Redefining Christianity 3

Christianity has in many instances become a book-religion. In an attempt to stay true to the doctrines of Christianity the Bible as a book has taken the place of the Spirit. Jesus' warning about the "yeast of the Pharisees' is relevant in this regard. Many Christians have become slaves of the letter instead of followers of the Spirit. Jesus is known "after the flesh" as a historical person, but not as the Life-giving Spirit who indwells His Body now! His warning to the Pharisees and Scribes is now as relevant as ever; "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!"

Some Christians make a big thing about believing every word of the Bible as the Word of God, and the fact that they see the Bible as "inerrant, infallible, and eternal', but than go right ahead and declare that, for example, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were only valid until the Canon was determined by the church, or that infant baptism is scriptural! In other words, what they mean when they talk about the Bible being inerrant and infallible is actually that their interpretations of the Bible are inerrant and infallible! At the same time they ascribe qualities to the Bible that actually only belongs to God.

Anyone who truly loves the scriptures, but even more so the Lord of the scriptures, will find that Christianity is a lifestyle infused and directed by the Spirit. After Jesus emphasised the importance of a deep and intimate relationship with Him, He said in John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" Did Jesus stop speaking to His disciples after His ascension? Paul made it clear that Christ was the life in us(Galatians 2:20) and when defending his apostolic authority he said in 2 Corinthians 13:3; " since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. " The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to help us hear the indwelling Christ speak. In this process He uses the lives of the ancient believers, and the words of Jesus and his apostles as related in the scriptures! Listen how Paul describes his ministry and the effects of the Spirit in the lives of believers; "Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it--not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives--and we publish it. We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this--that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives! (2 Corinthians 3-3-6) And this is how Paul describes his preaching and teaching; "and my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

It is not only in "organised religion' that we find this pharisaical approach to the Bible, but also in some so called "Biblical Churches" where an attempt is made to do church perfectly according to the 'blueprint' in the Bible. The true blueprint can only be discovered by following the leading of the Holy Spirit or to put it differently; to listen to the voice of the Head Jesus Christ and do only what He instructs. In this process He will follow the principles that He has revealed (and is revealing) through the apostles and prophets! I believe He is still using the Living Word through the mouths of true apostles and prophets to build His church on the revelation of Himself as the chief cornerstone. This is the kind of church and lifestyle that is supported and exemplified by the Bible!