Tuesday, May 14, 2013

need to know





Here's an interesting question - "What is the least I need to know to be a Christian?

That question usually belies another question, namely,  "What is the most I can get away with?"

It's kind of like asking ...

"How much water can I put in the gas tank before it stops running?"
"How much salt water from the ocean can I drink before it kills me?"
"How much fuzzy mold needs to be on my sandwich before its unhealthy for me to eat?"

The mere fact that someone would ask that question means they are trying to put conditions on God. They are telling God that He can have part of their life but not all of their life.  It seems to me that the real question is - "Who is in charge?"

While knowing about the Bible or about the Christian faith may not seem to matter all that much to a lot of people these days - it does matter to God.

In the end, the question of "what do I need to know" or "what must I do to be saved" really becomes the question "Who is Jesus?" And the only way we can know Jesus is to find Him in His Word.

Strictly speaking, you don't have to KNOW anything to be saved. It is a gift - the undeserved grace of God which we receive by faith in Jesus Christ. But once we are saved, once we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will want to know and grow as a follower of Jesus. We will want to learn about the Bible as God's Holy Word. We will want more and more each day to be filled with the knowledge and wisdom of God.

And at that point it no longer is about what we need to know, but what we want to know.

+++

No comments: