Since the beginning of the Church Age at the Day of Pentecost, it seems man does his best even within our Christian circles to "seize control" of others, dictating the "demands of the gods" to enable us to be qualified as a "Christian.".
Years ago I read of a phrase that has since been etched in my mind for life, and it goes like this: "If you don't take control of your own life, someone else will".
Now I realize from a Christian perspective, Jesus is or should be in control of my life, but that is not what I am meaning when keeping this phrase in my mind and heart.
I am referring to: 1) people who try and tell you what you need to do, even on a daily basis. An example would be: maybe you are hard at work on a project, and you want to finish it. Someone comes along with no care about what you are currently doing, tell you what they want you to do, and out of some form of a "guilt trip" or simply a demand, you drop what you are doing and do it.
Now, I realize our Christian values convict us of giving ourselves to others, and you can get literally inundated with Scriptures that speak along that line, yet, there are other times you have to simply say "no", and perhaps offer other options to help the other person with their ...request...instead of demand. I have found this to be just as Christian and scripturely sound as any other.
2) Remember Lazarus, Jesus showed up according to some...4 days "late". Do you really think He was 4 days late? The answer: no! He was right on time.
In daily life, people will dictate when and where you need to do things....and often times they are of selfish motives. So again, there are times you must guard yourself against these aggressive ways people can have on you and others in manipulating (sometimes subconsciously) what their "demands" are of the day. I guarantee you....Jesus did!
Ok...what does this have to do with "Solus Christus"?....Quite Alot Actually!
By the time of Martin Luther, beginning in the early 1500's, the Church had pretty much "gone to hell"...sort of speak. It was a time when if you were an active church goer, you would be paying to have so many days in Purgatory, or for larger amounts you could buy a "few days in heaven". The village and/or local priests of the Church were often not educated in Latin, as a result ignorant of the Sacred Scriptures, therefore many of their "sermons" were of tales and stories that often were inaccurate...from the Scriptures.
The emphasis on baptisms, communion, and even becoming members of the Church were so far from what Jesus had spoke about centuries before....that becoming a Christian had really nothing to do with a change of a person's heart. "Follow Me" had become "Follow the religion of what man had dictated to be "Christian".
Other men before Luther, such as John Wycliffe, had felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to get the Sacred Scriptures out in the open, so everyone could read them in their own language and have their lives transformed by the real Christ Jesus...not this man-made Jesus that had been created by the Church itself.
Martin Luther, at the time was an Augustine monk, stretched out in the hot sun, hoping to eradicate sin in his own life...heard and understood the meaning of the Sacred Scripture: "the just shall live by...faith!" He realized at that moment....man could never gain Salvation through any efforts of his own....it can only come by accepting the work Christ Jesus did when He went to the Cross...and rose again that we too are covered...by Him!
Enter: "Solus Christus" The realization there were no payments a man could make, there were not enough good works and/or charitable services a man could do, and it did not matter whether you had received all the sacraments or if you attended Mass 5 times a day....that would not get you to heaven and a peace with God. It was only available through "Solus Christus", and without that foundation in each life, all works, services, or faithfulness to the Church were meaningless....TOTALLY DEAD!
That, from my perspective, is the true meaning of "SOLUS CHRISTUS"
And, that is the root of what we call "The Reformation!" A realignment of the body of Christ, His true Church, and a better understanding of His first calling to the disciples: "Follow Me."
Here then are a few Scriptures that grasped the hearts of the true believers born during that time....and these same Sacred Scriptures grasp the hearts of believers today!
And I write these in Gleaning form:
"Jesus answered them: "I AM the Way, I AM the only road you must travel on to find My Father. I Myself do not seek after Truth...I AM the Truth. Eternal life, life with My Father, comes to you this very day!
No one can meet and enjoy the Presence of My Father, unless you first meet Me, and accept Me for who I really am...in your own life. First, you must believe that I AM, and why I am here...for you!
For, if anyone knows Me, and finds friendship with Me, then they will already have friendship with My Father.
The Truth is: you have already seen My Father, because You have seen Me!"
John 14:6
"Salvation comes only one way...one way alone...nowhere else! And, this Salvation comes through....no one else as well! And, there is nothing you can possibly do...to obtain Salvation!
God, the Father Himself, has given all to the Lord Jesus, who is His only and true Son. There is no other Name recognized, nor is there any credentials you might have gotten yourself, that is recognized in Heaven. These are the direct orders!...of the Father.
It is then Jesus...and your acceptance of Him...the work He already did..for you and for anyone that would call upon His Name!"....Written by a doctor, whose traveling companion was of Jewish hierarchy known as Pharisees, who had a life changing experience while traveling to a town named Damascus, the result being he gave his heart and life to this one called: "Jesus". Acts 4:12
" This part has got to be perfectly clear in your head...as well as your heart. The only way you will ever find peace with Your Maker...is through Christ Jesus.
The reality of this is: He has done it all...for you! Your job?...to embrace Him into your heart!"
Written by Paul 1 Timothy 2:5
" It is as simple as this: Whoever accepts Christ Jesus into their own hearts and lives...have Eternal Life! Whoever thinks they are able to get Eternal Life any other way...has a rude awakening coming...for they do not have Eternal Life...if fact, they don't even have a life!"
(Puts a different perspective when someone shouts:"Get a life!")
Written by John the Apostle: 1 John 5:12
"Who do you actually know that has been to Heaven! The answer would be: "no one".
Wait! There is one exception: God's Son has been there!...and if you receive Him, then you will really know someone who has come from Heaven...and He is God's only Son!
Yet, because of His love for us, He came down from Heaven, and became one of us: the Son of Man."
