How do I know God? How do I know the Gospel? How do I know how I should live my life? Well, I certainly do not put my trust in man. I put my trust in God. And I believe God is fully able to give me His word without expecting me to rely on probability based on being smart enough. I believe the Bible is the word of God, not because of a denomination, not because of “church fathers”, not because of me being smart enough. I am compelled within, by the Spirit of God, upon reading the Bible, that it is, indeed, His word. And if I don’t presuppose this, I cannot make sense of life. Consistent along with this, I do not then turn around, and use a different method for determining where I should place myself in my life. The whole question of, “Which ‘church’ organization should I join?” is not relevant. I must not go out into the world to find the right temple to join and try to figure out which denomination I should subscribe to. Why? Because I know what I am. I am a Christian. I have been saved by the power and grace of God alone. And I know this based upon His word and my personal experience with Him. I am not a Baptist. I am not a Calvinist. I am a Christian. And God’s word is my only authority. Thus, upon the basis of Scripture alone, I, in a simple manner, seek to see what it says, and follow accordingly. I see no direction toward me to join a denomination, vow to a confession of men, or get my name written down on a temple roster. I know who I am. It’s simple. I am a member of Christ’s church by His choosing. And His church is His sheep, those who know His voice and follow Him. That is not a building that contains insane practices that have no binding upon me. I am free from this world. I am a slave to Jesus. I will go forth, rejecting the traditions of others, rejecting the pagan rituals of others, rejecting the alleged authoritative decrees of business men. I will protest. And I will go down alone if I have to. I will press forward with the passion that God alone has given me. I freely, and with love for God, His Gospel, and His sheep, protest. Who are you? Do you think you have authority to make up practices and bind others’ consciences under it? Your dead religion is useless to the church. Take off your business suit, and give up. Sit down. You’re a sinner (as I am). You’re not who you might think you are. Jesus Christ is your only hope. Do you know the Gospel? Do you believe it? Do you have time to contemplate it? Does it stir your soul within? Who motivates you? Why do you do what you do? Jesus Christ was slaughtered by His Father, and that is your only hope of being right with God. Does that offend you? Then put your face in the dust where you came from, and see that God is holy, holy, holy. See that the Lord is good, and that you are disgusting. See that your life is utterly worthless in itself, and that your only hope is to believe the Gospel, and to live unto God as a broken, ugly servant, with no fame, no credit, receiving free gifts of grace continually all the days of your short life.
