Let's Not Be Religious About It!

"For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’  But wisdom is justified by all her children.” - Luke 7:34-35 KNJV

From this passage, Holy Spirit helped me to see that God uses different people to advance the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist was teetotaler and Jesus drank wine. Who is holier? Who is closer to God?

We know Jesus is the Son of God and One with God. However, in our limited, earthly understanding of the Kingdom of God, we are sometimes prone to think one person's lifestyle is above another's, thus making them more "holier" than another. We really should stop that. 

Anyone who has walked with the LORD for a number of years knows that He rarely does something the same way again and again in our lives. It may sound cliche but experience keeps us repeating the saying,"God works in mysterious ways." In a way, one could say that He enjoys playing hide-and-seek with us -- leading us to search Him and His way out everyday (see Joshua 1:8). No one should assume they have God figured out. God is Eternal -- not only in His forever-existence but also in His Ways. Eternal is Who He Is. It will take us eternity to figure Him out. Just ask those living creatures with all the eyes singing "HOLY" over His throne. They don't grow tired of it because no matter how much they see, seeing Him never gets old. 

The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come! - Revelation 4:8 NKJV

Understanding this helps us as the Body of Christ welcome and work alongside those who may think or act differently from us yet who serve the LORD in their special way. One may drink; another may be a teetotaler; another will have a tattoo; another may wear a long skirt or robe. Mother Theresa and Todd White are not the same but devoted themselves to the work of the LORD. Who is holier? Who is closer to God?

We know Jesus is the Son of God and One with God. . . . And He came to redeem us ALL and make us One with Him. "Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." - John 14:23 NKJV

One may ask, "What is it to 'keep' or obey God's Word?"  Well..."Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  - Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus didn't say be like your neighbor. He said to love your neighbor. God made us different because we ALL reflect our EL OLAM, our God The Eternal. So when it comes to serving the LORD, let's not be religious about it. Let us enjoy the diversity of the Body of Christ. After all He did make us in HIs image and after his likeness.

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27 NKJV