Never Judge A Book By Its Rhetoric

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins, and heal their land.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Not everyone who claims that they are educated or intelligent in fact, is. I have met many people who have claimed education or intelligence who were in fact, uneducated, blithering idiots. I have met people who claimed that they had “lots” of education who in fact, did not have any. On the other hand, I have worked with keenly intelligent, educated people who were modest and humble. In virtually every case, I learned of their education weeks, months or even years AFTER I started working with them. It was ironic. You don’t have to be around someone for very long to form an opinion of whether they are relatively intelligent or completely void of intelligence. It is also obvious whether they are educated or not. Interestingly enough, I have been around those who have no education, not even a high school diploma, who were keenly intelligent and had a great deal of common sense.

Common sense is not something that is taught in Universities, Colleges or schools. Common sense is something that one is born with. Intelligence and common sense are not things that can be taught or acquired through eduction either. One either is intelligent and has common sense or they don’t and no amount of study, bookwork nor education will change the intelligence nor common sense that they were born with.

Likewise not everyone who calls themself a “Christian” is in fact, one. People can lie, deny and even kid themselves into believing almost anything. If one is truly a “Christian”, they are a follower of Christ. They aren’t a follower of Christ when it is convenient, when something “bad” is happening nor when they feel like it. Following Christ is a 24/7 endeavor. Christ followers are followers all the time, when times are good and when times are not so good. Someone who follows Christ knows that they are mere Human and that God is Spirit. Humans are unable to create something from nothing. The Bible tells us that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will in fact enter into the kingdom. Some will get the reply, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”

The Bible talks about people claiming that they are not sinners and calls them, “liars”. The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fallen short. This means that there is no one who has not sinned. No one who has followed the law perfectly or who can stand before God sinless. There is no human being who can earn their way to heaven, eternal life nor salvation by being righteous nor sinless. Jesus talked about there being only one way to heaven and that was by Him. The fact is that humans are born into sin.

Humans often think of infants as being “pure” but, the Bible portrays it very differently. This would mean that even infants are not “pure”, “faultless” or “sinless”.

The Bible often times refers to followers as the “bride of Christ”. Marriage is a commitment. The marriage vows talk about “in sickness and in health”, “for better and for worse” and “for richer or for poorer”. It is easy to stay married to someone when there are no issues. It is easy to stay married to someone when things are going well and when money is not an issue. It is a very different matter when issues crop up, when things are not going well or when spouses disagree with one another. In the same way, it is easy to call oneself a “Christian” when everything is going well. It is quite another to continue following Christ when things aren’t going well, when loved ones are ill or when you yourself are ill and possibly facing death. Following Christ as in marriage is a long term commitment. It is deceptively “easy” to walk away from marriage or a relationship with Christ.