How Do YOU Pursue Christ?

My dad sent me an interesting article yesterday about the creator of VeggieTales.  If you are like me, grew up in a Christian home, chances are you have watched a VeggieTale video or two.  And, I'm sure, like me, you enjoyed the playful characters and playful twists on classic Bible stories.  But what I failed to realize when I was a kid, and what the creator has acknowledged today is the neglect of the true Gospel in those films.  Instead of teaching children the power of the cross, they taught children good morals and values and even presented an idea that you yourself can change in your own strength.  


Here is what Phil Vischer said, "I looked back at the previous 10 years and realized I had spent 10 years trying to convince kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity. And that was a pretty serious conviction. You can say, “Hey kids, be more forgiving because the Bible says so,” or “Hey kids, be more kind because the Bible says so!” But that isn’t Christianity, it’s morality. . . .

And that was such a huge shift for me from the American Christian ideal. We’re drinking a cocktail that’s a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we’ve intertwined them so completely that we can’t tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It’s the Oprah god. So I had to peel that apart. I realized I’m not supposed to be pursuing impact, I’m supposed to be pursuing God. And when I pursue God I will have exactly as much impact as He wants me to have."

The problem is that this Christian morality isn't just being taught to our children but in our "solid" Bible-teaching churches as well.  An over emphasis on being "doers" of the Word, pursuing holiness, and working for the Lord.  Although all of these are evidences of TRUE salvation and necessary for the believer, they are in no way meritorious.  They don't make us more lovely in God's eyes and our failure to do them doesn't make us less.  We are seen as perfect and blameless before God BECAUSE of Christ and Him alone.  Our righteousness IS Christ.  That's it, period.  

Are we supposed to pursue holiness, absolutely, but NEVER in our own strength or as a way in which we are seeking to obtain some favor or blessing from the Lord.  Our pursuit should be in response to the work of Christ on the cross and the strength we need for it coming from the power of the Spirit alone.  When we rely on ourselves to achieve holiness, checking off the boxes etc., we find ourselves discouraged because we will ALWAYS fail.  We are NEVER out of the need of God's grace, no matter how "great" our day may have been, and NEVER outside of it even on days that in our eyes are epic failures.  

We need to be careful how we walk, and how we live.  What example are we setting for our children and the next generation?  Are we teaching them to pursue Christ by doing certain things? Becoming more moral (even though we would never say that)?  Or are we pursuing Christ passionately because of our love for Him-and in turn being strengthened by His Word and Spirit to pursue holiness and to be sanctified.  

Let us NEVER become legalistic in our hearts.  It is easy to cross that line, to forget why we are reading our Bible, why we are praying, why we are serving...go back to the cross, every day, again and again and again.