Jesus came into a world of religion a world steeped in culture and monotheism. He was trying to minister to a people who for centuries thought they had it all figured out. He was directly challenging many of the things that they believed in. Especially the legalism, hypocrisy, and lack of love and compassion. He struggled time and time again to explain to the Pharisees and Sadducees that he was preeminent to there feeble understanding of God's revelation in the law. And also that he was God's true and devine revelation.
This was sure hard for most of the people in Christ's day to stomach. This was a total revamp of what they had been taught for centuries. ie; Healing on the sabbath, praying in private and not to be seen by men, spiritual warfare, healing sick-blind-lame. "Who does this guy think he is?" I can hear them saying.
I 've made that point; to suggest this are we so far off that if Christ was to come to our world today that we would have a problem giving up rituals or ceremonies because he points out that they are scripturally inaccurate. would we like the Pharisees and Sadducee bow our necks. When we are reading scripture do we really take from it what it says or are we so busy trying to prove a point or disprove it that we miss it all together.
How about when someone questions your personal beliefs are you able to take a step back search out the scripture, pray and see if you might possibly in a million years be wrong? Not me for a long time. I was a SAD-U-SEE. Neck bowed and indoctrinated to the common Christian life. By common christian life I mean going to heaven but living in hell. No victory over sin on a day to day basis. On a eternal measure sure but daily living in sin is not the life described by Christ in john. "I come that you may have life and have it more abundantly." I for one think we need to quit the padded, Sunday school, politically canned, comfy wumfy answers to the questions we have. And start being men and women of God and studying his word for the real {possibly not widely accepted or easiest} answers.
I think our churches, seminaries, and leaders need to take a real good look at what the bible says and not what our church founders said. We need to become one body, so that we might more effectively minister to the lost and edify the saints. Lets choose Jesus not religion and lets get back to spirit filled, born again, humble, friends of God, full of love. Brian