David Bahn – Reflections

Hebrews 14:7-9

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹ Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

“Leaders lead. Leaders speak first. Leaders frame the question.” Those gems came from Lyle Schaller at one of his leadership workshops I attended many years ago. True leaders, I would add, lead to Christ. True leaders speak of Christ first. True leaders frame the world in Christ’s terms.

The first church I served was in Vernal, Utah. We knew little about the Mormon religion before we moved there, but we soon learned the story of the supposed other testimony of Jesus Christ. The premise of Mormonism is that all the churches, creeds, and professors of the Christian faith in Joseph Smith’s day were all corrupt, wrong, and an abomination in God’s sight.

Those who follow the Mormon religion practice a lifestyle of morality, care for one another, and remarkable religious devotion. But they have departed from Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Moreover their “Word of Wisdom” includes eating and drinking habits that – while probably wise – have no true spiritual value.

Our devotion is always to be to Christ – not to any other leader: Joseph Smith or Martin Luther. Our true spiritual strength for life comes not from foods we eat or don’t eat, but from grace in the changeless Christ. Our confession does not need to be revised by means of a man supposedly peeking into a hat with a special looking stone, but by reference back to the words of Scripture and the Truth so clearly revealed and testified to there.

Only Christ atoned for the sins of the world. Only Christ suffered and died and rose from the dead on the third day. Only Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Only Christ will come again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. Only Christ has given us the Great Commission and a pattern for living that brings truest joy. We need no new testament to Jesus Christ. That of the Prophets and writers of the Old Testament, and the Gospels and New Testament writers is totally sufficient. We are strengthened by the grace that is in Christ and do well to devote ourselves to him alone.

Hebrews 13:1-16

Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we can confidently say,

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹ Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. ¹² So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.¹³ Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. ¹⁴ For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵ Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶ Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.