What is the Center of Your Life?
Posted by Martin Murphy on Sunday, April 4, 2010 Under: Theology
We all have those milestones - some seemingly insignificant and others we regard as very significant - but we all have events in life that we remember. I have seen many milestones in my life. The most important event was when I came to a knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ and trusted Him for eternal life. The day I married the most wonderful woman on earth (another man will, no doubt, make the same claim for his wife) was and remains extremely important to me. Remember milestones - especially milestones that contribute to your spiritual growth.
The human race, by definition and practice, is anthropocentric. That word means that man is the center of everything. Remember King Nebuchadnezzar told God: "I am (that is Nebuchadnezzar) and there is no one besides me." Nebuchadnezzar thought he was so important that he was above God. I am, I want, I will, I did, I was, I, I, I, is the basic pattern of man-centeredness. The inherited nature of all human beings is a man-centered nature. The evil one works to keep everyone in the bondage of man-centered religion. Christians are hesitant to give God credit for the most important events in their lives. For example, when we talk about our salvation the common phrase is "I accepted Jesus. . . ." Wait a minute! JESUS ACCEPTED ME! Who loved who first (1 John 4:19)? Who accepted who first (Romans 15:7)? But, we take the credit and simply say "I accepted Jesus." It is called man-centered religion.
There is another big word (no one likes big words, but they are necessary to describe important concepts) that is exactly opposite of anthropocentric (man-centered). The word is theocentric. It means that God is the center of everything. Without God's "sustaining" power I could not type this letter. I could not even expect my heart to beat the next beat without the "sustaining" power of God. When God becomes the center of our lives, then we have God-centered religion rather than man-centered religion. God-centered religion is He, He, He. Man-centered religion is me, me, me. Christians are, by there nature, or they should be God-centered people. God-centered religion is the biblical religion. Man-centered religion is not only not biblical, but carried to its logical end is atheistic.
The milestones that are past are past. Oh, I might think of them occasionally, but I'm interested in the next milestone. I look forward to a new reformation when the man-centered church turns from the ways of man to the ways of God. I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will revive the church by the power of His spirit and make us a God-centered church. I pray for the restoration of the God-centered religion found in the Bible.
The human race, by definition and practice, is anthropocentric. That word means that man is the center of everything. Remember King Nebuchadnezzar told God: "I am (that is Nebuchadnezzar) and there is no one besides me." Nebuchadnezzar thought he was so important that he was above God. I am, I want, I will, I did, I was, I, I, I, is the basic pattern of man-centeredness. The inherited nature of all human beings is a man-centered nature. The evil one works to keep everyone in the bondage of man-centered religion. Christians are hesitant to give God credit for the most important events in their lives. For example, when we talk about our salvation the common phrase is "I accepted Jesus. . . ." Wait a minute! JESUS ACCEPTED ME! Who loved who first (1 John 4:19)? Who accepted who first (Romans 15:7)? But, we take the credit and simply say "I accepted Jesus." It is called man-centered religion.
There is another big word (no one likes big words, but they are necessary to describe important concepts) that is exactly opposite of anthropocentric (man-centered). The word is theocentric. It means that God is the center of everything. Without God's "sustaining" power I could not type this letter. I could not even expect my heart to beat the next beat without the "sustaining" power of God. When God becomes the center of our lives, then we have God-centered religion rather than man-centered religion. God-centered religion is He, He, He. Man-centered religion is me, me, me. Christians are, by there nature, or they should be God-centered people. God-centered religion is the biblical religion. Man-centered religion is not only not biblical, but carried to its logical end is atheistic.
The milestones that are past are past. Oh, I might think of them occasionally, but I'm interested in the next milestone. I look forward to a new reformation when the man-centered church turns from the ways of man to the ways of God. I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will revive the church by the power of His spirit and make us a God-centered church. I pray for the restoration of the God-centered religion found in the Bible.
In : Theology
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