Have You Lost Your Way?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

For many Christians any means works as long as the end is reached. The truth of Jesus being the end, the big main point, has in many cases become a goal rather than a statement of truth. The life of faith, in other words, has been turned into a competition rather than an authentic way of life. This makes sense when looking at the crusades, manipulative preachers, and showy, entertainment oriented worship services. If the end is all that matters, then converting people with a sword, a lie, or a flashy smile is acceptable. But, is it really any means to the end? Is this what Jesus is saying above? Eugene Peterson, in his excellent book, The Jesus Way has this to say:

“In the text that Jesus sets before us so clearly and definitively, way comes first. We cannot skip the way of Jesus in our hurry to get the truth of Jesus, living Jesus in our homes and workplaces, with our friends and family.”

The means are just as important as the end. The Jesus way plus the Jesus truth leads to the Jesus life. This is so important! It’s clear that much of what is wrong with American Christianity originates in elevating the truth above the way. We cannot attach any way we want to the truth of the Gospel. Only the Jesus way will do. The Jesus way is not one of coercion, or manipulation. The Jesus way does not involve violence or any dishonesty of any kind. The Jesus way does not prefer safety, riches, comfort, or selfish ambition. The Jesus way is characterized by: love, humility, sacrifice, submission and faith. And this way, combined with the truth of Jesus naturally leads to life. We wonder why our churches are lifeless, or why our lives are shallow, or why Christianity is viewed as irrelevant. Could it be that we have inadequately, inappropriately, attached the wrong ways to the right truth? Are we trying to use a spoon to drive a nail? In John 15:6, Jesus shines the light on this:

“If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

We must stay connected to Jesus and the Jesus way or we lose our life, are pruned, withered, and eventually are good for nothing but feeding a fire. Read more about this in: The Jesus Way, by Eugene Peterson

-Pastor Kevin

Original Post here: http://austinthai.com/2009/07/10/have-christians-lost-the-way/