why are we hiding? continued
Mr. Quiring--Loud applause and a resounding AMEN!!!! You're not blind to the problem at all, and I'm very glad that you're praying about it and seek to fix it.
Once again, you're right in saying that I was making a generalization about "everyone" pretending to be a Christian, but I would definitely say with confidence (and sadness) that most are like that. Yet what grieves me even more is that the fault lies with us. The fault lies with the actual Christians at our school, including myself.
Fixing this problem will require a radical change in our approach. We can't have a speaker come in and just talk about how to be a good person. It is absolutely imperative that we apply the gospel to all that we teach, and explain the significance of God's grace as it applies to every day of our lives, and not just the moment we are saved.
In fact, we have to go back to basics. Most people I have talked to have no reason to believe in God, because they have not been presented with any sort of argument for his existence (other than the shaky argument that "all of this creation couldn't possibly have come together by chance!" The fact is that, from a logical perspective, it very well could have, even if the odds are highly against it.)
Most of the non-Christians at our school (the number which is, by the way, becoming increasingly populous as people are starting to get tired of the charade) say that they don't need religion to be a good person. After all, there are plenty of good Christians, and there are plenty of good Atheists; just as there are plenty of mean, bad Christians, and many mean, bad Atheists. So what's the difference? Why should they have to practice any religion? They know that they don't need a religion in order to be a good person.
And that's a legitimate, true argument. But what they're missing is the fact that Christianity is not a religion, and a Christian is not someone who has it all together. In fact, it's quite the opposite. A Christian is not only someone who doesn't have it all together, but they acknowledge this fact and rely on God's grace for their validation. Christianity isn't about being a good person. It's about knowing that you're a hopeless, screwed up, broken, bad person.
In the words of Flannery O'Connor, the best way to avoid Jesus is to avoid sin.
So the problem in our teaching emphasis is twofold:
-People don't understand the gospel.
-People don't have any reason to believe in the existence of God.
We also need to trash the idea that some are Christians but they're "just not committed." Jesus says that you cannot serve two masters. Either you're in, or you're out. Those who claim to be Christians but have not been changed by the Holy Spirit are not Christians. The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes are defining characteristics of the work of the Holy Spirit. Faith without works is nothing. But works are no obligation. Logically, works are no longer required of us after we are saved, since we are indeed saved by grace. However, the apostle Paul makes it clear that those who truly experience a rebirth in Christ will not only be saved, but will be filled with a desire to do what is pleasing and right in God's sight. They will not be judged by these actions, but the desire to do them will be the default drive. Therefore Christians will not always get it right, but they will always be striving toward a Christlike character. Again, it's NOT an obligation. Becoming a Christian doesn't REQUIRE good works. Rather, it induces them. Knowing that we are saved by grace, we are spurred on to spread it to those who are just as deserving of it as we are.
The beautiful thing about Christianity is that we are not only more screwed up and helpless than we could ever imagine, but we have more hope than we could ever imagine. God doesn't judge us by our performance, or how "good" we are. He is grieved by our rebellion, but his love for us is unconditional, and we are justified in his sight by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. That's why when a Christian fails, he feels grieved in his heart, because the Holy Spirit that reigns in him is grieved. But a Christian has no need for guilt! Even on days when we feel like we've screwed everything up, God's grace is the same.
To quote Jerry Bridges yet again, "Our worst days are never so bad that we are beyond the reach of God's grace, and our best days are never so good that we are beyond the need of God's grace."
The sooner we start incorporating that into our teachings, the sooner people get a better understanding of what Christianity is really about. Right now, there's plenty of discussion on how to "avoid Satan's attacks" and how to live a holy life. And that's a perfectly valid topic! But it can't end there. Plenty of religions teach fidelity to God and living good lives. But Christianity alone teaches that our performance is not what validates us; it is solely the grace of God and the work of his Son Jesus Christ on our behalf.
I have great, great respect for those of you who are stepping out, whether you are a Christian or not, and establishing your honest, true beliefs. I'd rather have a school full of honest Atheists than faking Christians.
The Christians at our school must encourage and respect people who admit that they don't share our beliefs. Pray for them, love them, and treat them with the same dignity you would with any of your friends. Though we, as Christians, have a hope in Christ Jesus, we are no more deserving of it than anyone else. As I have said before, I'm no more deserving of God's grace than the prostitute on the street corner. With that in mind, who am I to treat my friends any differently? I'm not a Christian person because I'm a good person. I'm a Christian person because I'm a sinner. When we approach our salvation in this way (the correct way), we can level with those around us, and they can more easily approach us with questions and know that we'll respect them. It's very important that we establish ourselves as down-to-earth, kind people.
To those of you who are not Christians, or who are unsure of your beliefs, don't be afraid to question! If you hear something and have a problem with it, talk to someone about it! Argue against it! Puzzle your friends and peers! Make us THINK!! Don't be afraid to be skeptical of and honest about Christianity. If the person you ask for help from is really a Christian, they will respond with respect and will earnestly seek out the answer to your question if they don't know it themselves. When we ask questions, we get answers. So ask questions!! Voice your opinion! Go against the norm! If a speaker asks those who are Christians to stand up in chapel (God forbid) and you don't necessarily feel comfortable doing so, DON'T DO IT! Stay seated. Those who remain seated in those situations will actually make a louder statement than those who stand. It's ironic how that works.
I will pray for the Christians at our school, that God will be with them in puzzling situations, and I will also pray for those who are not Christians, that God will work in them and bring about a new life, and make known to them his life-giving gospel of Grace. And I will pray for those in leadership at our school, that God will daily use them to accomplish his purpose, and that they will clearly and effectively communicate the message of the good news to everyone in their lives.
