Many have asked me why I write and what I hope to accomplish with my writing. First and foremost, this blog was set up as a “confessional” where I can openly confess the un-Christian attitude of my past and let people know details of the transformation having taken place in my life. Those who I have hurt the most with condemnation and some who have been hurt by others condemning them under the same pattern theology I learned in church have benefited the most from these writings. I find others who are encouraged to have someone writing openly about the things they wish they had the strength to voice in their own lives and are just now coming out of the bondage felt from their training. Additionally, there are those who are offended by me taking a stand and speaking against those things we have come to enjoy; those things defining who we are behind the sign. Ultimately, when reading the details of personal faith discussed, some will find compassion, some will find joy and yet others will find hurt.
Describing the convictions of the faith I hold in Jesus will almost always bring pain to someone and this has been the case with others since Jesus was nailed to the cross. At times in our history, the pain has caused severe persecution of those professing their belief in God and even retaliation and conquering of those who did not have the “right” belief. Oddly enough, this gets to the root of the problem in my thinking because everyone having faith believes in their heart the faith they possess is based on the truth of scripture and everyone else is simply misguided or wrong. Yes, I also believe passionately in the specifics of what I claim and how the things I have left behind are wrong and yet I would hope anyone having read much of what I have discussed would also realize I am not now foolish enough to believe there is no possibility of change coming to my current belief. When discussing the details I find in the bible with others, I now believe (unlike my youth where I was right and going to heaven and you are wrong going to hell) there exists three possibilities with the view.
1. I have it right and you have it wrong.
2. I have it wrong and you have it right.
3. We both have it wrong.
In the practice of righteous living, I also believe a fourth possibility exists where it simply does not matter! When my salvation depended on me being right, then everyone who did not believe as I believed was lost. When I came to the conclusion I couldn’t be right enough for God, I also realized those meeting behind signs with a different name would fall somewhere within the same spectrum. All of us, seeking to please God in our lives are also trying to follow the commandments of Jesus so we can, in my opinion, show how much we appreciate His gift. All of us will be right and wrong on any number of issues and like we love our own children, regardless of their perfection, I believe God loves us and will welcome ALL of His children at judgment. Some would ask the question, “would you agree that this is mandatory of all,” and while we make the attempt to find common ground, we are actually still trying to find ground on which to claim another soul is lost. The apostle Paul, speaking of the Law of Moses, tells us we have to be 100% correct (my commentary on the verse) if we are to be correct enough. If I go there, and say EVERYONE has to see this the way I see or else they are lost, the fear must exist in my own mind of the possible condemning nature of the area of belief in which I am wrong and we are all wrong in some thought.
Why do I write? Ultimately, I write because I want others to know God is alive and working in the lives of so many people. Jesus said on one occasion that if the people were quite, the rocks would cry out and when I see Jesus coming down the road in my life, I can’t shut up; I want everyone to see Him!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI hope you continue to write. By writing, it means you have to think and study and continue to grow. I hope everyone who reads this realizes that we don't have to agree with you on every iota...it should just cause US to think, study and grow. We do not have it in our humanness to EVER understand it all or get it all right...that is why God and grace exist.
I am delighted by your writing, if for no other reason, it has made people start talking...even if it's negative...about what they believe and who they are as Christians. It has pushed us deeper than .."Hey, how are you", "fine thanks" into a place where we should be headed where our conversations are filled with the things of God and how we are growing...
Keep talking...even if sometimes not everyone agrees...at least they are being stretched to grow!
Great post,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your forth option that it might not matter, but that could also mean that we are both right. I think in these areas is where we spend way too much time trying to justify our own personal beliefs, when it should be enough to be justified by faith in Christ. If we spent as much time praying for others and building them up as we do trying to find faults in them, our families, our friends, our congregation and our world would be a much better place. Keep the thoughts coming and it is my prayer that it will stimulate thoughts and prayers in others around us.
Ronna and Clay,
ReplyDeleteYou have both hit on some great things and I appreciate the additions. I almost listed number four as we could both be right but took the position it might not matter since in our faithful approach to any number of things we do we are reminded in Romans 14 how it would be wrong for us to participate without it being part of our faith. In writing, I have new life and the thrill of sharing the discussion of my walk with others and it is always my hope others will look at their lives and yes, get past the "how are you doing," "fine," to real growth in the Lord. Unfortunately, the longer we have believed something, the more painful it is to confront. This is one of the reasons I am so proud of our youth studying so fervently now and not being bound in their minds by my tradition and yet I hope it also gives them a foundation for discovering the tradition they develop and might desire to bind on others when the life circle comes around for them.