Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Jesus told Pilate that He came to witness to the Truth and that those who seek the Truth listen to His voice. We cannot honestly speak about being authentically Christian without speaking the Truth. In today's world there is far more emphasis on being politically correct and attempting to avoid offending certain groups or individuals than on being honest and truthful. Truth has no gray areas. It is pure white. Untruth or falsehood is pure black (without the light of God, who IS Truth). Any "gray" areas dilute the Truth by mixing it with untruth or through distortion. Because this blog is dedicated to promoting and defending authentic Christianity, we must also be devoted to the Truth, at least as far as we know it. Consequently, some - even a great deal - of what we write will be controversial. There are some who will be offended by the Truth. To them, in advance, we apologize and regret that they take offense at what we write. However, we will not apologize for writing the Truth. Were we to do so, we ourselves would be false to our baptismal promises and to the purpose of this blog.
Cafeteria Christianity
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
If we truthfully and correctly answer the question posed by the title of this blog by saying "None are like God," we implicitly declare that God is unique. Now it can be said that each of us is unique. Yet, although this is true, that uniqueness is limited. We all have similarities, even if that similarity is only the color of our eyes or our hair that we share with others. For God, however, there is nothing that we actually possess in common with Him in its fullness.
But, if we are authentic Christians we must also acknowledge that not only is God unique, He is Supreme. Because He is supreme in all ways we are to submit ourselves to His authority because that authority is also supreme. It is He and not us who has created and established the universe and the laws that govern it, including the laws that govern our behavior.
Nevertheless, there are those who call themselves "Christian" but pick and choose what they will believe and obey from Holy Scripture and the tenets and doctrines of the Christian faith and what they will not. In doing so, they deny God's supremacy and His authority. The result has been a smorgasbord of beliefs and practices that at a minimum are distortions of God has ordained and taught and at the worst an outright denial of the validity of His will, His teachings and His laws. This is not authentic Christianity. Rather, it is what has been termed cafeteria Christianity and, in reality, is a form of apostasy. Why? Because, by our baptisms, we have promised to willingly submit ourselves to the supreme authority of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, God Himself. And the willful and purposeful failure to do so is a denial of the faith, which is apostasy. You cannot have it both ways. You are either wholly and fully Christian or you are not Christian. There is, as Christ has told us, no middle way.
If we truthfully and correctly answer the question posed by the title of this blog by saying "None are like God," we implicitly declare that God is unique. Now it can be said that each of us is unique. Yet, although this is true, that uniqueness is limited. We all have similarities, even if that similarity is only the color of our eyes or our hair that we share with others. For God, however, there is nothing that we actually possess in common with Him in its fullness.
But, if we are authentic Christians we must also acknowledge that not only is God unique, He is Supreme. Because He is supreme in all ways we are to submit ourselves to His authority because that authority is also supreme. It is He and not us who has created and established the universe and the laws that govern it, including the laws that govern our behavior.
Nevertheless, there are those who call themselves "Christian" but pick and choose what they will believe and obey from Holy Scripture and the tenets and doctrines of the Christian faith and what they will not. In doing so, they deny God's supremacy and His authority. The result has been a smorgasbord of beliefs and practices that at a minimum are distortions of God has ordained and taught and at the worst an outright denial of the validity of His will, His teachings and His laws. This is not authentic Christianity. Rather, it is what has been termed cafeteria Christianity and, in reality, is a form of apostasy. Why? Because, by our baptisms, we have promised to willingly submit ourselves to the supreme authority of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, God Himself. And the willful and purposeful failure to do so is a denial of the faith, which is apostasy. You cannot have it both ways. You are either wholly and fully Christian or you are not Christian. There is, as Christ has told us, no middle way.
"Groupie" Versus Disciple
Friday, April 27, 2012
When Jesus invites us to "Come, follow Me" he is not calling us to be mere groupies or followers, but to be His disciples. During His public ministry, there were many who followed Him around the countryside. They liked the stories (parables) He told and His promises of resurrection and a life of glory and utter happiness. Besides, He put on a good show -- walking on water, changing water into wine, healing blind and diseased people, driving out demons. So, they found Him entertaining. After all, in those days there were no TVs, movies or video games. Today, there are people who call themselves "Christian" who, like those who were "groupies" of Jesus, follow Him because they want to be given all the good and wonderful things He promises. They ignore or are deaf and blind to what Jesus tells us are required to be the beneficiaries of His promises. The bottom line is that resurrection, life eternal and perfect happiness does have a price. That price is True Discipleship.
A disciple is someone who emulates the Master, believes in and trusts the Master and his teachings, faithfully adheres to and practices the Master's teachings and steadfastly obeys the Master's commands. True discipleship is characterized by fidelity, steadfastness, love, humility and obedience. Our answer to the question posed by this blog and our claim that "None are like God" is false unless our discipleship to Christ is true. Without being true disciples, we cannot be and are not authentic Christians.
When Jesus invites us to "Come, follow Me" he is not calling us to be mere groupies or followers, but to be His disciples. During His public ministry, there were many who followed Him around the countryside. They liked the stories (parables) He told and His promises of resurrection and a life of glory and utter happiness. Besides, He put on a good show -- walking on water, changing water into wine, healing blind and diseased people, driving out demons. So, they found Him entertaining. After all, in those days there were no TVs, movies or video games. Today, there are people who call themselves "Christian" who, like those who were "groupies" of Jesus, follow Him because they want to be given all the good and wonderful things He promises. They ignore or are deaf and blind to what Jesus tells us are required to be the beneficiaries of His promises. The bottom line is that resurrection, life eternal and perfect happiness does have a price. That price is True Discipleship.
A disciple is someone who emulates the Master, believes in and trusts the Master and his teachings, faithfully adheres to and practices the Master's teachings and steadfastly obeys the Master's commands. True discipleship is characterized by fidelity, steadfastness, love, humility and obedience. Our answer to the question posed by this blog and our claim that "None are like God" is false unless our discipleship to Christ is true. Without being true disciples, we cannot be and are not authentic Christians.
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