Titus 3:4-7
Some have called me a “Bible Thumper,” and others have
pegged me as a religious person, and that may not even be close to the
truth. Now I must confess to being
a “Bible Thumper,” but until today I had no clear understanding of the
term. “Bible Thumper” is defined
in this manner: denoting a person who expounds or follows the teachings of
the Bible in an aggressively evangelical way. But when the word religious is used, my
response is, that term covers too much water, for I know no one who is not
religious about something. I have
never thought of Christendom as religion, it is centered on a
relationship. Now, that is not to
say that many people who claim the title Christian have by-passed the
relationship of Christendom and made a religion out of it.
In that I am a simple small town boy, I like simple
expression to give clarity to a subject; and this one does that, it is called
“Do and done”. Religion is about
“doing” something to earn acceptance with God. And “Done” is what Jesus did on the cross, the total payment
of sin, so that the anger and wrath of God against sin was directed at
Jesus. By faith we choose to enter
into a relationship with Christ.
Yep, religion is about earning your way into the presence of God, a
great example is the Muslim that wrongly believes that by killing others he
earns God’s approval, now that is religion. Remember this, religion always kills, it was religious folks that killed our Lord, it is
religious folks that have killed people all over the world, and often they have
done it in the name of Christ. But
if you are a “Bible Thumper” or just a person who is curious and reads the
Scriptures, you will never gleam the killing of anyone from the teaching of
Jesus Christ or any of the apostles.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for them, never did he
teach a doctrine of hate; Jesus taught love, love your neighbors, and to love
yourself, you will not find that in religion.
As you read Paul’s letter to Titus verses 4-7 gives a clear
understanding of what God has done.
“But when the goodness and loving kindness
of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us
in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy
Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so
that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope
of eternal life.” You
will not find “do” in this, but you will find “done” written all over it. So guilty as charged on the “Bible
Thumper,” but you can keep your religion. I, by faith in the Creator, have chosen to enter into Christ.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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