Half the Gospel

“So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them clean with the towel he had around them.” John 13: 4-5

Last night in Steve’s bible class he referenced this verse and reminded us what Jesus did after it was over. He asked the disciples if they understood. Which we would say probably not, at least not fully. Then Steve said something that I hadn’t thought about. What do you think they thought about the next time they sat down at someone’s house and a servant came in to wash their feet? They couldn’t sit through that without remembering what Jesus had done the night before his death and also remembering what he called them to do, which was serve people like He had served them.

That call applies to us also. Christ has sacrificed for us and we should be dying to ourselves to show that love to others. And yet for some reason this call is overlooked by so many. So many Christians say a prayer, get baptized, and then spend the rest of their lives trying not to do something wrong. Well the last time I checked, me not saying a cuss word, or me not cheating on my wife, has yet to impact a lost soul for Jesus. That is not to say that we shouldn’t live by example and follow the instructions of God, but it is to say this is not enough. We live right while serving and showing the love of Christ. If we choose one or the other, then we are not showing people the full love of God. We either show them a set of rules and no love, or we show them love but no reason for it. This is not what we are called to do.

Half the gospel only distorts the truth of God

I found this video of Francis Chan where he is talking about Jesus as your role model. Unfortunately this is true for too many and it has been true in my life for too long.