BRIDGING THE EXPERIENCE GAP (2 OF 9)
by Ron Dunn
Scripture: JOSHUA 1:5-9
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Bridging the Experience Gap (2 of 9)
Ron Dunn
Joshua 1:5-9
Not long ago I flew to a northern city for a speaking engagement. A man I had never seen was to meet me at the airport. But when I entered the terminal, no one approached me. Many people were waiting to meet arriving passengers, but none headed in my direction. After a while I was paged over the loudspeaker and asked to meet my party at the airline desk. When I got there I immediately recognized the man waiting for me as one of those in the waiting room. I had walked right by him and he had failed to recognize me. He apologized profusely and said, "I had your picture, but you don't look anything like it." That has happened so many times, I just answer, "Well, that picture was made when I was much older."
Have you ever noticed the disturbing difference between what the Bible says we are and what we really are? It would be difficult to recognize most Christians from the description of them given in the Bible. I wonder if people would be surprised to discover that we're Christians. Might they say, "I had your picture in my Bible but you don't look anything like it"?
Let's take a quick look at our photograph. In I John 5:4 we read, "...And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." I used to read that and say, "Aha, that's why I'm not overcoming the world. I don't have enough faith. If God would give me more faith, I could be victorious." Then one day I read the next verse and it blasted that excuse into limbo. "And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (v. 5). It's not special or super faith that overcomes the world. It's not how much faith you have, but what you have faith in. The statement is unmistakably clear. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you are overcoming the world. I believed, but I wasn't overcoming the world!
Take another look at yourself. "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him ...
Ron Dunn
Joshua 1:5-9
Not long ago I flew to a northern city for a speaking engagement. A man I had never seen was to meet me at the airport. But when I entered the terminal, no one approached me. Many people were waiting to meet arriving passengers, but none headed in my direction. After a while I was paged over the loudspeaker and asked to meet my party at the airline desk. When I got there I immediately recognized the man waiting for me as one of those in the waiting room. I had walked right by him and he had failed to recognize me. He apologized profusely and said, "I had your picture, but you don't look anything like it." That has happened so many times, I just answer, "Well, that picture was made when I was much older."
Have you ever noticed the disturbing difference between what the Bible says we are and what we really are? It would be difficult to recognize most Christians from the description of them given in the Bible. I wonder if people would be surprised to discover that we're Christians. Might they say, "I had your picture in my Bible but you don't look anything like it"?
Let's take a quick look at our photograph. In I John 5:4 we read, "...And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." I used to read that and say, "Aha, that's why I'm not overcoming the world. I don't have enough faith. If God would give me more faith, I could be victorious." Then one day I read the next verse and it blasted that excuse into limbo. "And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (v. 5). It's not special or super faith that overcomes the world. It's not how much faith you have, but what you have faith in. The statement is unmistakably clear. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you are overcoming the world. I believed, but I wasn't overcoming the world!
Take another look at yourself. "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him ...
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