Saturday, September 15, 2007

Convenient Christianity - Part I

When did living a life for Christ become more about convenience than sacrifice? And when did our selfish need for convenience take on the form of compromise? Now the threatening appearance of compromise has grown into a lifestyle. A lifestyle of what I will call Convenient Christianity.

I’m not sure when it all started, but I believe it was sometime around the “fall”. And so the mindset of “I know better than God” and “You know God these commandments are really not convenient for me” began.

Many of us read the word of God the way we want to rear it. It may sound something like this:

Matthew 19:16-22

16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." ( but only if it’s convenient for you) 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, (only the convenient ones) "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery (unless it only in your mind), do not steal (unless it’s online music or movies), do not give false testimony (unless it makes you look better),
19 honor your father and mother (unless you don’t agree with them)' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' (unless it’s takes to much time)"
20 "All these I have kept (mostly, ok sometines, well when it was convenient)," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions (that you aren’t using) and give to the poor (but only if you can write it off taxes), and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (when it's convenient for you)."
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth (and it really wasn’t a convenient time).

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