Christianity: Information First

GodWords Newsletter #51

Are you praying for someone?
Forward this to them if you think they might find it useful.

Here’s a formula to help you grow spiritually: data first, duty second. That’s not in priority order, but in time order. It’s sequential. Christianity is first about information.

But, you might say: Christianity isn’t about doctrine, it’s about Jesus… and about how we treat other people. Yep. We agree. Christianity IS about Jesus, and doing what He taught. A lot of what He taught IS about how we treat other people. Now, ask yourself a simple question: how did you know that?

You knew that because you had the data. Information. Knowledge. You learned it by reading the Scriptures, or listening to someone else talk about the Scriptures. We all understand: we have to KNOW what to do before we can DO it.

Why am I writing this? It’s because a lot of people in the Christian world believe that theology is a bad word. They say things like, “I don’t get caught up in doctrine.” Or, “I don’t need theology, just give me Jesus.” What they’re really saying is that it kinda doesn’t really matter WHAT you believe, as long as you BELIEVE. You know, stuff about Jesus… let’s not argue about specifics.

That’s really dumb, isn’t it? That’s like hiring an atheist pastor (yes, that’s a real thing).

Following Jesus is first about information:

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:30-31

John wrote his gospel to give people the information they need in order to know who Jesus is, and to believe in Him, and to have life. That’s not all:

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. - Luke 1:1-4

Luke wrote his gospel to help Theophilus know that what he had heard about Jesus was true. It’s evidence, carefully researched, presented as reasons to believe. But wait: there’s more.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. - Luke 24:25-27

The two dudes on the road to Emmaus were disappointed. They believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but then there was that whole crucifixion thing… so they thought they must have been wrong about Him. Jesus gave them more data about Himself to help them see what was really going on.

One more. John the Baptist - Jesus’ cousin - sent two of his followers to ask Jesus whether He was actually the Messiah:

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. - Luke 7:21-22

Jesus didn’t criticize John for asking questions. He simply provided the information John needed to truly believe. Jesus gave him the data.

That’s how it’s always worked. Jesus told his not-yet disciples to “come and see.” Following Jesus isn’t an exercise in blind hope… it’s a confident reaction to abundant evidence that Jesus is God, that God cares for us, and that He rewards those who seek Him.

It’s worth noting that these passages include both believers and non-believers. Those who have not yet trusted God with their lives need to know the gospel, and we who have made that decision need to know all that Jesus taught, so we can do it.

Want to follow Jesus well? Go get the data.

I love you all.
❤️

PS: that picture up above? It’s a data visualization of all of the cross-references in the Bible. Each pair of passages is connected by an individual arc. There’s no end to the depth of knowledge and insight we can gain from studying God’s Word!

🔖 Helpful Resources

• Busting 7 Big Myths About Jesus - While this is a post for premium subscribers, you can read the first 3 myths without subscribing at all. It’s worth reading for just those three.

• The Revolution of The Way - There’s a really, really big difference between calling yourself a Christian and becoming one. This is a good reminder that following Jesus is about becoming like Jesus.

• How Then Should We Die? - Tim Challies reviews a book on Euthanasia and the value of human life… and points out that it’s based in “secular faith.”

• Planted and Rooted - A quick, gentle reminder to take the time to ask yourself how things are going.

• Both Worm and Worthy - Are we wretched? Are we wonderful? What does God say? We create problems when we only see one side of God’s point of view.

---

Miscellaneous Tithing Questions

I grew up believing that God required me to give 10% of my money to my local church, or I was stealing from Him. After doing my homework, I realized that I had been taught poorly.

Read It Now →

If you want more data on this, I’ve written a few articles about it. Reading the comments can be helpful, too.

---

🎶 The Real Jesus

One of my all-time favorite groups is the Canadian powerhouse Downhere. I highly recommend any and all of their music, and wish they were still cranking out the hits.

Jesus on the radio
Jesus on a late night show
Jesus in a dream
Looking all serene

Jesus on a steeple
Jesus in the Gallup poll
Jesus has His very own
Brand of rock and roll

- Downhere

---

🚀 Quotable

In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
    until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

- Proverbs 18:17

---

❤️ Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement… I love hearing from you. For those interested in providing support, details are on my About page.

Also: paid subscribers now have access to Direct Messages! If that’s you, feel free to take advantage. I like hearing from you.