False Messiahs
Even believers entertain false messiah’s from time to time.
A messiah is a deliverer, a saviour. Literally it means the anointed one. For Christians we believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of God and came not only to fulfill the Jewish law but also to rescue Jew and Gentile alike from sin.
For a number of reasons however, we sometimes entertain substitute messiahs that we think will bring us blessing, security, happiness or even special knowledge.
Let me give you some things that can become false messiah’s to God’s people:-
-a certain method of interpretation (‘without looking at the Bible this way you will never really understand it);
-for their children, either home school or Christian school (‘as long as we use this curriculum or my kids are in this kind of environment they will never turn out right’);
-a particular Bible translation (‘don’t use anything else otherwise you won’t have the pure words of God’)
-over emphasised denominational distinctives (‘you would have to be pretty stupid not to believe what I believe about this’)
-music standards (‘I only sing hymns.’ )
Now these personal convictions do have their place, but none of them alone or even in combination were ever designed to be our messiah.
Jesus is the only one who can occupy this place.
They are only tools that are to be used carefully and prayerfully to help us along the way. The churches we belong to might have positions on them and may even be the basis of membership. You need to determine in your own heart what you believe and be faithful to where God has put you, or is leading you.
But my point is that Jesus Christ is the one who is made to us the true ‘wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption’ (1 Cor 1:30) . Glory in the One who deserves it rather than in personal convictions that can, God forbid, become false messiahs.
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Very good post. Thanks for sharing. =)
So true brother, a wonderful post.
Thank you.