Expect to see a lot of posts in this category.
(ESV) Philippians 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…
(The Message) Philippians 3: 8 Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ 9 and be embraced by him.
Christians are supposed to be like Jesus. They’re not.
Everyone knows Christians are supposed to be like Jesus. Not “like Jesus enough to be saved without him,†but “like Jesus because you’re following Jesus.†Of course, everyone also knows the vast majority of Christians aren’t like Jesus, or even making any real efforts in that direction.
Christians are conservatives and liberals.
Christians are culture warriors and advocates of family values.
Christians are excited about the megachurches and busy consuming Christian products, from t-shirts to music to cruises.
Christians are defenders of denominations and watchdogs for doctrinal orthodoxy.
Christians are having their best life now and becoming a better you.
Christians are purpose driven and super spiritual.
Christians are taking back what the devil stole and taking a stand in a godless culture.
Christians have dozens of labels and participate in hundreds of activities.
Christians have their own celebrities, their own cable channels, their own entertainment and their own comfortable subcultures.
But few Christians are like Jesus, especially here in the prosperous Christian west.
By any measure you want to use, most Christians don’t resemble Jesus in action, attitude, character, thinking, motivation or sacrifice. Christians don’t live like Jesus, relate to other people like Jesus, deal with money life Jesus or have the spiritual practices of Jesus. Jesus and those who claim his name are often so far apart that a kind of sleight of hand has to be performed to distract the world into looking away from the obvious.
Most Christians today aren’t like Jesus, and apparently it doesn’t seem to be a very big deal to many Christians themselves.
If you ask non-Christians about this discrepancy, you’ll discover one of the supreme ironies of the age. Unbelievers are far more aware of the normal connection between Christian faith and Christian behavior than many Christians.
Atheists, Muslims and various kinds of unbelievers are well aware that to be a Christian should mean to be like Christ, and they are very aware most of the Christians they know are very unlike Christ, with little concern about the discrepancy. Often, these non-Christians have a more honest and accurate view of the connection between Christ and Christians than Christians themselves.
Because I teach and minister to many of those atheists and non-Christians, I should have known this long ago, but it took years for the truth to force its way into my stubborn consciousness.
My default position, like most Christians, was an assumption that Christians knew their own failures, but unbelievers would never notice the things we said, did and failed to do.
We could notice our greed, shallowness, cultural bias, arrogance and lack of compassion, but unbelievers would only see our good works and sincerity. We would be aware of our failures, but unbelievers would always see our good side.
Then one day, one of my Muslim students wrote me a letter assessing her experience with Christians. It was eloquent and thoughtful, and it was brutally honest: Most Christians weren’t like Jesus, and the Christian insistence that God was working in and through them was largely undercut by the failure of individual Christians to show character that surpassed what was seen in Muslims or Buddhists.
I’ve had similar letters and conversations in the 30 years I’ve worked with students. Like many ministers, I had trained myself in making a response to this kind of observation. My counter-case went something like this:
Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. The Good News of Jesus is about God’s gracious forgiveness of the undeserving. Christians aren’t necessarily better people on the moral scale. They have a different kind of righteousness; the righteousness that is a gift from God.
What about becoming like Christ? Well, that’s a process that happens through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a work in the heart. You really have no idea how far someone’s come in their resemblance to Jesus Christ just be looking at their outward behavior.
So when a Muslim says Christians aren’t Christlike, they are demonstrating their inability to understand the Gospel. And when an atheist says Christians are hypocritical, they are showing their own hypocrisy, since they have no foundation at all for their own morality.
Now, this isn’t a ridiculous set of answers at all. Much of what I said is true and useful in the right setting.
The problem, however, is simple: There’s no answer, explanation or apologetic that can possibly sever the connection between the person of Jesus and the lives of those who claim he is their Lord, God and example. It doesn’t make sense to assume that Christ followers aren’t growing in similarity to Jesus.
Jesus-following people should be Jesus shaped people.
