1 Corinthians 6: 17 NKJV
It's hard to look at the world today and see a whole lot of posers out there. That is, people pretending to be something they're not. I should know, I've worked with a poser for the past few years. Even I was a poser for some time. Sure, I read the word and joined the loyal christian rank and file each sunday in Gods house. I was pretending. Pretending that everything was all good. Pretending that my life was going just the way God wanted it to be. Nothing could have been further from the truth. For behind that mask of the loyal christian was a man who had lost his own identity. Either that, or I was unsure of my identity in the first place. I wasn't keeping it real. I wasn't being true to who I really was. To me, and many christian posers like me, Jesus was someone who was far off. He was that reward I would receive if I lived a life pleasing to God. The trouble with this line of thinking is...we can never live up to Gods standards. I think of Jesus, perect in each and every way and I would realize that a life lived like Jesus was unatainable. So, each week I would return to church to seek forgiveness for once again failing to attain the Jesus standard. At least I wasn't alone. Like clockwork, each week the pastor would once again lay it all out of just how I could "be more like Jesus." I kid you not, there were many times where I felt like a hamster on a wheel constantly chasing something I could never achieve.
19Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body gand in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6: 19 - 20 NKJV
I still recall the moment I decided that the institutional church life wasn't for me. Listening to a sermon one sunday I was confused by the pastors claim that Jesus had provided for the forgiveness of our sins, but that now it was up to us to live up to His standard. What? So, Jesus loves me enough to erase all of my sins, but now this pulpit pounder was telling me that I still needed forgiveness? I was done with the dog and pony show. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't done with my christian friendships, just the message and teaching of the church. I couldn't see myself ever attaining that Jesus standard the pastor talked about. Imagine my surprise, however, when I learned that I was never meant to bear the standard of Christ. Jesus, being perfect, became sin on my behalf so that I would never need to {2 Corinthians 5:21}. Not only that, the reason that I was a poser was that I was failing to realize who I really was. My identity had never been centered on my physical body, but by He who had been in me all along. There was no need for me to be more like Jesus. How could I be more like someone I already was? Now, don't bust my chops because I claim that I am Christ. I'm not a heretic, just keeping it real. I've often wondered why more institutional pastors fail to embrace the truth of Christ in us. Perhaps they fear that if they did then all those posers out there wouldn't need them anymore. My advice to those pulpit pounders? Keep it real!
~Scott~
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