Formula or Truth by Sarah Stephens

Today's post was written by Sarah Stephens. http://www.facebook.com/pages/REV/220934094621748

Always pull the trash and recycling to the curb on Tuesdays. Splash day is every Friday; Owen needs to wear his swim suit to preschool. Always dust before you vacuum. Remember not to wear the strappy gold sandals when you have a lot of out- of- office meetings, they pinch your pinky toe.

Chances are you have a millions “lists” or “formulas” you’ve perfected over the years to help manage your family, your career, your life. We create these formulas to help us better live our lives.

When we try to make our faith journey a formula – it can lead to trouble. Instead of applying one standard of truth to every decision, we run around making up a formula that fits a million different scenarios. What’s this look like in real life?

Here’s a sampling:

· I am ok with my kids reading about vampires and werewolves, but draw the line with Harry Potter and witchcraft.

· If I read a devotional book, instead of my Bible, I still feel inspired and taught and feel like I’ve done my part.

· Pornography has no place in my home, however as a married woman if I need a little “nudge” in the way of book porn, it can’t hurt. Pictures and words are totally different. (In a business meeting once had a man tell me not all porn is created equal. It wasn’t until I stopped laughing that I realized he was serious.)

· I volunteer at my church, so giving monetarily really isn’t something I feel like is applicable in my situation.

Its exhausting work, and the scenarios never stop coming. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, there’s a brand new culture war brewing and believers are scrambling for a “formula” to fit the situation. Debates rage, opinions fly, facebook lights up with posts.

Is this the way Jesus wanted us to live? Let’s take a look at John 8:30-32.

Jesus is teaching the people gathered in and around the temple. These are the “church folk” of His day. He’s just stumped the Pharisees with the woman caught in adultery, and now they are busy playing a game of “gotcha” when it comes to theology. Jesus makes a methodical case for His divinity. He’s teaching people in and around the temple. We read in verse 30 that “even as He spoke, many put their faith in Him.”

Keep reading the passage, “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’”

Read it slowly, again. “To the Jews who believed him,” Jesus is only talking to the people who believed his testimony and accepted him as Savior and King. That’s us. He’s telling us, if you hold to my teaching, you are my disciples. You’re not going to hold onto a formula, a million different scenarios, your own understanding, but you are going to hold on to my teaching.

Here’s something important to remember, Jesus’ teachings are more than just the red letters found in the New Testament of your Bible. John tells us, “the Word became flesh,” Jesus told us (in red letters, ironically) “He came to fulfill the law not abolish it,” Jesus keeps on teaching through the Holy Spirit and sometimes in the person of Jesus, throughout the New Testament after His resurrection. Jesus’ teachings aren’t just the three years He spent on this planet, but the full gospel, Genesis to Revelations.

The Pharisees chased Jesus throughout the gospels with a million different formulas; asking Him to validate this, settle this dispute, confirm the law on this point. Sometimes we fall into the same dialogue with Him, 2,000 years later.

Today, as believers don’t physically drag a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, instead we drag a movie, a relationship, a physical attraction, an indulgence to His feet and ask Him for a ruling.

He always reminded the questioners, the crowd listening and those of us reading His words today, we don’t apply the truth one scenario at a time. We hold ourselves to His teachings all the time. We don’t ask ourselves, what should I do in this situation? Instead we ask ourselves, how should I live?

Here’s more encouragement, from Hebrews 10:16, “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (In case you were wondering, this is in the Old Testament too, Jeremiah 31:34. Glad God covered both bases with this one.)