn't being met simply by learning the way Christ wants us to be.
When we have true fellowship with Christ and make Him our main focus it affects every area of our lives and that's when true change occurs. No longer will I drive myself crazy seeing all the areas in me that need to change and grow and not know which one to study on first. Or sit in Bible studies that merely focuses on how we should be as stated in scripture by putting more importance on following the principles of Christ than Christ himself. We all want to know what that key thing is to having true victory in our lives over all these symptoms we see. I don't believe it's focusing on principles but having abiding fellowship with the one who made the principles.
My focus will no longer be on studing the things I lack but this sweet fellowship with Christ that brings true change and victory.
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