"If you study the teachings of Christ, you’ll realize that learning wasn’t his primary goal. His primary goal was unlearning. He was reverse engineering religious minds. And those can be the toughest minds to change. That is why two phrases are repeated over and over again in the Sermon on the Mount. “You have heard that it was said…”, “But I tell you…” Get this straight: Half of learning is learning, and the other half of learning is unlearning. Unfortunately, unlearning is twice as hard as learning. It’s like missing your exit on the freeway. You have to drive to the next exit and then double back. Every mile traveled in the wrong direction is a two-mile mistake. Unlearning is twice as hard, and it often takes twice as long." It is harder to get old thoughts out of your mind than it is to get new thoughts into your mind." (From In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson)Personally I am continually astounded at how easily many educated Christians embrace things directly contrary to Jesus, simply because others have said them before. And then they weave elaborate theories to justify it all. Oh yeah, and then condemn the nonconformists who refuse to go along. It really doesn't seem that complicated. But then I forget all the years I spent complicating things for others. God forgive me.
JoeB
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4 comments:
Heretic! What's next; that Calvin got it wrong. Tsk-Tsk.
You know very well that tradition, dogma and doctrine trump what God says. If it didn't half "The Church" would collapse onto itself.
Be careful Joe, you are showing your Anarchist leanings....g
You are right, RMW! "Jesus is Lord = Anarchy", at least if you think you are the rightful ruler of God's domain.
"The tenants of the vinyard conspired together and said, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'"
Matthew 21:38
Calvin not so bad, or Luther or Boniface either one. They are just tenants in the vinyard. like me.
A tenant in the vineyard is only the bad when he is more interested for the vineyard than for the landlord. Then they conspire and stone the prophets who tell them to pay the rent.
As I relearn the truth of the gospel and unlearn the traditions of men, I am continually astounded at how I have failed to realise the truth in the past.
And then I get a pang -- all those great men couldn't be wrong, could they?
So I begin to doubt again.
And a still, small voice calls me back to Himself, and I return once again to the place where the Holy Spirit leads.
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