Ryan Davis

IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
-Colossians 3:1

Do you ever feel guilty?

Sorry, stupid question, of course you have, we all have.

I remember when I was younger and in order to fit in I would sometimes pick on other children. One of the tricks we would play was intentionally “befriending” people, gain their trust, and then lead them into a trap. Every time we would do this I would just feel horrible. I never understood how people can laugh while others cry, or say “well that’s your fault for trusting me.”

It’s like the old sales trick, the bait and switch. We promised friendship, acceptance, a game of catch, and then once they feel comfortable, not only do we trick them, we delight in their pain.

I wonder how much we have grown up.

As Christians we believe we are given a new life in Christ. Our Spirit has been replaced, we are born anew. Yet the modern church resembles the school playground.

I was talking to a gentleman the other day who had recently left one church for another, and was about to make the move again. I asked him what it was about his church that he offended him so much. He told me that the church “got a new pastor and he doesn’t sing the old hymns anymore, he only wants to sing new songs.” So he is planning on going to another church. After this man and I talked I paused, and thought, “how often is this the case?” How many times has someone left a church over music, or a preaching style, over decorations, or the fact that no one respects your pew?

Recently in the town I live in there was a major church split, while I am uncertain of the issues that caused the split, I do know that one Sunday morning, while the pastor was preaching, members of the church began to stand up and shout at him, and eventually ran him off the stage. The sheriff’s department was called in and the pastor and his associates were guarded in their offices until the mob subsided. I heard this story from a few people who were there and my heart broke.

We are living in a new life with an old life mentality. The church is supposed to be different, the church is supposed to bring people together not rip them apart.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:12-14

To live in this new life we must stop the pettiness.

In order for the church to bring change into this world, we must first change ourselves.

The church must be described as the entity that only love can bind together. When we look at the church we have to say “there is no way this group of people, so different, should come together.” We must make allowances for others faults, and allow God’s perfect grace to work in us, to transform us, in order that we could transform the world.