Jump Start # 1366

2 Corinthians 3:3 “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men”

  This week we are looking at several “You are” expressions from the New Testament. These are descriptions of who we are from Heaven’s side of things. How fitting these are for our times. Some just do not seem to know who they are and thus they do not know how they should behave. The 60’s rock group, The Kinks, had a song which stated, “Boys will be girls and girls will be boys, it’s a mixed up, crazy world.” The news and now the photos of Bruce Jenner with his new look as a female reveals serious mental, emotional and spiritual issues. Why would a doctor even do such a surgery is beyond my thinking.

Our verse today, coming from Paul’s pen, reveals that the Corinthian brethren were a living Bible. They were showing the world what the principles of Christ were. We have a song entitled, “We are the world’s Bible.” That thought carries some important principles for us.

First, people seeing you will make an impression and a judgment about three things. First, they will make a judgment, right or wrong, about your faith. They will see you as genuine or a fake. The corners we cut, the rules we bend, the things we laugh off, are witnessed by others. They know. They see. If they do not see that we take our faith very seriously or that we do what we please with our faith, then they will not be moved, motivated or changed by us.

Then based upon our behavior, attitude and words, people make a judgment about the congregation you attend. They judge the entire congregation by what they see in us. Generalizations like this are not right nor fair, but it’s what happens all the time. Too often a conversation begins, “I know someone who goes to your church…” What follows, is either going to be very positive or very negative, based upon the one person that they have met. This one person may not be anything like the rest of the church, but an opinion has been formed from this one person. Dishonest in business dealings, lying, taking advantage of others, abusive and that impression marks the entire congregation for those who have been on the receiving end of that bad behavior.

Then, based upon what people see, a judgment about Jesus is made. Could this be why the media is so hostile towards Christianity? It’s not what folks are finding in the Bible, it’s the dumb way some are trying to represent it. A Baptist church protests at a funeral with offensive signs. Not only is that congregation marked, but some will see Jesus that way. Their impression of Jesus is formed by seeing how others act.

Three judgments—our faith, our congregation and Christianity, that stem from how people see us.

Second, we are as close to the Bible that some will ever get. Instead of looking into the word for themselves, they will ask us. Our answer, right or wrong, will be what they think the Bible says. I’ve had people say, “I don’t know the book, you do. What does it say about…” That answer will become their answer and their belief in what the Bible teaches. So it moves us to know the Bible. It compels us to be accurate. What we think or what our opinion may be is secondary to what the text really says. Show them in Bible. Write down the reference so they can have it and look it up. If you don’t know, don’t guess. Do your homework and then get back to the person.

Statistics reveal that fewer and fewer people are reading today. This means too many people are being told what to believe rather than seeing it for themselves. Their faith is based upon someone else. They don’t know why other than a friend, a family member, a trusted preacher has said so. Their faith is church based rather than Bible based. Conversations will be laced with “Well, this is what I think…” rather than, “The Bible says.” The reason is, they simply do not know what the Bible says. For instance, it is commonly believed that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality. Next week, I will write about that. The truth is, He did say something about it. Why don’t people know that? Because they haven’t looked for themselves. They’ve heard people saying that and they just assumed it was true. The same thing about judging. “Christians are not supposed to judge,” most believe, yet the same chapter in Matthew that says, “Judge not,” tells us to judge. It’s the way one judges or their motives that Jesus is driving at. Why don’t folks know this? They haven’t read for themselves.

Third, in our homes, especially, and among our friends, we illustrate the truths of the Bible. Grace, forgiveness, patience, kindness, joy become every day lessons as we live out what the Bible says. There is a line in the hymn, “We are the world’s Bible,” that asks, “What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?” Good questions. What if? We will not be perfect. We will not always do right, be right, nor say the right thing. We try, but sometimes we don’t. It’s the Bible that is perfect. It’s the Bible that is right. What if the type is blurred, we apologize and point people to the one who was never blurred, Jesus Christ.

What a great responsibility and privilege to be the living message of God. What a lesson to remind us to think less of self and more of others.

We are the world’s Bible…open it up and show others Jesus! We are…

Roger