Maybe It's Not You

This past Sunday, I spoke on Luke 15. The first part that I walked through was the parable of the lost sheep. In His story, Jesus speaks of how a responsible shepherd will leave his 99 sheep in order to search for the one that is lost.

Please read it for yourself if it interests you.

On the surface, the story can leave us with the impression that Jesus was saying that the Pharisees were okay, and that he needed to spend his time with the notorious sinners and tax collectors. It doesn’t take too much meditation or study to realize that this isn’t the case. If He is counting them as the 99, His commentary might go something more like this;

“You guys seem to have life all figured out. You really don’t need me.”

In my own little world, I often wonder if I’m making the best use of my time as I take this brief journey here on earth. Lately, I’ve been tempted to waste my time arguing with people who have it all figured out, and I know I need to spend my time searching for the lost sheep instead.

As for me, the more I study the Bible, the less I realize I know. When I was a newer believer, I had my theology pretty much sorted out, but the more I study the actual scriptures, the more I realize that God doesn’t paint life in black and white. I often find myself at odds with people who seem absolutely clear on issues that I find are not crystal clear in the Bible.

I don’t believe that the Bible is crystal clear on free will and election. There are passages in scripture that seem to defend either side. So in the end, I often come across as being a hypocrite, because if you get into a discussion with me, I’ll refer to some passages which imply that each of us has a choice to make. And a few minutes later, I’ll refer to the passage which says that the book of life was written before the foundation of the world.

You’ll also hear me say that the Bible is the final authority on spiritual truth. At the same time, you might also hear me say that I see little evidence which indicates that God has stopped communicating directly with humanity.

If I were a betting man, here is my wager. If you are one of those people who is absolutely certain on many of the debatable doctrines of the Christian faith, I bet that the Bible isn’t your only source. I bet you read other books. Don’t you?

Oh! I didn’t bet any money. That would be gambling. (Which is forbidden somewhere I’m sure.)

I don’t believe that God has left me in this world to argue with people who know everything. I believe that he has left me here to find perhaps that one coin or that one sheep. So if you want to respond by telling me how wrong I am and how right you are, I’m pretty sure you aren’t the one He has left me here to find.


PS No. I don't think it's a sin to read books other than the Bible.