Every so often, I’ll meet a student who has a United States Marine Corps tattoo they’ve acquired in their teenage enthusiasm for the United States Marines. If that student makes it to Marine boot camp, they may be surprised at the reaction of their drill instructor to that tattoo.
He or she won’t be impressed with their admiration and enthusiasm for the corps. Wearing the Marine symbol is a privilege that belongs only to those who have been through the process, trials and tests of Marine training.
You can be a fan of the Marine corps, but don’t say or imply you are one- or deserve to be one- until you’ve been “shaped†by the pain, values and loyalty of the Marine experience.
Jesus seems to have a lot of fans these days. But being a fan, and being a Jesus shaped follower of Christ are two entirely different realities.
Jesus’ fans live a kind of external Christianity that majors on personal satisfaction, entertainment, big crowds, cultural influence and consumption of Christian products.
Jesus’ followers are living in a process of being shaped by the person of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The goal at every stage is conformity to Jesus himself. Conforming us to the image of Jesus is God’s goal for his entire work in our lives. The methods, practices and resources of Christian spirituality are all Jesus-centered. The result of the process is a person who is a recognizable, credible disciple of his/her master, Jesus of Nazareth.
Like real Marines, Jesus shaped disciples have no excuses for what it means to follow Jesus. They don’t specialize in proclaiming themselves as something they are not. Instead, they are students of Jesus and demonstrations of the resurrected power of the Jesus we meet in the pages of scripture.
While they deeply feel the distance between Jesus and their own version of discipleship, the observing world notices, instead, the increasing similarity between these Christ followers and the Christ they follow.
Are Christians like Jesus? Enough like Jesus that a Muslim or atheist wouldn’t have to remind us of the relevance of the question?
Here in Kentucky, we sometimes say that someone has gotten “the cart before the horse.†We mean that someone has gotten things out of order, especially in the area of what should naturally have the power to lead and what should naturally follow.
Carts don’t lead. They have no power to do so. Horses can follow, but when hitched to a cart, they are meant to lead the way.
Much of modern Christianity has put the cart before the horse. We’ve put a version of Christianity that has no power out in front of the one who is the only power Christianity has.
Our Christian “cart†is elaborate and crowded. Our “horse†isn’t very impressive by the world’s standards. But without Jesus out front and leading a movement that resembles what we read in the Gospels, we risk creating something that is no more than our own collection of ideas, preferences and entertainments.
And then bringing Jesus along to bless that mess.
In Philippians 3, Paul spoke passionately about the life-transforming power of “knowing†Jesus Christ. While we don’t know if Paul ever encountered Jesus in his earthly life, he was acquainted with the Christian movement in the sufferings he caused in the years he persecuted the church.
He watched women and children hauled off to prison. He watched men die by stoning. He watched the homes of Christians be broken into and ransacked. He watched the leaders of the Christian community suffer persecution, imprisonment and death.
He watched Stephen die with the enemy-forgiveness of Jesus on his lips.
When Paul encountered the Christian community as a persecutor, he met people suffering, sacrificing and dying like Jesus. When Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus, he said that Saul/Paul been persecuting him. Jesus himself.
Paull would later say that Christian suffering was making up what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ, a statement that radically identifies Jesus with those who follow him.
Many Christians have invented a kind of Christianity where “knowing Christ†and being “Jesus shaped†are two completely separate realities.
If you are surprised that most unbelievers and fringe-believing observers of our version of Christianity don’t want to be like us, you should consider this:
We’re not like Jesus.
And we think that’s normal.
In his ministry, Jesus often had to listen to the Pharisees tout their relation to God based on a collection of externals. Jesus told them pointedly that God could raise up their version of being God’s people from the rocks on the side of the road.
Throughout his criticisms of the Pharisees in Matthew 23, Jesus points out what the Pharisees would never admit: they talked up one thing, and lived another. They proclaimed themselves true sons of Abraham; Jesus called them whitewashed tombs and hypocrites.
Jesus didn’t want this problem to be replicated in his disciples. He plainly taught them to abide in him, and as they did, they would bear much genuine fruit.
If Christians are supposed to be Jesus shaped as disciples, then we should take an extended look at Jesus himself, and how he differs from so many of us.
