I was watching a video this morning. A Jewish man stopped a Christian he saw passing by, who he recognised from podcasts he had watched. He saw in them something he longed for, but felt unable to reach.
After some conversation, the man began to see the connection between his understanding of the lamb as payment for his sins, and Jesus, who paid our penalty for us. The Christian asked the man if he wanted to accept that gift for himself - and man replied that he was afraid.
You see, all his life he'd been taught that Christianity was a trap. It was based on Judaism, and so was easy for a Jew to open up to, but was a seductive path to false religion. So he was afraid, even though he saw the connection!
And then I thought - we do the same thing. We construct walls around our "truths" that must not be breached! We make people believe that what we understand to be right, is truth, and unless you conform and stick within those boundaries, you are lost to falsehood.
The problem with this type of sacred barrier thinking, is that it allows no room for growth! No room to allow God to teach you more! We get this superior satisfaction that we know all that is needed to be known, and we're not open to the fact that these truths are often beyond the tininess of our minds! That we learn them in minute pieces!!! That doesn't necessarily mean that we throw out what we've "known" in our past - but it may mean that we expand on it!!! Just like the Jewish man in the video!
Never be so "sure" about what you believe that you can't learn any more. There's an arrogance in that, that is unbecoming in one who understands themselves in relation to God, who cannot be "boxed"! Always be open to hear him and learn!
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