He claimed to have made a substantive study of the life and leadership of Jesus in the four Gospels. He made free use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions, which would become pillars of the new government. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew strength for his great work from it, as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Who was he? Adolf Hitler. He was a master of outward religiosity with no inward reality! And so it was with the Pharisees of old. But, what about us?
There is a tendency for people who are constantly around God’s Word and God’s church, over time to become detached, disconnected. There is this tendency/temptation to regard holy things as common. The romance and excitement can be lost with the passing years. Our faith can become like a marriage that has gotten lackluster and stale with the onset of years. It is an even greater risk for second generation Christians who have a heritage of faith, but not taken a real heart ownership of their own faith.
The apostle Peter addresses this demographic in I Peter 5:2, “…God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Pray with me… Father in heaven, you know it is too predictable that we mortals would be stronger at the start than at the finish. Empower us by the immortal Holy Spirit to reverse this tendency and live out an integrated faith all through our lives. We pray it would never fade away! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Ken
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