The Internet Monk Archives 
I apologize for not reading the comments before reading myself.
There is of course much uncomfortable truth in the original essay. I work almost entirely with nonChristians, however, and my impression is pointing out the weaknesses of Christians is simply an excuse for not engaging the issues. As evidence, I would point to those few Christians we all know who do show enormous humility, sacrifice, and kindness – the nonbelievers around them make the same accusations.
I say this because that was what I also did as a pre-believer.
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Well, I realize a futile conversation when I see one. Steve, I’m content to disagree, although I’m not sure that you really understand my differing position. You just say the same thing over and over (and I realize that is what you are trying to do).
I guess I can only say that there has been some excellent scholarship in the last 30 years that poses real challenges to Luther’s interpretation of Law as it was understood by Jesus, Paul and their Jewish contemporaries. Even if you decide to disagree, I’d encourage you to make yourself aware of the Biblical scholarship challenging your position. There is more going on here than just the human impulse to “do it ourselves”. There is solid textual evidence that must be dealt with that first century hearers, writers and readers did not share Luther’s penchant for internalized guilt with regards to the Law, nor did they divide grace and works so cleanly as you suggest. In fact, I think they would find your lasseiz-faire attitude rather offensive on this account.
No point in trying to go through the issues here. I’m just saying there are significant arguments both from the Gospels and from Paul that pose serious problems for a strict Lutheran perspective.
Peace.
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We could all get a “letter”.
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And they got a letter about it, which I recall, didn’t find their situation acceptable as disciples of Jesus.
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Even some of the early Christians failed to be like Christ. Take Corinth for example.
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Jon,
It does not suprise me at all that people desire to water down the law. Jesus is then telling us to be ‘mature and whole’ as our Father in Heaven is ‘mature and whole’. Right. As if we could ever be those things either.
Our default position is the law. Doing is what we are all about.
When Jesus gives us the sermon on the mount, the desired effect would be for us to say,’depart from me Lord for I am a sinner’. Instead we get out our religious ladders and start climbing.
As a law/gospel guy my job is to shake the ladder so that you’ll fall off and get your feet back on the ground where they belong.
I have never said that those that do not agree with me on L/G are doomed to anything.
Christ’s death on the cross was enough for all. My hope is to fan the flames of the gospel into a bonfire for those that might yet only see a flicker.
To clarify my position when it comes to L/G…Gospel is King and always trumps the Law.
Thanks much.
– Steve Martin
PS – Give a listen to the ‘Law and Gospel’ radio program (Google KFUO) Yesterday’s archived program, Wed. May 7th was particularly informative.
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It’s interesting to see the bits and pieces of where people come from. For those who grew up in what they saw as law-based works righteousness, I can totally understand why a strong law/gospel would be welcomed as freeing. For others (and I admit this is where I am) who grew up in an evangelicalism that was “just intellectually assent that Jesus died for you and then go on living however you want to”, I don’t respond very friendly-like to law/gospel.
For what it’s worth, the Jewish connotations of the word translated “perfect” in Matthew isn’t “flawlessness” like we use the word. It’s maturity or wholeness. Not that God isn’t flawless, that just isn’t really the aspect of God Jesus is calling us to imitate in that particular passage. Then of course there is the problem that Paul (and first century Jews in general) seemed to think they actually could keep the law…but of course we probably should reject all of that New Perspective rubbish out of hand. 😉
Anyway, don’t assume those who don’t find the Law/Gospel distinction helpful either don’t understand or are doomed to works righteousness. Some do understand, and disagree for good reasons. That’s like saying all who hold to Law/Gospel as the core of the Gospel miss the Kingdom and are doomed to cheap grace. Both statements are true as strawmen, but both oversimplify the issue and (I think) the Gospel.
Michael, I appreciate your patient attempts to restore substance (and literalness) to Jesus’ teaching.
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Hmm… a lot of interesting comments. As to the original post, the concept that came across to me was one of people professing a form of godliness but denying the power… it is the crux of what has driven me from Institutional Churches.