Written by the disciple Jesus loved: John 3:13
Years ago I read of a phrase that has since been etched in my mind for life, and it goes like this: "If you don't take control of your own life, someone else will".
Now I realize from a Christian perspective, Jesus is or should be in control of my life, but that is not what I am meaning when keeping this phrase in my mind and heart.
I am referring to: 1) people who try and tell you what you need to do, even on a daily basis. An example would be: maybe you are hard at work on a project, and you want to finish it. Someone comes along with no care about what you are currently doing, tell you what they want you to do, and out of some form of a "guilt trip" or simply a demand, you drop what you are doing and do it.
Now, I realize our Christian values convict us of giving ourselves to others, and you can get literally inundated with Scriptures that speak along that line, yet, there are other times you have to simply say "no", and perhaps offer other options to help the other person with their ...request...instead of demand. I have found this to be just as Christian and scripturely sound as any other.
2) Remember Lazarus, Jesus showed up according to some...4 days "late". Do you really think He was 4 days late? The answer: no! He was right on time.
In daily life, people will dictate when and where you need to do things....and often times they are of selfish motives. So again, there are times you must guard yourself against these aggressive ways people can have on you and others in manipulating (sometimes subconsciously) what their "demands" are of the day. I guarantee you....Jesus did!
Ok...what does this have to do with "Solus Christus"?....Quite Alot Actually!
By the time of Martin Luther, beginning in the early 1500's, the Church had pretty much "gone to hell"...sort of speak. It was a time when if you were an active church goer, you would be paying to have so many days in Purgatory, or for larger amounts you could buy a "few days in heaven". The village and/or local priests of the Church were often not educated in Latin, as a result ignorant of the Sacred Scriptures, therefore many of their "sermons" were of tales and stories that often were inaccurate...from the Scriptures.
The emphasis on baptisms, communion, and even becoming members of the Church were so far from what Jesus had spoke about centuries before....that becoming a Christian had really nothing to do with a change of a person's heart. "Follow Me" had become "Follow the religion of what man had dictated to be "Christian".
Other men before Luther, such as John Wycliffe, had felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to get the Sacred Scriptures out in the open, so everyone could read them in their own language and have their lives transformed by the real Christ Jesus...not this man-made Jesus that had been created by the Church itself.
Martin Luther, at the time was an Augustine monk, stretched out in the hot sun, hoping to eradicate sin in his own life...heard and understood the meaning of the Sacred Scripture: "the just shall live by...faith!" He realized at that moment....man could never gain Salvation through any efforts of his own....it can only come by accepting the work Christ Jesus did when He went to the Cross...and rose again that we too are covered...by Him!
Enter: "Solus Christus" The realization there were no payments a man could make, there were not enough good works and/or charitable services a man could do, and it did not matter whether you had received all the sacraments or if you attended Mass 5 times a day....that would not get you to heaven and a peace with God. It was only available through "Solus Christus", and without that foundation in each life, all works, services, or faithfulness to the Church were meaningless....TOTALLY DEAD!
That, from my perspective, is the true meaning of "SOLUS CHRISTUS"
And, that is the root of what we call "The Reformation!" A realignment of the body of Christ, His true Church, and a better understanding of His first calling to the disciples: "Follow Me."
Here then are a few Scriptures that grasped the hearts of the true believers born during that time....and these same Sacred Scriptures grasp the hearts of believers today!
And I write these in Gleaning form:
"Jesus answered them: "I AM the Way, I AM the only road you must travel on to find My Father. I Myself do not seek after Truth...I AM the Truth. Eternal life, life with My Father, comes to you this very day!
No one can meet and enjoy the Presence of My Father, unless you first meet Me, and accept Me for who I really am...in your own life. First, you must believe that I AM, and why I am here...for you!
For, if anyone knows Me, and finds friendship with Me, then they will already have friendship with My Father.
The Truth is: you have already seen My Father, because You have seen Me!"
John 14:6
"Salvation comes only one way...one way alone...nowhere else! And, this Salvation comes through....no one else as well! And, there is nothing you can possibly do...to obtain Salvation!
God, the Father Himself, has given all to the Lord Jesus, who is His only and true Son. There is no other Name recognized, nor is there any credentials you might have gotten yourself, that is recognized in Heaven. These are the direct orders!...of the Father.
It is then Jesus...and your acceptance of Him...the work He already did..for you and for anyone that would call upon His Name!"....Written by a doctor, whose traveling companion was of Jewish hierarchy known as Pharisees, who had a life changing experience while traveling to a town named Damascus, the result being he gave his heart and life to this one called: "Jesus". Acts 4:12
" This part has got to be perfectly clear in your head...as well as your heart. The only way you will ever find peace with Your Maker...is through Christ Jesus.
The reality of this is: He has done it all...for you! Your job?...to embrace Him into your heart!"
Written by Paul 1 Timothy 2:5
" It is as simple as this: Whoever accepts Christ Jesus into their own hearts and lives...have Eternal Life! Whoever thinks they are able to get Eternal Life any other way...has a rude awakening coming...for they do not have Eternal Life...if fact, they don't even have a life!"
(Puts a different perspective when someone shouts:"Get a life!")
Written by John the Apostle: 1 John 5:12
"Who do you actually know that has been to Heaven! The answer would be: "no one".
Wait! There is one exception: God's Son has been there!...and if you receive Him, then you will really know someone who has come from Heaven...and He is God's only Son!
Yet, because of His love for us, He came down from Heaven, and became one of us: the Son of Man."
Written by the disciple Jesus loved: John 3:13
No comments:
Post a Comment