Convicting words.

I've been working my way through the book of John in my morning devotions this last week. I find it amazing that no matter how often I read through scripture there are always new surprises, things I have never noticed before. Today it was the words of Christ as it regards to the writings of Moses.

John 5:46-47.  46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

I've been reading lots of blog posts recently arguing about how to interpret scripture and about whether it is more important to love Christ or His word as given in the Bible.  These words of Christ Himself make very clear to me that the Old Testament is a part of God's revelation of Christ, and we are not given the option so to say of picking and choosing what we like and dislike in order to form our own religious belief system.

Let's face it, most of us still do it in one way or another, but this statement is a challenge to me that I will get to know and love Jesus more when I start by approaching all scripture with the trust that it is God's word and revelation of Him as a whole. That goes from believing that somehow God created all we see intentionally and with purpose, to clear relevant examples of the consequence of our rebellion against God that as we later read in scripture also show us how much we need Christ, to the truth of a His atoning work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

I don't want to know what my mind tells me Jesus should be. I want to know Jesus. I don't want to love my desires of what saviour means. I want to love Jesus my Saviour.