Jim Miller
Gray, Maine
There is a phrase that has been around for a long time "What would Jesus do" and to ask this of ones self and others is admirable. However, there is much more to think about than just asking this one question and knowing the answer. When our Lord left this earth to sit at the right had of God, He sent the Holy Spirit to guide the Apostles into all truth. So therefore there must have been and still is more to Christianity that just asking what the Lord would do.
Christ choose certain men to go forth and teach the world the will of God and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit they did just that. Those that were taught by the Apostles and believed then took Gods message to the world just as God planned it.
Today though it seems that many do not want to teach the rest of the Gospel and follow it, they are stuck in a rut so to speak only preaching and teaching the life of Christ and the love side of salvation. Ask yourself if that was all that was needed would there really have been a need for the Apostles to go out and teach and write and proclaim the contents of what we know as the epistles?
Would there have been a need to establish elders to shepherd the flock? Would there have been a need to teach and leave the example of how to worship properly? If all that was needed was to preach and teach the life of Christ and love then there would be no more than the four accounts of His life in the New Testament. Yet, there is. There is much more written for us to learn and apply.
We are told that we have been given all we need that pertains to life and Godliness. 2Pe_1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
To preach Christ and Him crucified to bring others to the point of salvation is only part of the Good News, what is written in the rest of the New Testament is so that we can learn to lead obedient lives enabling us to remain in the saved condition we reach after baptism.
I firmly believe that everyone should read and learn what Jesus would do. But, I also know that we must learn and hear the hard things that are not so pleasing to the ear also. How can we put on the full armor of God and stand against Satan if all we hear and teach is peace and love. Eph_6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. If all that was needed was peace and love there would be no need for armor to do battle at all.
We can not be like the man with one talent, afraid to preach and teach the whole Gospel. I thank God there are still men in this world who will still go forth and preach and teach as we should but, I also see way to many who for whatever reason are willing to compromise the word so as not to hurt someones feeling or step on someones toes. To many in the pulpit today want to please their listeners when they should care enough about the souls of those that hear and teach the hard things also.
Rom_1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
