Christ: Our Common Core
If someone were to ask you what your core beliefs are, what would you say? In the public school system there is a term called common core, which sounds great. In this context the term implies the idea of a common unity of principles that guide a diverse set of knowledge, topics, and information, and that sets a widespread standard which to many, seems ideal. Could there be any problem with this type methodology? Some experts say that the issue is this: without Christ as the core, the representative elected common core, produces a system type of learning that makes itself, the distilled largely agree upon good, its own god— a collective consciousness that sets its own standards and measures itself by it's own, best-but-relative-self. This god, or agreed upon relative truth, becomes the plumb line for judgment and assessment. In 1 Corinthians it says that all knowledge apart from God is considered foolishness in His eyes ¹. So we know that without Christ, the One who makes our way straight, as our common core, all knowledge is circular and without wisdom. Knowledge comes from anywhere and everywhere but only wisdom comes from God. Wisdom is the gift from God that shows us how to understand, organize and direct all information that we come into contact with.
This means that all education, information and technological advancement that does not agree with God's judgment and world design, is not only foolish in His assessment, but also sits positionally in opposition to His identity and plan for all of His creation. Understanding this may be your first step to receiving wisdom. God's foundation is Jesus. His measuring line is true justice and His plumb line delineates true righteousness. (Isaiah 28:5-19). So to start, if someone asked you what your common core beliefs are, what does that question mean to you? In Christ, your common core beliefs are the beliefs that are received from God by the Spirit and drive your soul—your mind, your heart and your emotions. Where do the beliefs come from, and how do they have authority over your soul? In Christ our soul connection to God is through the Spirit. God is Spirit, and we must worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:22-24). We connect to God through the Spirit, His Word is Spirit and Truth. As we converse with God in Spirit, He fills our soul, with His word. He transforms us by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). When we follow the directives of God through the Spirit—this is the way we have everlasting life. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life —Chirst is our common core to true everlasting life³. Everlasting life is a relationship with God, the maker of all knowledge and wisdom and His only Son, the Savior and Ruler of both heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18-20). To know God we must first kiss and acknowledge His only Son Jesus.⁴ As we become more and more in Christ, we can not only understand the truth of what this question means, but how to go about addressing it. To respond to a question like this one, the first things you could talk about are identifying God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You can also discuss who they are, and what they have have saved us from—what Salvation mean to you.
Who is God? God is the creator of all of heaven and earth. He created time itself. In six days He created all of life and matter.(Genesis) He is perfect and forever exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is Ruler and Judge over all of His creation. Though no one has seen God, we can know God through His love for us, and the love we share with each other. God is Spirit; we must worship him in Spirit and in truth. Most importantly, God’s ways are higher than our ways and His understanding is beyond our understanding. .⁵ Though He is beyond us, he sets before us an anchor of hope that enters us into His Presence behind the veil. (Hebrews 6:18-20). Everything that we need to know for now, He has written for our clear understanding through holy men of God, in the Bible. He is, all knowing, all powerful and all-mightly. There is only one way to have a relationship with God, our Father—Everlasting Life, that is to believe in His only son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life. My favorite verse about our heavenly Father is in Romans 8:31-39, which tells us that nothing in heaven or earth can separate us from His un-ending, powerful and healing love He has for us.
Who is Jesus? Jesus Christ is God's only begotten son. He was born of a virgin named Mary in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ is the only one that can save us form sin, the result of separation from God. Jesus did this by dying on a cross for our sins over two thousand years ago. Jesus was the only one in all of heaven and earth perfect without sin and worthy to die as a one time sacrifice that paid the price for the entirety of all sin once and for all. Jesus conquered death and the grave by rising from the dead and transforming into His perfect heavenly body. That same power that raised Him from the grave, lives inside of us.⁶ This power enables us to do greater works for His Kingdom. (John 14:12) Jesus has since ascended to heaven and is now ruling and reigning at the right hand of God. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who calls all those who believe in Him, and do His will— friends. (John 15: 14-16) All Jesus asks us to do is believe and through faith receive his gift of salvation and turn away from all sin and wrongdoings. We are save by faith in Jesus alone, our efforts to attain salvation of our own efforts are insufficient. Therefore, we surrender to His will and are led into truth by His Spirit. Jesus has promised to return and come back for his bride—the faithful and true church. In the last days, He will judge, at the resurrection, all of those who are saved, granting them everlasting life and all those who rejected him, condemning them to eternal punishment. Know the Lord your God. Just as in J. K. Richards painting, above left, "Every Knee Shall bow", God's word says that, every knee will bow and every tounge confess that He is LORD.
What is Salvation? How are we saved and from what? One of the most beautiful things about Salvation is that Jesus saves us from ourselves (selfishness and being a god in our own eyes unknowingly). I believe we are saved by faith in Christ Jesus alone.
