GodReflection: Conflict Zone.
We can’t get too much of Father God-Jesus Son-Holy Spirit. But too much Religion will cause us to be lost. We can never get too much faith, trust, obedience, and worship, but Religion, our self-designed plan to be saved shouts Danger Zone! Certain Death Ahead! RELIGION Is A Conflict Zone We Must Never Enter.
The Holy is in charge. The Holy Takes the initiative. It’s God’s game plan. All we can do is respond. That is called faith. That is called trust. Satan stands eager to whisper in our ear “you are important, you can improve the blueprint.” The moment we take the bait and taste his fruit we are in the Conflict Zone of Religion that shouts danger, Religion makes us “Jesus-and” Christians.
In my undergraduate work at Abilene Christian University my favorite Bible Professor was Dr. Neil Lightfoot who received his PhD from Duke University. What an influence for good he had on my life.
I first meet him through two years of New Testament Greek, where we read The Apostle John’s letters. Then Dr. Lightfoot challenged us with The Gospel of John. Wow! What a class. We were blown away when we discovered his final exam assignment was to be fifty-page paper on the hardest fifty questions about John’s Gospel that we could possibly imagine.
Then I signed up for his course on The General Epistles where he introduced us to Hebrew Christians through the Letter to the Hebrews. To this day when I read Hebrews, any of The General Epistles, or John’s Gospel, I hear the voice of Dr. Neil Lightfoot. Some years later he authored 
the book published by Baker Book House, Jesus Christ Today, a study of Hebrews. A book I have read and reread. I will come back to Hebrews in a moment.
I came to know Neil Lightfoot in a more personal way when he visited us in Brazil and later when our family returned to Abilene to live. It was there I enjoyed many breakfast and coffee times drinking in his wisdom.
Back in Abilene I resumed doctoral studies at Abilene Christian University where I was introduced to another mind-stretching professor, Dr. Thomas Olbright. So, I signed up for as many of his courses as my degree plan would allow. In his class on Christian Doctrine, he announced we would spend the semester in the Letter to Hebrew Christians.
Now getting back to the Letter to Hebrew Christian. These churches—probably house churches—have a close acquaintance with the author of this letter.
Times are hard. They know persecution. They are discouraged. They hurt and nothing is working. It’s time for good news. Help is present and sufficient. They can trust Jesus to take care of them.
He is adequate. Jesus is in control. They don’t need “Jesus-and” angels, “Jesus-and” Abraham, “Jesus-and” Moses, “Jesus-and” the Temple, or “Jesus-and” anything. The writer warns them and us the stay far from the Conflict Zone of Religion that shouts danger, Religion makes us “Jesus-and” Christians.
To conclude, let me get too close for comfort and see what the Holy might write to us in our 21st Century World. What is it we “Jesus-and” Christians add to our churches? What values do we seem to hold right up there with Christ. Is it difficult to talk with or associate with those who salute a different political party? How about acceptance of God’s children whose skin and color is different than ours? Those who don’t speak the language we were born with but who are attempting to learn it to be able to live among us.
And, how willing are we to call others our brothers and sisters who serve King Jesus but hold onto different doctrines and traditions than we do? If I am a male believer, do I think I am better than a female believer? If I am a female believer, do I think I am better than a male believer?
The list is endless. Perhaps we need a reminder that Jesus the Christ is sufficient. Let us serve Jesus and not religion. Danger Zone! Certain Death Ahead! RELIGION Is A Conflict Zone We Must Never Enter
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: Danger Zone! Certain Death Ahead! RELIGION Is A Conflict Zone We Must Never Enter.
God Reflection 