ORANGE —
Do you know what a PARAPROSDOKIAN is?
It’s a real word which, of course, untold numbers of us haven’t a clue to its meaning.
Thankfully the trusty old dictionary can help us. A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to re-frame or re-interpret the first.
By now I suspect that a number of people are already wondering, “what in the world does this strange looking word have to do with anything that could apply to one’s spiritual life?” You will understand when I give you a real example of a genuine paraprosdokian as defined above.
Here is the sentence that illustrates my point: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”
You may, as I have, heard a minister or your pastor use that sentence in a sermon. The sad truth is that many people think that because they attend church and do other religious things that this is sufficient to guarantee them an entrance into Heaven. Going to church is good. Hearing the Gospel of salvation in Christ is better. Obeying the call of the Gospel to be saved and thus become a Christian is the best!
I have no doubt that you will (with me) forget this odd sounding word—paraprosdokian—but I earnestly hope you will never forget that merely attending the church of your choice will no more make you a Christian than if you stood in a garage will make you a car. When Jesus spoke to one of the most religious men of his day, Nicodemus, he said, “I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
John 3:16 is believed by many to be the golden text of the Bible when Jesus says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” and anyone believing on Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus went on to say, “He that believes in [Me] is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
These are saving words.
These are life-changing words.
Eternal life is in Christ alone.
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