Sep
15
The Painting
Filed Under Devotional
It is a reasonable argument that two basic tasks are in front of the new Christian. They are to, somehow, understand the Bible and to know God. I admit that, for many years, I separated the two. I was sure that to know God was to be some spiritually enlightened person that had attained a plane that non-believers could not comprehend. Understanding the Bible was to reach into it and come away with a list or several lists on how to react to any situation. I would be a qualified born-again Christian when I had become enlightened and I had my lists.
Now, after several years of reading and studying, I have a different view. The Bible is a painting as much as it is facts and stories. When I study Scripture, a portrait of God develops such that I know God. I understand what He is and that I will never understand all that He is. While knowing Scripture, I realize that memorizing it for the sake of slicing and dicing a non-believer is not why it was written. Understanding the Great Commandment and the Great Commission made me understand that Scripture is not a battering ram, but a cloak. I may not ever be able to point to the most significant Scripture for each situation I encounter, but by knowing Scripture I see the picture of God. By knowing Him in this way, I know His character and, by knowing His character, I know what He wants me to do.
“And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ” Luke 10:27
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ ” Matthew 25:40
“I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O Lord,” Psalm 26:6
If you prepare yourself to give an answer to why you believe and you are comfortable giving it, then get on with it. Go, build relationships, love your neighbor, and don’t dwell on the picky little items the naysayers will rehash or new philosophies they come up with to confuse. Just step back and look at the painting.