This post is really hard for me to put into words. And on top of that I would really like to get some feedback on it. So here it is, "The Choice".
First, the questions. What is christianity? Is it a set of rules and regulations? Or a Life changing process? I understand that this sounds easy,and maybe a little cheesy. But if we look a little closer I think you will find it much more difficult to discern than you think.
Rules. If Christianity is a set of rules and regs that we are to abide by, how far are we to go? To the point of black and white? Where if you don't do the right thing then you have done the wrong thing? Or is it more like guide lines to help you along the way? When the word rules is used in the modern Christian cultur people automatically think, legalism. They don't question what is being suggested. But I believe they are an important part of Christianity. Instead of there being this "middle" or "gray" area that people like to call "tolerance" or what they claim to be "just a part of growing". I see it being more like the prophet, black and white.
Radical. What about the people we loving/jokingly call radical or amazing Christians. Who read their Bible every day and memorize more scripture in one day then most do in their entire life. Who aren't afraid of man and shares their faith at EVERY opportunity. Who try their hardest to reach out to a dying world who open one ear and slams the door shut with the other. What about these radicals. I do not believe they are radical at all! No, in fact I believe they are the ONLY ones truly living out their faith. The rest of us are just PRETENDING to obey a jealous God!
Life Change. I do believe Christianity is a life changing process. But someone asked me not long ago a question that really got a hold of me, he said, "if there was a homosexual who had just became a Christian, but was still a practicing homosexual, is he really a Christian? Then he followed that up with this, "if there was a lier who had just became a Christian, but still lied, would he really be a Christian?". These are very hard questions to answer. So do you have an answer? This is what the modern Church culture is asking. And we need to know the truth.
Well that's all for tonight, so goodnight!
You asked for feed back and so here you go lol.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a middle area/ balance between rules and radical. You must study the Bible and follow it to the letter but then to know that you are saved by God in spite of yourself and it is not you or anything you will or have done but GOD! So we can do the best we can everyday to follow God's rules ( notice I said God's rules because man's rules don't count and very, as you know, from church to church and man to man) and ask every day for the forgiveness we are so graciously given by God.
As far as being radical here is how I see it: It is great and very right to read your Bible everyday and to learn verses that you can recall anytime, in fact I wouldn't call that radical but just the right thing to do because the Bible tells us so. I see doing that as really the bare minimum of what a Christain should do. As with the other of telling your faith all the time and reaching out that it more complicated than you may think. I know that sounds good to you and it does to me too but then I have found that I have been very turned off by some of those kind of people. They seemed to be telling, telling, telling but yet I looked at their life and thought, "really? you tell me how important Christ is and yet your own life tells me that you are all talk." So you see it is more important to live your faith then to talk it and reach out to others. Also if you only talk about your faith everytime you meet some one then soon no one will talk to you at all and probably will be even sick and tired of hearing about this "faith" you have and not even want to think about sharing it. So you want to witness to people but not over do it.
Now, and I know this is probably more than you really wanted some one to answer, but I just got to say what I'm thinking on your last and more unclear questions. I really think that if a person is really saved that they will have a total turn around and the sin that they were in will become ugly in their eyes. When you are saved God gives a view to you of your sin and that's why you fall on your face and beg God to save and forgive you. So I don't think a homosexual can be saved and still practice it. And a lier can't be saved and still lie. That's not saying that they couldn't fall back into sin once or twice but they can't be a new creature in Christ and practice sin.
Well I know this is long and hope it makes since.
God bless!
Samantha
First of all I agree with everything you have said in your post. I agree that there are "black and white" absolutes in this world. On the point of legalism, I believe as Samantha states above that it can become sinful if people believe that they somehow should be given credit for their salvation because they "followed all the rules" etc. If we become too consumed with doing all the right things and putting on this "perfect Christian" facade we can become like the people Isaiah prophesied about in Isaiah 29:13. However, in my personal experience, the people I know that the world would consider “legalistic” truly do seek to glorify God and are not trying to earn their salvation through works.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that what people consider "radical" Christians should be the norm. I truly believe that the time is at hand for the second coming of Christ and that there is not much time left to witness to a dying world. Now, I don't push my faith in God down people's throats but I also don't pass up on an opportunity to share my faith when I feel the Spirit's leading..I have done it before and it is one of my biggest regrets.
I also believe that Christianity is a life-changing process. I was saved at the age of 7 and God is still revealing Himself and His will for me all the time. I also believe that when we believe in Christ and the Holy Spirit comes upon us there is a 180 degree change that happens. As it says in Acts 26:18 our “eyes are opened, so that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God”. As far as your question about a practicing homosexual being a Christian I would say that a person who is truly a Christian will not continue in blatant sin ( I Jn 1 :6). That's not to say there won't ever be struggles or that we automatically won't sin anymore. We still live in the flesh and we do still sin. Repentance doesn’t mean an immediate end to our sinning, but it does mean that we will no longer live at peace with our sin ( Galatians 5: 16- 24). There is definitely a lot more that could be said about this topic ( especially in regards to a homosexual becoming a Christian and the sin of homosexuality versus sins such as lying and pride etc) , but I have already made this comment more lengthy than I had intended. Thanks for the post it has definitely given me some things to think about!