And as to grace versus law… Galatians 5 has a lot to say. I have had to read it and re-read it a lot over that last year or so to help overcome the performance based theology of my upbringing. Hmm… to me, this is the essence of where He has brought me (so far – long way from being done ;-)…
You progressively get to know Him more and more, do your best to do what He tells you (not what man says, what God says – important distinction in some circles), then rely on God’s incredible Grace to make up the difference in what you could not do and what you messed up in doing. Sleep. Wake. Do again. Follow Jesus, not men. Be a friend to friend’s even when their theology gets out of line with yours. Be a friend to those who have just fallen and need help getting back up. Stop being a supporting prop to cover the unacknowledged abuses of the ‘called’ and ‘gifted’ leaders of your church.
Anyway, that’s the idea… Good topic. 😉
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WebMonk,
I wasn’t being sarcastic at all. I meant what I said.
I believe(and I am not alone)that God speaks to us in two ways. Through His demands and through His promises.
He gives us law and we break it. He promises to forgive us and he does it.
The meat and potatoes, the pitching and hitting, the fundamental paradigm for understanding the Bible and God Himself is through His Law and His Gospel.
As I’ve said before, there are many others that do a much better job of explaining this view than I.
You can google Law and Gospel and find some great materials, I’m sure.
Grace and Peace to you, WebMonk!
– Steve M.
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Being in the military, I thought the Marines illustration was particularly apt. Kinda along those lines, I suppose we’ve lost the wartime mentality that illuminates the reason to live as soldiers of Christ like in 2 Tim. 2.
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“We Lutherans(many of us)really believe that Law/Gospel is the ‘hitting and pitching’ of the Bible. We believe that God speaks to us in one, or the other ways…and that’s pretty much it.”
steve, were you being sarcastic or something? I know that it’s really hard to get emotion across in text, but tongue-in-cheek is the only way I am getting coherence out of the comment, but it didn’t quite sound that way. (to me anyway)
Just checking.
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Michael,
To tell you the truth I was going to ignore this post, until you asked me to explain how law/Gospel is different thatn antinomianism. I was really going to try honor your request that we not always talk about law/gospel. It is your blog. Had you left it at that, I would have stayed out. But then you asked for us to explain.
I do see a place for the law in the Christians life, even after baptism. The only thing that I cringed at was your somewhat arbitrary seperation of Jesus fans and Jesus followers. Comparing Christians marines before and after boot camp.
I don’t know maybe I do need a blog. Believe it or not though, I’m trying to quit.
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Michael,
Well, I guess we gave that one a good run.
We Lutherans(many of us)really believe that Law/Gospel is the ‘hitting and pitching’ of the Bible.
We believe that God speaks to us in one, or the other ways…and that’s pretty much it. That is why we bring it up so often, it is always right there staring us in the face.
We do realize that it is not so in Roman Catholic or most Protestant traditions. That is why we believe we have a unique and important contribution to make with respect to the understanding of the Christian faith. We also realize that our view is not, and never has been,(and probably never will be) very popular.
From a Lutheran perspective, I’m proud of the way Larry, Bror, Brent, Brian, Scott, and not as much, myself, defended the unflinching demand of the law.
On your team, I was impressed with the way you guys hung in there so long in the face of such a powerful barrage of law. You guys are tough!
I actually do have a fledgling blog where we do discuss the law and gospel once in awhile (almost always – what a shocker!).
It is ‘the old Adam’ the address is http://theoldadam.wordpress.com/
Anyway, thanks for all the fun, (I told you I would enjoy it all!)
I’ll be back! (MacArthur, Arnold, and me)
– Steve Martin
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I grew up in the church. I coasted. I stopped going.
I could never escape the reality of God. Atheism, much less agnosticism wasn’t going to work.
Then, in my journey, I was confronted with the stark question: Do you *really* want God, and do you *really* seek to be more like Christ? The path towards such ends was opened to me as never before in my Christian experience. And it was a harder question to answer than I wanted to admit. Grace beyond measure is available to me. Do I want it?
