In the post preceding this one (True Christians Stand Against Insurrection), my friend and regular contributor to this blog, Nck, noted that he rejected the implication that the British weren't Christians (because of their actions relative to the American Revolution). I would hope that all of my readers would recognize by now that I am ridiculing the notion of a "TRUE" Christian when I reference such in my remarks. My use of this terminology is meant to acknowledge that many Christians think in these terms - that some or all of the folks who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ really aren't.
In its most basic application, we can say that a Christian is anyone who follows or professes to follow Jesus Christ. In appealing to a more spiritually and biblically based application of the term, we can say that anyone who has accepted Jesus of Nazareth as their Savior and who exhibits some or all of the evidence that he/she has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a Christian. Of course, we can and do embellish and refine that definition, but most of the other things we might add could justly be characterized as superfluous or nonessential.
The mistake that both people within and without the Christian community often make is that they judge any failure of individuals to meet/follow the standard of the founder (Jesus Christ) as evidence that the person should be disqualified as being identified as one of his followers. If that were the case, then there wouldn't be a single Christian extant anywhere on the surface of this earth! Moreover, Scripture refutes such a notion about who should or should not be considered to be a Christian.
The Apostle Paul wrote in very personal terms to the saints at Rome about his own daily struggles with sin. He said: "So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." - Romans 7:14-25
Paul knew something that many of us have forgotten: Christians are sinners - sinners who have been forgiven by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Indeed, we read in the First Epistle of John that those who claim to be without sin are liars, and that they aren't acknowledging the very thing which makes them Christians! He wrote: "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." - I John 1:8-10 It is a hard truth for some of us to acknowledge, but there is abundant evidence over the past two thousand years that Christians do NOT always act like Christians!
Finally, just to head them off at the pass, I know that some folks will insist that some of the folks who claim to be Christians really are NOT Christians. This is undoubtedly true. Christ said that there would be tares among the grain, but it is exclusively his prerogative to determine who is a tare! God knows who is or isn't a Christian - only God can know what's in the other guy's/gal's heart.
Yes very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI will try not to distract from a discourse that should empower Christians to be a force for good rather than destruction. Moreover it's been harder for me to create creative wiggle room when you are pressing me against your chest soo hard!
It's just that the article initiated the flow of some general thoughts.
For instance I was reminded to my mothers admonishments to never say "I hate that guy or he IS stupid", rather than condemning the actions of said persons as bad instead of the person.
I was also reminded of current discourse about muslim people in my hood to have them speak out against acts of terrorism 20.000 miles away whilst their only occupation is to go to the gym after work.
In calls for condemnation of for instance Isil, one can often hear, well they are not real Muslims, in fact they are not Muslim at all, they are criminals.
Politics, Religion, Personal Example.
In the past I commented on the example of the Belgian King in the 1980"s. For religious but also very moving personal reasons he could not and never sign the law that parliament and the people had brought before him to extend abortion rights to women.
In many nations this would have led to a constitutional crisis or a revolt at the least. I am not a Belgian at all but I found it very moving that the Nation and its Government granted that King an abdication period of 24 hours in which parliament would ratify the law without the signature of the King in a moving tribute to and understanding of man's, the people's, the kings, governments fallibility.
Of course I could wax cynically on power structures, vested interests and mighty powers behind the scenes in Belgium, needing the King to be restored. But I choose to have it as an example of mankinds ability to see through their own failings and sins as the King was nicknamed "Le Roi Tristesse." I see some of Pauls's struggle there.
In one of my comments I mentioned Count Claus von Stauffenberg, a personal hero of mine since I was 7 year old. (Portrayed by Tom Cruise in the movie Valkyrie.) I mentioned his personal struggle to have the assasination of Hitler be in tune with the law, his religious believes, his professional oath (something incomprehensible to modern (business) men when a man's word was connected to his personal honor that of his family and his entire identity as a Christian and a man)
I do not hope someone reads my quoting of Von Stauffenberg as being relevant to the current situation in the USA.
The reason why I even invoke him is that this apparent "man of action" spend considerable time developing deep and extensive moral thought and self reflection on the behavior and possible course of action he was going to take for a cause that to many today would seem obvious, self evident, easy even.
In light of the topic of being a christian and political action. I do second that a Christian should be on the side of peace and cooperation as far as their conscious takes them or the bible/teachings of Jesus instructs them too. My point is that those actions should not come from a place of weakness, despair or failure, rather from deep thought, trial error repentance and the security of being partakers of an alternative Kingdom established to set man free through inner developed aritocracy. And the world development does imply the arduous road rather than the easy following of just the next guy with the loudest voice.
nck
Thanks for the reminder. Roy
ReplyDeleteWhen someone asks me if I'm a Christian, I sometimes hesitate. Not because of Jesus Christ, but because of "Christians." That's the ONLY example I use.
ReplyDeleteDBP
DeleteDuring my many travels I have often felt compelled to say that I am a "believer", have faith and pressed further, adhere to my upbringing in a "christian culture."
Just to establish rapport with the local population who often distrust "communists" and favor any person with a set of religious value over a "atheist spie."
I never go into the intrinsics of that specific upbringing and tell them about the matzes, 8 day feasting on bristol cream and christmas really being about nimrods reproductive organs.
I mean, rapport will get one far enough, no. Christian behavior even further.
Nck
"my friend and regular contributor to this blog, Nck"
ReplyDeleteOf course he's your friend. He never challenges you weak man.
You obviously haven't read some of his comments. He frequently challenges me, but he never calls me names. Check out DBP's comments - he frequently disagrees with me, but I still respect him too!
DeleteHello Mr Opinionated.
ReplyDeleteOh I do challenge Miller.
That challenge, when it occurs since we do agree on the majors of life, is "hidden" in discourse, the quoting of literature, sentence structuring and yes even humor.
The challenge is not posed by direct insults, deliberate lying or calling names like of which you offered an example by 20 percent of your words by saying "weak man."
The point is that I do consider myself a guest on Miller's personal blog and adhere to the general rules of hospitality as offered. This includes that my respect is extended to those that engage with the host in respectful discourse. DBP is such a person and some more.
I may have called Miller names but that may have been on other blogs not his personal ones.
As I recall we have clashed more than once on the Redfox blog.
Somehow still, I feel we may have a lot in common but you are quick to anger in print and I am known to escalate hairraising points or get the blood under ones nails, when I am not engaged in polite manner or points I am making (often from Ivy leage sources) are not adressed and dismissed by a personal attack.
Not only online as an anonymous but especially in real life I am known in such instances not to yield an inch and everyone loses when trying to continue engaging me in that manner. I have that in common with Donald J. Trump. I will not yield one inch. In orange man that is considered a bad thing but it is also a trait that has helped our family from horrible disease, plague, pestilence, beheading by the Japanese, SS and Gestapo questioning, traversing more miles on earth individually and as a family than all the people on Banned combined.
So I leave it upto Shiite wardens, Sunni businesmen, Crooked New York bankers, Egyptian regional police, Israeli interregators, Uzbek traffic wardens, Pathan innkeepers, Miller Jones or Opinionated himself to choose how to engage me and be assured that I will respond in kind.
nck