After wrestling with numerous ideas, I could not think of a better way to begin this blog other than give a disclaimer. The path we all take in life leads to some specific destination and it is each person’s decision, of course, to follow whichever is chosen. As for the Christian, he or she should be filled with the Word to the point of zealotry and therefore, follow the path of the zealot. Unfortunately, the path is not worn; it is paved with dry dirt and stone. It is a rocky terrain which many chose not to let their soft heels meet.
When one comes to Christ, that person must understand that the path required is not filled with worldly comfort; it requires everyone to strip away all vanity and self righteousness and see the true evil and brood of wretchedness that breeds inside. Once Christ becomes the center of that person’s life, evil desires must flee, yet the temptation never completely retreats. The path grows thicker with evil’s attempt to neutralize the holiness inside; it claws at the ankles seeking to defeat all attempts of living a Christ-like life. When the difficulty of this path is realized, many either turn away or attempt to create pseudo paths to emulate what is considered the joyous pieces of Christ’s teachings and meld to it elements of the sinful world creating a comfortable yet “righteous” path.
The blog’s purpose is not to promote the joy and comfort of this world but to help bring believers and unbelievers alike to the realization of the lifestyle that Christ demands of us all. He desires a holy life with absolute devotion, yet most deceive themselves in believing that a lukewarm life is sufficient in God’s eyes. This belief is the most detrimental to the Christian walk. It is created through many mediums in this “post-modern” world. The Zealot’s Path will expose these worldly lies and lead the reader to a crossroads. This point will require the reader to make the decision as to follow the path of the zealot or continue down which ever path is desired instead. All beliefs will be questioned; all parts of our worldly life will be evaluated and required to stand before Christ. Paul instructs us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5). What will we find from this examination?
The most common issue with bringing such a topic up with many is that it brings aggressive defense, not of the faith but of worldly actions. “You don’t know how I live my life. I pray every day. You can’t see inside my heart. What about you? Are you saved? You live a hypocritical life too!” Jesus encountered this himself in his ministry, but like Christ, this blog will not focus on self righteousness, for this should be nonexistent in a Christian anyway, but on what God desires for us to do: live a life that is in absolute communion with him and in turn, glorifies him. Anything that hinders the path will be brought to light and examined. Through this, encouragement and devotion will spread and will lend support to all who seek it as stated in Revelation 3:20:
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Not only does this path lead to communion with God, but it requires a lifestyle that spreads His love to others. The true works of a Christian reveal the living, breathing love of God in this world. All Christians are Christ’s representatives on this earth and must not set in a selfish, lukewarm cocoon not sharing the greatness of his glory. This does not mean that all Christians should bang on every front door, taking others by the collars to cram the Word down the throats of everyone that answers. While we all should proclaim the Good News, living life in a loving, Christ-driven way spreads his light in this darkened world in more ways than we can imagine. The Zealot’s Path aims to bring fellow Christians and those searching for the truth closer to His greatness.
Unfortunately, simply living a Christ centered life is sometimes not enough to bring a person to the faith. There comes a point in a person’s journey where questions are asked, and reasons for specific actions are sought. It is the duty of the Christian to give an account of why the belief in Christ is sufficient. 1 Peter 3:15 tells to be prepared to defend the reasons why we have hope in Christ. The Zealot’s Path is a source of apologetic wisdom to all who wish to strengthen belief and defend the faith in Christ as well as answer the mind bending questions posted by those who search for the truth.
The path of the zealot is not a leisurely stroll; it demands full dedication and full devotion in mind and spirit. I pray that God leads all who read, myself included, to a better understanding of living a life that best suits His plans and wishes for us all.
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I like the idea man. I think most of us say that as followers of Christ, we are still held accountable for our actions, but do we really think about it? The thoughts and ways of our God are as high as the heavens compared to our own. If we all realized how far off traditional thinking and philosophy is, and actually just lived life with love, the best we can, we might actually get somewhere. But even still it will be no where near the perfection of Christ. Thank God for his grace and mercy!
ReplyDelete"While we all should proclaim the Good News, living life in a loving, Christ-driven way spreads his light in this darkened world in more ways than we can imagine."
I like that sentence. I was talking to a friend the other day about how I feel the Kingdom of God is built using the everyman, not the spiritual "elite". In a country where the Gospel has been preached to most over and over, it takes more then a flamboyant preacher or beautiful music and production to penetrate the calloused ears. It takes the everyman, interacting with with his neighbors on a day to day basis, showing the Love of God and an actual life changing commitment. This is where the battle is being waged. Hence the name, I am the everyman.