The Vastness of Our Creator
The other Sunday morning, I sat in bible study with some of our middle school girls. We got to talking about other religions and how they seemed to view their gods. We asked for examples that the girls had seen in their friends and schools. One girl raised her hand and said "My friend is a different religion so she goes to a Lutheran school and this other girl is from a religion where she goes to Catholic church."
I thought to myself, Hmmmm. We then proceeded to discuss the existence of different denominations within Christianity and how they are also Christian though they may not be Baptist, which really seemed to clear some stuff up... I hope.
Keith Green, a worship leader from the 90's, discussed this topic in his personal journals where he expressed great distress at the thought of people disagreeing on some theology to a point that they could not all participate in the same congregation. At one point, he became very upset with a group of ministers from many different denominations who were working together on a conference, all the while they still called themselves by different denominations instead of just calling themselves Christians. As I read this account in his biography/autobiography, I found myself opposed to his position. To him it seemed impossible for each of these men, from Methodist to Baptist, to be able to work together with understanding of separateness. To me it seems like a great thing because, at the end of the day, Jesus is proclaimed and shared.
What I am getting at here is that our God is huge. Our God is vast beyond our understanding. He created each star in the heavens and every element of the periodic table.
Colossians 1:16-17 says "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." This passage is part of a greater passage reflecting that the purpose of creation is to glorify God and that Jesus is supreme in that Jesus is how God chose to create, dwell in, justify and reconcile His creation to Himself.
This God, my God, is so much bigger than I can give thought to. So herein lies the question: is God so big that the way each of His children sees Him is a little bit different? I know for a fact that my sister and I see my mom and dad from different view points. We have each been through different things with them and see them in different lights as a result of it. Even the things we shared in with our parents, we each have taken differently.
The same goes for Jesus and I think that this is the beauty of having so many different means of getting to know Jesus. If a Church of Christ is where you see Jesus clearly and reflects your relationship with Him, go there! If you found the greatest means of surrender to Jesus in worship at a Presbyterian church, stick with it! If Jesus came to life within the walls of a Baptist church, hit it up as much as you can!
Our God is too big to be confined within one method of thought. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things and theologies in the Bible that must be satisfied for a certain belief to still qualify as Christian but, if there is an understanding that there is one True God who sacrificed His Son on the cross as the only way to reconcile the world to Him, then I am guessing Jesus is the reason that church exists. Each church is different and unique and appeals to a different person and our God is big enough to use them.
Know what you believe. Know what is biblical. Take each church on it's own level and make a decision then on whether you fit there or whether it lines up with God's Word. No place is perfect. But rejoice! Rejoice when the churches are able to say, "Today we will work together because our God is bigger than our differences and we can join together in proclaiming Jesus because He is the reason we all exist."
Rejoice in the many relationships with God.
I thought to myself, Hmmmm. We then proceeded to discuss the existence of different denominations within Christianity and how they are also Christian though they may not be Baptist, which really seemed to clear some stuff up... I hope.
Keith Green, a worship leader from the 90's, discussed this topic in his personal journals where he expressed great distress at the thought of people disagreeing on some theology to a point that they could not all participate in the same congregation. At one point, he became very upset with a group of ministers from many different denominations who were working together on a conference, all the while they still called themselves by different denominations instead of just calling themselves Christians. As I read this account in his biography/autobiography, I found myself opposed to his position. To him it seemed impossible for each of these men, from Methodist to Baptist, to be able to work together with understanding of separateness. To me it seems like a great thing because, at the end of the day, Jesus is proclaimed and shared.
What I am getting at here is that our God is huge. Our God is vast beyond our understanding. He created each star in the heavens and every element of the periodic table.
Colossians 1:16-17 says "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." This passage is part of a greater passage reflecting that the purpose of creation is to glorify God and that Jesus is supreme in that Jesus is how God chose to create, dwell in, justify and reconcile His creation to Himself.
This God, my God, is so much bigger than I can give thought to. So herein lies the question: is God so big that the way each of His children sees Him is a little bit different? I know for a fact that my sister and I see my mom and dad from different view points. We have each been through different things with them and see them in different lights as a result of it. Even the things we shared in with our parents, we each have taken differently.
The same goes for Jesus and I think that this is the beauty of having so many different means of getting to know Jesus. If a Church of Christ is where you see Jesus clearly and reflects your relationship with Him, go there! If you found the greatest means of surrender to Jesus in worship at a Presbyterian church, stick with it! If Jesus came to life within the walls of a Baptist church, hit it up as much as you can!
Our God is too big to be confined within one method of thought. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things and theologies in the Bible that must be satisfied for a certain belief to still qualify as Christian but, if there is an understanding that there is one True God who sacrificed His Son on the cross as the only way to reconcile the world to Him, then I am guessing Jesus is the reason that church exists. Each church is different and unique and appeals to a different person and our God is big enough to use them.
Know what you believe. Know what is biblical. Take each church on it's own level and make a decision then on whether you fit there or whether it lines up with God's Word. No place is perfect. But rejoice! Rejoice when the churches are able to say, "Today we will work together because our God is bigger than our differences and we can join together in proclaiming Jesus because He is the reason we all exist."
Rejoice in the many relationships with God.
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