“A Christian is one who hears, seeks and does the will of God”. This phrase popped into my mind as the waking thought one morning several years ago.
At the time, it kind of ran contrary to the definition of a born again Christian. I mean to be born again, to me, meant to accept Jesus Christ into your life believing that he died for you. For starters, the definition had no mention of Jesus Christ in it. And if that wasn’t unsettling enough, it starts off with ‘hears’ – so a Christian is ‘by invitation only’ or limited only to those who ‘hear’ the will of God? Not to mention the ‘Jesus died for you gospel’ – believe Jesus died for you, ask for forgiveness of your sins, accept Jesus into your life. Heaven’s definition to me that morning ‘forgot’ to include that bit! Instead, it suggests that a man must hear the will of God as a pre condition to being a Christian.
So if one doesn’t become a Christian by hearing and responding to the ‘Jesus died for you’ gospel, but rather by something less distinct (‘the will of God), what does that make the throngs of ‘born again Christians’ that fill church pews, auditoriums and programmes? If becoming a Christian is by invitation only, it suggests a degree of exclusivity that doesn’t explain the masses and easy entry pass preached by the church today.
I should of known then those many years ago – the hints and clues were being dropped by heaven – there was more to this quest, the journey of knowing God and the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Are you one of many in the pews (or even active Church life) who for some time now have heard a different emphasis and definition within your spirit? Perhaps you find that what you are hearing is totally at odds with everything around you. So what are you going to do about it? Hear, seek and does the will of God …. I believe the sound has gone out but not all will hear and not all who hear will respond by breaking camp ….
I hope to be able share and write more on this blog ……