Is Christ Necessary?

Scripture passage that caught my attention today: Galatians 6:13-14 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Observation: Even in Biblical times there were many who wanted to tell others what they should do.

Application: I learned some time ago of an important question to keep in mind whenever someone suggests a certain action, behavior, or even viewpoint, especially in religious circles: “If I do what you say I should do, or think in the way you say I should think, will Christ still be necessary?”

In other words, at what point do we delude ourselves into thinking that our actions or our supposedly more pristine and holy thoughts are enough to take away the need for Christ’s saving work in the first place?

The answer, of course, is that there is nothing we can do or think that can take away our need for the saving work of Christ. But that doesn’t mean that we always keep this reality at the forefront of our minds. Instead it’s tempting to think that this devotional or that, this church or that, this way of getting baptized or that, this Bible translation or that, this form of relationship or that, this way of making a living or that, this amount of giving or that are somehow the ways to determine who is best practicing his or her faith.

Paul would say “Balony!” Or as Martin Luther said, “we are all beggars at the throne of God’s mercy.” We are all in equal need of Christ. And our response to that good news will often be as varied as our lives vary one from another. For some reason I think God likes that.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the ways in which you speak and touch the hearts of your faithful people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Scripture Readings today included: Deuteronomy 28-29 and Galatians 6)