In many ways, for the first time I’ve picked up my cross and followed. I am such a sinner. I fall so short. But the grace is abundant. And so little matters except Him.
I’ll be dragging the rest of my life, but at least the scraping sounds drowns out the clamor of arguing over law/gospel in the meantime.
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Bror: You are basically giving me the choice of 1) agreeing with your version of Lutheranism, which I won’t be doing anywhere close to 100% of the time, OR 2) I can spend all my time in the comments of my posts defending myself from the hyper-Law/Gospel paradigm you use to read every statement I write.
Your own small catechism says it perfectly:
“God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments. Therefore we should dread His wrath and not act contrary to these commandments. But He promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and gladly do [zealously and diligently order our whole life] according to His commandments.”
Unless Luther misspoke, Christians are to seek to keep these commandments, knowing Christ has taken their place in judgment and in perfect obedience, allowing us to follow Jesus in command and example without fear of condemnation.
This is the last go around with this. Another good thread has been turned into a discussion of the same law/gospel issue that has been covered many times in these discussions.
I think you guys need your own blog. I’ll be happy to link you 🙂
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michael,
hmmm. Are you not the one who said “not perfectly.”
Are you not the one who compared Christians who for all you can tell only confess Christ, but don’t go and do works, who maybe haven’t suffered for Christ yet, to wanna be Marines who haven’t made it through boot camp?
I’m sorry but it was that annalogy that got me going. We aren’t Christians until we actively seek to be like him? Until we have been put through his boot camp?
Your the one who, as it seems to me, equates being salt in the world to following the law, and being uber righteous by worldly standards.
When the pharisees harrassed the disciples for not living up to thier own standards, did Christ berate the disciples for not washing their hands befor they ate? No he turned on the Pharisees, through the law on them a little harder, and defended his sheep with the Gospel. Try that next time a Muslim or an Athiest starts complaining about he behavior of Christians you don’t know, or even the ones you think you know.
The world lives off of law. Christians the gospel. It doesn’t mean we have to be pigs. But we don’t take the gospel away from Christ’s sheep in order to make them be Salt.
Sorry, to be a discussion killer. I only have what Christ has given me. It’s not that I don’t see a third use to the law. It’s that no matter how you cut it the law does not make us righteous, does not distinguish us from the world.
Do I need Luther to understand Christ? No. But I thank God for him every day. and If I was trying to understand Christ, I don’t think I would reduce my studies of him to 3 chapters in Matthew, and call foul anytime someone brought something else he said up.
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Perhaps this is a good place to share two ideas that help me in my journey. The first, from one of my former Baptist pastors. “To trust all that you know about yourself to the Jesus that you know.” It came about in a conversation about an elementary aged boy accepting Christ. No one would expect a kid of that age, to know as much about either himself or Jesus as an adult. (And who among us is really an adult when it comes to Jesus?)
The second is more Catholic. Every day we choose to follow Jesus, becoming more like Him. Sometimes the decisions are big conversion experiences; sometimes just being gracious while we are driving.
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Michael,
Just a little sardonic humor to drive the point home that this is where such a discussion will lead if it is heard as a ‘command’ that would whip us to ramp up our performance. It always leads to spiritual naval-gazing. Exactly where Christ will NOT have us! In terms of performance and ‘doing’ in the christian life, as it has been said many times on your blog, go ahead! There are millions of things to do for the neighbor. Have at it! In terms of “becoming more Christ-like”, don’t fret over it! Jesus said “I AM the vine , without me , you can do nothing”.. He is guiding our lifes without our hand wringing over our ‘spiritual’
growth (whatever that means).. If nothing else.. the command “be more Christ-like, is a call to trust God! The new testament writers bend over backwards to try and reveal ‘God in Christ’, to point us to a God in whom we CAN trust!
“Lord when did we do these things?” good works flow out of those in Christ often without them even being aware of them! Relax, we CAN trust Christ to work in us what He will-or will not do!
Thanks for your blog!
