Ch-ch-check your self

"Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." II John 8-9

Johnny (my pastor) did a good job of reminding me today how crucial it is that we cannot lose Jesus in our theology. Today, in so much of the emerging church people are "go(ing) on ahead" by presenting new concepts of God and church, and somehow so much of the time Jesus is gradually pushed to the side and slowly forgotten. Don't get me wrong, new ideas can be good and are important to challenge the church, but it seems that so many major doctrines that are the foundation of Christianity are being replaced today.

But the apostle John is so very clear that if we do not abide in the teaching of Christ, we do NOT have God. I don't often think of how easily I could lose God, but in our universalist minded society we must all constantly be watching ourselves. The second I start to acknowledge other ways of knowing God, I sacrifice my Jesus, and he "died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:21)

And that would be the most tragic mistake of my life.