Sit down at a table with a pen and a note pad (or sheet of paper) that will fit in your pocket. List all the churchy sayings you and your friends say to each other and that you hear your pastor, general overseer or bishop say over and over.
After you’ve written down every religious saying or “nuggets” of wisdom you think you hear and say at church or Bible study, close up the notepad or paper and put it in your pocket. Keep it there for at least a week because as days go by and you listen to so-called “christian” radio or watch “christian” TV, you’ll hear some that you may have forgotten or simply remember some old ones. Write them in the note, too. Be sure to take your sayings list to church and Bible study at least once and write every saying down. EVERY one. Here are a few examples of popular sayings:
- God helps those who help themselves
- Who are you to judge?
- Make the gospel relevant
- You will be tight if you do not tithe
- God doesn’t want any of His children poor or sick
- Love them into the Kingdom
- Lifestyle evangelism
- Give God something to work with
- People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
- The Pharisees were too into following everything the Bible says
- Doctrine isn’t important
- Jesus is too much of a gentleman to make you repent
- God doesn’t hate anybody
- Hate the sin; love the sinner
- God doesn’t send anybody to hell
- Don’t preach to people
- Pray this prayer to be saved…
- God wants me happy
- Accept Jesus into your life
- Plant a seed offering
- Try God
- Givers never lack
When you’re satisfied you have them all, sit down again. Look up each saying in a concordance or a topical Bible. If you can’t find them, what does that tell you? It tells you they probably aren’t in the Bible, doesn’t it? Drop them and never say them again. Replace them with Bible verses and partial verses.
If you do find one of your old sayings, like “Don’t judge”, read the entire chapter where you found it. It might not mean what you thought it did. If you find one in the Bible and it really means what you thought it meant, GREAT! Keep it. You’re good.
Read enough Bible regularly that you get new Bible verses all the time to replace the old sayings as they drop away and don’t try to remember all of them. That’s not the point. Just keep doing this. You will begin to change. You will see the world through brand new eyes, eyes filled with the Spirit of God.
In a very short time you will be amazed at just how silly some of the things you used to say were. Then start reading the Bible over and over and over. Read it through at least once a year. Anything less puts you in danger.
Original article: A CHALLENGE FOR MODERN EVANGELICALS
No Comments