Brent
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Bror:
I never implied at all that anything was “good enough” but Christ’s righteousness. How do you get that I said “not perfect” = “good enough?” We might not always be having a discussion on the basis of justification.
Might I suggest that your adherence to this paradigm is a discussion killer, because you can’t hear anything in a command but condemnation.
And do I really need Luther to understand Jesus, or did it just seem that way?
Brent:
That post is in the thread only because I am seeking to be like Jesus. If it’s not as mocking as it appears, my apologies, because if certainly feels like you are making me out to be self-righteous.
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Michael,
I really don’t know where to begin here, you are all over the map with Steve. But im going to start with the end of Matthew in the great commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Notice something here He says teaching them to observe all, not some not half, but all that Christ has commanded them (that is commanded them to teach.) Necessarily then you are not doing this when you harp on the law (which Jesus did command them to teach) but not the Gospel(Which Christ also commanded them to teach.) It is never improper to let scripture interpret Scripture.
Now Christ says here in Matthew %:
Matthew 5:19-20 (ESV)
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
It doesn’t sound here like Christ is saying imperfectly is good enough. You are not letting the law say what the law is saying when you say it is o.k to do it “not perfectly.”
Christ continues:
[20] For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Now the scribes and Pharisees, by worldly standards were quite righteous. They for the most part set an example that is hard to follow. But they were not righteous enough.
Thankfully the righteousness that Christ gives us, imputes to us, far exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees.
As for being salt in the world, we aren’t going to be salt by trying to outdo the world in worldly righteousness. The Baptists up here writing in the paper think they can convert mormons by being more outwardly righteous than the mormons, by piling on the law even harder. That doesn’t work. In fact it is rare to see any of them mention the cross of Christ. This isn’t being salt in the world, this is just more of the same.
Being Salt is proclaiming the Gospel loud and clear. As Luther says in his commentary on Galatians Chapter 1 : The Gospel is a doctrine that condemns all sorts of Human righteousness, and preaches the sole righteousness of Christ. To those who accept this is brings peace of conscience and all good things; yet the world hates and persecutes it bitterly.” Want to be Salt? Preach the Gospel, and live by it.
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I for one, am a christian who can give God thanks and praise that I have achieved Christ-likeness. Like the buddhist who seeks enlightenment, or the hindu who contorts himself to realize ‘total-consciencness’, I have “buffeted” my body and denied sin with great enthusiasm and fervor to become Christ-like, to become sin free. I feel sorry for the rest of you.. even if I were not “perfect” my GREAT passion and desire to become like Christ More than makes up for any little slip up. It’s the sincere desire to become like Christ that is meritorious and makes up for the little slip ups. Salt and light? Ask my friends.. I’m the ‘saltiest’ guy they know. Light? I’m more than happy to shine light into the darkness of other peoples souls and point out their sin…I am proud to be Christ-like…wait,… maybe I shouldn’t be proud because that would show pride…well, see, I’m feeling a bit sorrowful that I said I was proud, that should make up the difference.. wait…if I’m sorrowful for my pride…maybe I haven’t…
uh,….give me a second here…….let’s see..uh.. I AM GLAD that I am more Christ like than you! No,… ( “Lord I thank thee that I am not like these publicans”)…….Uh!……..What should we do?! ( if I really WERE Christ-like, I’d KNOW what to do!!)……HELP ANYONE!!!!
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Brian:
Let’s take another intimidating command:
“Love your wife.”
Can you love her?
Perfectly? Enough? All the time?
Is grace necessary?
Does it lessen the simple, grammatically, contextually understood meaning of the sentence?
Will you love your wife to the best of your ability, or will you not, trusting in her grace to “justify” you?
Again— “not perfectly” is the key.
peace
MS
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Steve,
Matthew 8 is a personal account of an encounter between Jesus and the leper. How could this be the follow-up “grace” message for the crowds? All they heard was the sermon on the mount. And Jesus tells the leper not to tell anyone about his encounter. It seems a stretch to say that was the intent of the encounter, unless you believe that the actual series of events wasn’t meant for the actual people to whom Jesus spoke, reducing them to theological window-coverings.
