Christianity in a Nutshell - Part 2

Our Christian calling is not to cram our heads with facts, but to fill our hearts with Christ. It is not to reduce truth to information but to find ultimate truth in the Person of Jesus Christ. Alas, we live in the information age where knowledge is power (not love). It is possible to become cleverer and more foolish at the same time. T S Eliot puts it well:

The endless cycle of idea and action,

Endless invention, endless experiment,

Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;

Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;

Knowledge of words, and ignorance of The Word ...

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

Increasingly, Christians seem to reduce the Christian life to experience rather than relationship. The difference between the two is that relationship is conveyed in story while experience is cutting up story into episodes (like television serials). Or as many wise Christian spiritual writers have commented, in following Jesus, we will

encounter spiritual experiences; however if our attention shifts to these

experiences, we will drift away from Jesus.

When we reduce the Christian life to the pursuit of experiences (usually the more exciting varieties) rather than the pursuit of Christ, we have missed the point and have lost the heart of Christian discipleship. It is easy to turn from being a follower of Jesus to being a collector of exciting spiritual experiences. For example, there is a legitimate place for signs and wonders (though Christians interpret them differently). However, the biblical kind of signs and wonders occurs when we are in a focused and single-hearted pursuit of Jesus. As long as our attention is on Jesus, we are on safe ground.

However, when we focus instead on the phenomena, we are in danger of being deceived by Satan, whose bag of diabolical tricks includes signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Satan knows our weaknesses.

There is a profound difference between the Life that is found in Jesus and mere spiritual experiences, which may be deceptive. We are called to seek Jesus who is the Life, rather than run from one experience to another. One leads to profound love; the other to crippling addiction. We are wise if we know the difference.

The heart of the Christian faith is a Person – Jesus. We are to seek Him and pursue Him more than spiritual methods and programmes, information and techniques, and entertaining and exciting experiences. Those who realise that ultimately the Way, the Truth and the Life is a Person will live a radically new life – the very Life of Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

In what ways are we tempted to rely on prescriptions and programmes rather than on the Person of Jesus? Share from personal experience and from your observations in church. How can we focus on Jesus rather than on methods and mottos? How can we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)?

What is the difference between having spiritual experiences and having a relationship with Jesus? In what ways do Christians seek experiences more than they seek Christ? How can we avoid reducing the Christian life to a doctrine (unconnected with actual practice), a technique (to produce spiritual results), or a superficial thrill (a sensational experience), instead of seeing it centred on a

growing relationship with Jesus?