What if?

I was part of an interesting discussion on Facebook last night regarding Rob Bell...specifically his statement [and I am paraphrasing here!], "What if we were to find out all sorts of evidence that the virgin birth was not true, or that the Hebrew word for "virgin" actually meant something else? Would we still follow the teachings of Jesus, or would our faith then become null and void?"

This is an extreme simplification of the thought being expressed in Bell's book Velvet Elvis, but it did make me think. Not that I'm denying the virgin birth or the deity of Christ.

But what if?

What if Jesus WAS just a nice guy with a lot of good things to say? Would I still find value in the things that he taught? My relationship with God is dependent on Jesus' resurrection from the dead, but would "love your neighbor," or "turn the other cheek," or "go the extra mile" become BAD advice if Jesus were just a man and not God?

Perhaps this is a generational phenomenon, but I am less interested in concrete "proof" of a literal 6-day creation...the virgin birth...miracles...the resurrection...than I am in seeing how faith in Jesus is practically lived out in the lives of those who claim to follow Him. The supernatural is important, because without it, we might as well be following the teachings of any good moral person. Still, I believe that before we can see supernatural things - signs, wonders, miracles - we need to concentrate on living our lives the way that Jesus would want us to live.

It's like peanut butter and jelly - you can't have one without the other. That's why Paul said in I Corinthians 13, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels...if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge...if I have a faith that can move mountains...but do not have love, I AM NOTHING." He then goes on to explain what love is.

Am I patient? Am I kind? Do I display all the qualities of love listed in this chapter that tends to be very convicting when applied to my life? No? Then it doesn't matter how much faith I have. It doesn't matter how many supenatural, spiritual gifts I have. Not in God's eyes, anyway.

So what if? If Jesus never gives me another thing besides salvation, would that be enough for me to follow Him?

I would hope so...