Following Jesus

They say, “My ways are not your ways, says the Lord.”

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“My ways are not your ways, says the Lord.” Is it true?

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This is a true Scripture that is generally quoted out of context in order to assure people that there’s no point in asking why someone is sick, or died, or why their prayers weren’t answered.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8.9

This is God’s lament—not his plan.  God lamented that the Israelites didn’t forgive like he does.  Now read it in context:

 ISA 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

 Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 ISA 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the LORD.

 ISA 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God was addressing evil people, who wouldn’t forgive. This is certainly not his plan or desire for Christians to have evil thoughts, especially since we have been given “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and we are to walk in all his ways or steps (1 Peter 2:21).

If you’re a follower of Jesus and the Lord’s ways are not your ways, why not?

“Jesus is the Great Physician”

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Is it true? No.

Shocked? But doesn’t the Bible say he is? No, Jesus quoted mockers who had no faith in Capernaum, who would taunt him with a local proverb, “Physician heal thyself.”

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” Luke 4:23.

Jesus didn’t use medicine to heal people—he used supernatural power! Even in the advanced medicine of the twenty-first century, physicians admit, “Medicine isn’t science—it’s an art. We only practice.” They also often say, “I don’t know. We don’t have a treatment for that.”

Jesus always knows what to do; his healing is free and is available to everyone. It does no harm and has no bad side-effects. He and his healing are way above any physician. That is good news!

“I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

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They say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

Is it true? No.

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If you’re a follower of Jesus (see John 8:31,32), you were a sinner but are no longer; sin is not to be a lifestyle for you anymore. Yes, we all sin from time to time and do have God’s forgiveness, but we’re not to keep on sinning as a regular way of life.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 1:2

“Christians aren’t different from anyone else, we’re just beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.“      

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They say, “Christians aren’t different from anyone else, we’re just beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.“      

 Is it true? No.

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Those who follow Jesus are redeemed and transformed by the Holy Spirit and adopted into the family of God! We are no longer beggars but are daughters and sons of the Most High King. Jesus promised that we could ask anything in his name and he would do it.

Yes, we offer Jesus, the Bread of Life–not as beggars, but as co-heirs with Jesus.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13,14

They say, “God’s love is unconditional.”

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Is it true? Not exactly.

The word unconditional doesn’t appear in the Bible—I checked several translations. And yes, sometimes there are things that aren’t said directly but are nevertheless true. But when I ask people what Scripture they base this on, they mostly point to God’s love for Israel—that doesn’t include everyone, which is a condition. Some quote John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” This verse, rather than saying it doesn’t matter how you live or what you do, God still loves you, it speaks of a general love.  God loves the world so much that he was willing to put his Son through suffering and death—and resurrection, to offer salvation to those who would believe and obey.

The Bible is full of “if—then” statements such as,

 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. John 15:19

Jesus’ replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”  John 14:23,24

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31,32

God’s love isn’t mushy or shifting, but rock solid for those who believe in Jesus and follow his teachings.

They say,“Religion is a dirty word; Christians aren’t supposed to have religion but relationship.”

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No.

It’s been the “in thing” the last several years to despise the word religion, and define it differently than the Bible does, instead, defining it as man’s way of getting to God, as judgmentalism and formality. But James spoke of true religion as taking care of widows and orphans, and remaining unpolluted by the world (James 1:27). How can that be bad? Jesus cared very much about widows and orphans, about holiness—how can you have a relationship with a person and not care about what they care about? Religion isn’t bad—the problem is with false religion.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27