Church God’s Way
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Is it possible that we Christians have become so complicated in our approach to devotion to Christ that we have forgotten who we are in Him? Is it possible that we have mingled ourselves with the ways of the world to the point that people do not see Christ in our lives? I have that concern and Paul had the same concern many years ago and shared it with the church in Corinth:
“I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3).
The serpent’s craftiness is always aimed at leading us away from what God has said and that results in our tendency to do our own thing in our own way. That, of course, leads us away from the simplicity and purity that Paul speaks of in this verse. The Greek word for simplicity in the verse means “single minded.” A follower of Christ must keep his heart devoted to Christ and not to the enticements of the world. Giving in to these enticements, as Eve did in the Garden, will lead to impurity because the world’s ways will take us in the way of the serpent and away from what God says.
The more we attempt to look like the world so we can seem cool and impress people, the more we drift into the impure nonsense offered by the world. Like Paul, I am afraid that we have been deceived by the serpent into thinking that his voice whispered in the world’s winds of rebellion have led us astray from God’s simplicity and purity in our devotion to Christ.
The church in its early days kept things simple and pure because they would never consider compromising with the Roman Empire. Luke recorded that they continually devoted themselves to four simple things: “the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). The word, sharing together, having meals together and praying. That was their simple experience. Luke reported that they were “breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46, 47).
They met in each other’s homes, ate meals together and eagerly shared together this new life they were experiencing. They had no church building, no appointed pastor, no special age group programs, and no religious liturgy to deaden the gatherings. They were family, brothers and sisters in Christ and they shared with one another what they possessed (Acts 4:32). Miracles were common place because they had not yet accepted religious unbelief (Acts 3:7).
I believe the Holy Spirit is about to provide a divine reset of His church to prepare us for a coming all-out attack of the enemy. This attack will have the effect of motivating many saints of God to return to the simplicity and purity that once was common place for followers of Christ.
Jesus modeled this way of fellowship when He showed his disciples how to be family members and avoided ritual and legalism. He ate meals with those He encountered, treasured the children and encouraged the women, while they walked from place to place sharing the good news of the kingdom. He preached only one sermon but told frequent stories while He healed many sick and demonized and comforted countless people with His gracious ways. He brought the Father’s love to all and later sent the Holy Spirit to comfort, inspire and empower.
The same Jesus is with us today encouraging us to abandon our religiosity and embrace family life with God’s other children. We would do well to find this simplicity and purity He offers us as a way to overcome the enemy’s attack and the world’s encroachment.