That doesn’t seem to make much sense interpretation-wise.
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Let me state for the record that I’m not Lutheran and have never even set foot inside a Lutheran church. 🙂
Anyway, when I read stuff like :
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”
or
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”
To be sure, there are some “easier” commands in the SOTM than this. But I’ve gotta wonder if the people hearing this really thought they could do it. Or did they think he was asking the impossible. I’ve struggled with this for a long time and unless I import my post-Pentecost, Spirit-indwelt understanding to the passage(which I try not to do) I just don’t get it. And quite frankly, I can get very dismayed if I think I need to live up(not just try) to all of those commands.
Maybe it’s my CofC upbringing that still wants the right pattern to follow. I don’t know. But I’d love to have some clarity on this at some point in my life. I’m just not there yet.
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Michael,
Maybe we sound like that because I’m not the best spokesman.
I’m a layman, a relatively new Lutheran. But I came out of a ‘try your best for Jesus’ theology and into a theology of the cross, Lutheran view of the Christain life.
I found that preaching the law for betterment actually works in reverse. When you are concentrating on improving, on being more like Jesus, you shoot yourself in the foot.
I have found that in what I deem a proper law and gospel theology, all the pressure to perform is off. The focus shifts from me and my ladder climbing… to the neighbor. The Lord will indeed do His sanctifying work within me and I will receive His sacraments as assurance that this is true apart from my efforts. It is truly liberating.
Jesus said (Matthew 5:20) that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
“Imperfectly” is not good enough.
I’ve got to run (try and make a buck).
Thanks very much Michael for putting up with me!
Grace and Peace.
– Steve
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Steve:
That fact that I cannot love God perfectly, and that my standing with God ultimately is because Jesus does/has, IN NO WAY lessens Jesus’ command to me to BE LIKE HIM and love God with all…. The words “not perfectly” would save a lot of trouble here.
You guys don’t sound like people who believe Christians should actively seek to be salt and light. You sound like antinomians who relieve the Christian of the call of Jesus to his followers to seek to follow his “salty” example and teachings. You sound like those who accuse Christians who seek to be salt and light of misunderstanding the words of Jesus.
Where does Jesus say the Sermon on the Mount is the Law that is supposed to drive us to something else? The announcement of the Kingdom is “law” because there is a king. That same king is the Gospel, but in himself he is both/and. We can’t escape the King’s commands or outrun his mercy, but it is not either/or.
Those who heard the sermon would believe it meant “be salt.” Those who knew Jesus would realize he is the true “salt,” but that would not CHANGE the meaning of the words of Jesus to something that can only be understood with an outside paradigm.
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Michael,
This hard law in Matthew 5-7 is immediately followed by the gospel in Matthew 8.
The leper (the epitomy of what a sinner wasthought to be in those days) says, “Lord if you will you can make me clean.”
Jesus says, “I will.”
That’s the gospel!
And that’s good theology.
– Steve M.
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Michael,
I didn’t say we couldn’t be salt and light.
I said we aren’t Jesus and that we can’t be like Jesus.
Jesus sends the Spirit to us. He lives in us. His working inside of us brings out our salt and light.
Here’s some samples of the law/gospel paradigm that Jesus uses on us (does to us) in Matthew: (paraphrased)
If you’re angry with your brother you are a murderer.
If you even look at a woman that way, you have committed adultery.
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Love your enemies.
Do not refuse those that would borrow from you.
Do not lay up treasures on earth for yourselves.
If anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well.
Do not worry about anything.
Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.
There are more. Things which we will not do…things which we cannot do.
Notice he didn’t say ‘try to be perfect’. He didn’t say try and do any of these things.
This is the Law…on steroids. Not the watered down versions which we love to hand out.
There is nowhere to hide in Jesus sermon. It is the Law.
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Steve:
I don’t feel you engaged my comment.
Where in the text of Matthew 5-7- assuming this is what thousands of people heard from the mouth of Jesus- is the Law/Gospel paradigm that is required to know that we cannot actually be Salt and Light?