Because sin entered the world, by one man named Adam, we would all be lost. But our anchor of hope is God's love for us. He saved us by sending His only son, Jesus, to die, as a sacrifice, for all of our sin and wrongdoings. Jesus was the only one worthy, pure and sin-less, in all of heaven and earth, to make a one time, atonement for all sin.⁷ Jesus conquered death and the grave by raising Himself up from death, back to life. He has since ascended to heaven. Our Salvation in Him, is ever-present, just as sure as Jesus is ruling, eternally, right now, at the right hand of God, over all of heaven earth. He is preparing a place for us (John 14:3), in heaven and has promised to return to earth with all power and in glory. (Matthew24:29-31) Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in truth while we live here on earth. We worship God in Spirit and in truth.
Who is Holy Spirit? After Jesus died, was buried and was raised again back to life on the third day, he ascended to heaven to rule and reign at the right hand of God the Father. Though Jesus in in heaven, he did not leave us alone, He sent us His Spirit to help us. Holy Spirit is Truth and guides us all ways in our lives. He only speaks what God says. He gives us discernment and counseling. Truth is at work testifying to God concerning the works of our hands, searching deep into the hearts of men and women, and is in the midst of making everything to work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus.⁸ He comforts us and gives us boldness and words to speak when we are brought to answer before others concerning our beliefs in Jesus. (Matthew 10:18-20) He intercedes for us in prayer. And facilitates communication with Jesus and God.
These are some examples that identify the core of the word of God that make-up what is inside of us and all the body of Christ. God, Jesus, Salvation, and Holy Spirt. Christ is or common core. Again, when Christ is our core, God gives us wisdom to know how to handle all knowledge we come into contact with. From Luke 11:52, 46-51, we can see that the misuse of knowledge is acting without wisdom. Sometimes it is difficult to discern the difference between knowledge and wisdom. From all the examples and stories in God's Word, we can understand that even though both wisdom and knowledge are created by God, the misuse of knowledge is acting without wisdom. From the story of Adam and Eve in the garden, God shows us that knowledge is easy to access, it can be found anywhere and be used by anyone, though ultimately, without God's guidance it results in death and separation from God. Wisdom, on the other hand, can only be found by asking God for it. Wisdom shows us how to properly handle all knowledge that we come by daily. Wisdom asks us to submit all knowledge to God, seeking God's will and purpose only so that we can truly live and be blessed.
How do we know if we are acting without wisdom? We can know by asking ourselves the question, 'Are we only using tools such as logic, reason, emotion, intuition etc, to process our life experiences and make decisions in our lives'? If we trust our own tools of navigation rather than trusting the Creator to guide us in how to properly use His tools, we are using knowledge not wisdom. We end up causing harm to others and ourselves. Knowledge creates division, arguing, vanity, and unrest, the opposite of what we really want. But, the gift of knowing how to correctly handle knowledge, which is what true wisdom is, comes from God, not ourselves. The good news is that God promises Wisdom to those who seek and ask Him. We can know if Wisdom is present and at work in our lives is if there is unity, peace, joy and safety.
In Luke, Jesus reminds us again of the exact difference between knowledge and wisdom, so that we are aware of God's judgment for the misuse of knowledge. Jesus warns us about this because he loves us. He knows that if we apply this teaching in our lives we will receive blessings from God —true wisdom, rather than judgment.
(Luke 11:52, 46-51) “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” ...And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
Let us remember that in the common core of Christ He promises us rest. As we come into a deeper understand of who we are in Christ let us be sure to enter into His rest. Let us again remind ourselves that, all knowledge apart from God is considered foolishness in His eyes.¹ So we know that without Christ as our common core, all knowledge is circular and without wisdom. Knowledge comes from anywhere and everywhere, yet we know, that only wisdom comes from God. Let us remember to fellowship together in Christ—our One and true common core, submit all knowledge to Him, and ask him for Wisdom.
Vanessa M.
Editor at BeLoved Christian Journal and Community
Citations
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1.
1 Corinthians 3:19 (NIV)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+3%3A19%29&version=NIV)
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”.
2.
Isaiah 28:5-19 (NIV)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+28%3A5-19&version=NIV)
5 In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. 6 He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. 8 All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.
9 “Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? 10 For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that[a]; a little here, a little there.”
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, 12 to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”— but they would not listen. 13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there— so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. 15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood[b] our hiding place.”
16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. 17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. 18 Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. 19 As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.”
3.
John 14:6 (NIV)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14:6)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
4.
Psalm 2:7-12 (NIV)
( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%28Psalms2%3A7-12%29&version=NIV )
7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron[a]; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
5.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055:8-9)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
6.
Romans 8:10-11 (NLT)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A10-11&version=NLT)
10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life[a] because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
7.
Revelation 5 (NIV)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+5&version=NIV)
5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[b] on the earth.”
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
8.
Romans 8:27-29 (NIV)
(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A27-29%29&version=NIV)
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.