New vs. Old

Some of the biggest battles in the church have been over this one.  What do we sing?  What traditions do we hold on to?  Why change things?  What about us?  If we pull things to the contemporary some love it, some hate it.  If we leave things as they were in our parent's generation or farther back... we loose this one.

I believe that as Christians, we should always be in motion, never hanging our hats on one tradition or even one successful genre of meeting.  It's not to discount or minimize the past, but rather to let the past continually build strong foundations that the present walks on.

"It's not to discount or minimize the past, but rather to let the past continually build strong foundations that the present walks on."

Paul talks about this a lot as someone who was asked by God to move beyond the acceptable boundaries of the Jewish culture.  Jesus lived it; always taking the letter of the law to a deeper level.  He did not discount or nullify the commandments, but went beyond the act to the heart of them.  It wasn't just 'Don't commit adultery (as in physically going out and having sex with someone that is not yours)' ... but, don't even look at someone else with evil desire, for adultery is committed in the simple act of the wanting & lusting. (see Matthew 5:27-28)  Jesus didn't abolish the law, He actually took it to a more integral level.

Anyway, here it is to ponder... read Romans 7 & 8.  Let the word that came from God speak life & freedom to you.  The law does not save, it only guides.  Our traditions and styles do not save.  We will always struggle with our wants & desires, but need to be purposed to know God's.  And sometimes that will mean doing things a little differently, for He may desire it.

This is the verse that actually got me thinking about all of this today:

"But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."  Romans 7:6

Ask God for His heart.  Ask Him for His plan to reach your community, your family... you.  He loves you, so it can only be good!