Grace and Peace be with you all.
Once again, you're right in saying that I was making a generalization about "everyone" pretending to be a Christian, but I would definitely say with confidence (and sadness) that most are like that. Yet what grieves me even more is that the fault lies with us. The fault lies with the actual Christians at our school, including myself.
Fixing this problem will require a radical change in our approach. We can't have a speaker come in and just talk about how to be a good person. It is absolutely imperative that we apply the gospel to all that we teach, and explain the significance of God's grace as it applies to every day of our lives, and not just the moment we are saved.
In fact, we have to go back to basics. Most people I have talked to have no reason to believe in God, because they have not been presented with any sort of argument for his existence (other than the shaky argument that "all of this creation couldn't possibly have come together by chance!" The fact is that, from a logical perspective, it very well could have, even if the odds are highly against it.)
Most of the non-Christians at our school (the number which is, by the way, becoming increasingly populous as people are starting to get tired of the charade) say that they don't need religion to be a good person. After all, there are plenty of good Christians, and there are plenty of good Atheists; just as there are plenty of mean, bad Christians, and many mean, bad Atheists. So what's the difference? Why should they have to practice any religion? They know that they don't need a religion in order to be a good person.
And that's a legitimate, true argument. But what they're missing is the fact that Christianity is not a religion, and a Christian is not someone who has it all together. In fact, it's quite the opposite. A Christian is not only someone who doesn't have it all together, but they acknowledge this fact and rely on God's grace for their validation. Christianity isn't about being a good person. It's about knowing that you're a hopeless, screwed up, broken, bad person.
In the words of Flannery O'Connor, the best way to avoid Jesus is to avoid sin.
So the problem in our teaching emphasis is twofold:
-People don't understand the gospel.
-People don't have any reason to believe in the existence of God.
We also need to trash the idea that some are Christians but they're "just not committed." Jesus says that you cannot serve two masters. Either you're in, or you're out. Those who claim to be Christians but have not been changed by the Holy Spirit are not Christians. The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes are defining characteristics of the work of the Holy Spirit. Faith without works is nothing. But works are no obligation. Logically, works are no longer required of us after we are saved, since we are indeed saved by grace. However, the apostle Paul makes it clear that those who truly experience a rebirth in Christ will not only be saved, but will be filled with a desire to do what is pleasing and right in God's sight. They will not be judged by these actions, but the desire to do them will be the default drive. Therefore Christians will not always get it right, but they will always be striving toward a Christlike character. Again, it's NOT an obligation. Becoming a Christian doesn't REQUIRE good works. Rather, it induces them. Knowing that we are saved by grace, we are spurred on to spread it to those who are just as deserving of it as we are.
The beautiful thing about Christianity is that we are not only more screwed up and helpless than we could ever imagine, but we have more hope than we could ever imagine. God doesn't judge us by our performance, or how "good" we are. He is grieved by our rebellion, but his love for us is unconditional, and we are justified in his sight by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. That's why when a Christian fails, he feels grieved in his heart, because the Holy Spirit that reigns in him is grieved. But a Christian has no need for guilt! Even on days when we feel like we've screwed everything up, God's grace is the same.
To quote Jerry Bridges yet again, "Our worst days are never so bad that we are beyond the reach of God's grace, and our best days are never so good that we are beyond the need of God's grace."
The sooner we start incorporating that into our teachings, the sooner people get a better understanding of what Christianity is really about. Right now, there's plenty of discussion on how to "avoid Satan's attacks" and how to live a holy life. And that's a perfectly valid topic! But it can't end there. Plenty of religions teach fidelity to God and living good lives. But Christianity alone teaches that our performance is not what validates us; it is solely the grace of God and the work of his Son Jesus Christ on our behalf.
I have great, great respect for those of you who are stepping out, whether you are a Christian or not, and establishing your honest, true beliefs. I'd rather have a school full of honest Atheists than faking Christians.
The Christians at our school must encourage and respect people who admit that they don't share our beliefs. Pray for them, love them, and treat them with the same dignity you would with any of your friends. Though we, as Christians, have a hope in Christ Jesus, we are no more deserving of it than anyone else. As I have said before, I'm no more deserving of God's grace than the prostitute on the street corner. With that in mind, who am I to treat my friends any differently? I'm not a Christian person because I'm a good person. I'm a Christian person because I'm a sinner. When we approach our salvation in this way (the correct way), we can level with those around us, and they can more easily approach us with questions and know that we'll respect them. It's very important that we establish ourselves as down-to-earth, kind people.
To those of you who are not Christians, or who are unsure of your beliefs, don't be afraid to question! If you hear something and have a problem with it, talk to someone about it! Argue against it! Puzzle your friends and peers! Make us THINK!! Don't be afraid to be skeptical of and honest about Christianity. If the person you ask for help from is really a Christian, they will respond with respect and will earnestly seek out the answer to your question if they don't know it themselves. When we ask questions, we get answers. So ask questions!! Voice your opinion! Go against the norm! If a speaker asks those who are Christians to stand up in chapel (God forbid) and you don't necessarily feel comfortable doing so, DON'T DO IT! Stay seated. Those who remain seated in those situations will actually make a louder statement than those who stand. It's ironic how that works.
I will pray for the Christians at our school, that God will be with them in puzzling situations, and I will also pray for those who are not Christians, that God will work in them and bring about a new life, and make known to them his life-giving gospel of Grace. And I will pray for those in leadership at our school, that God will daily use them to accomplish his purpose, and that they will clearly and effectively communicate the message of the good news to everyone in their lives.
Grace and Peace be with you all.
posted by John Mark at 9:30 PM
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