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Michael,
We do theology. That’s how we go through the alphabet of the bible and have it make sense.
Law/gospel in the Sermon on the Mount was done to the hearer.
Law/gospel is done to the hearer today.
A good semon is not explaining how Jesus died on a cross that sin would be forgiven… a good sermon is one where the gospel is actually done to a person. ‘All this Jesus has done…for you.’
We can’t talk anyone into this stuff, or convince them that because X says to do Y that it should be done. In the same way we cannot convince one to fall in love with another. Love comes as a response to who and what the other person is.
It’s the same with the gospel. We don’t size it up and figure it’s a pretty good deal. The gospel is done to us and either it sticks, or it doesn’t and that is God’s business.
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Where, Oh Where, Has Jesus Christ Gone?
Oh Where, Oh Where Can He Be?
For years, and especially under such heathen Administrations, we’ve seen evangelism turn into extremism, and “Christians” embarrassing God with every declaration and deed. The “lost sheep” assemble in these “pagan palaces”, wallow in religious folklore, practice petty partisan politics and preach hate, intolerance and ignorance. If they truly knew the teachings of Jesus Christ, they would recall, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
In this age of “Religion for Profit and Profile” (Graham & son, Swaggart, the Bakkers, the late Osteen, & son, the late Falwell — all could write such a book), we would also be wise to remember the ONLY time Christ ever lost His temper was when His temple was being used for activities other than the praise of His father. I believe He bellowed, “My temple should be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” (Luke 19:46; Matt 21:13)
Next time you find your deacon/priest/minister/rabbi/reverend, etc. living in an expensive home, living an opulent lifestyle, driving a newer-model luxury automobile; rest assured, this is a person absorbed with vanity and material wealth, and not a person equipped to be your spiritual guide. If they claim it was a gift or donation, advise them their benefactor could have used those resources to assist the more needy of God’s children (food, medicine, education, etc.)
All these pagan practitioners, whom possess a penchant to “witness”, would behoove themselves to begin in front of a mirror. That should keep a healthy portion of us on our knees and off the streets for a few months, eh?
Regardless of how we choose to interpret the greatness of God, universal is the notion that one should treat others as one would enjoy being treated themselves.
We are mere mortals, with foibles aplenty. However, let’s try and live for eternal salvation! Never mind the nonsense of the “news” networks, forgo the greedy goofs on the game shows, toss the tell-all tales of tabloid television, and avoid vanishing into vapid virtual environments.
Quit worshiping wealth and the “golden calf” of market capitalism.
If the Lord has blessed you with the resources to fundamentally shelter, nourish, clothe, educate, be medically treated and have a safe place to worsip, for yourself and your family, then you have been blessed on Earth. Now take the money you would use to be pagan, and share it with neighbors and the needy. Sheesh….. I think you’re starting to form a halo!
In other words, Get a life ….. for God!
May the Lord bless us with insight, and may the Spirit provide us the strength to show it and share it.
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Steve:
If a person reads Biblical text X, and then before interpreting that text, brings to bear theological construct Y, thereby changing the entire grammatical, historical and contextual meaning of text X, how can we say that text X has been allowed to SPEAK?
Text X has been processed through construct Y, thereby yielding interpretation Z which DOES NOT EXIST WITHOUT Y.
No one listening to the sermon on the mount that afternoon leaned over to their friend and said “Good stuff, but without the Law/Gospel paradigm, you’ll never get what it really means.”
If this were Calvinists saying that every text had to be run past TULIP to get the real meaning, we’d ll properly yell “foul!”
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Michael,
Having a discussion about Christians ‘being like Jesus’ without bringing law and gospel into it, is like talking about the Reds and not mentioning pitching or hitting.
Well, Griffey Jr. had two put outs in right field, while Harang scouped up a ground ball and fielded one bunt. Oh yeah, Votto received 12 throws at first. Huh?
Law and Gospel is what it is all about.
Our doing(or lackthereof)… and God’s doing.
What else is there?
OK… imperfectly. So what? We don’t any points for trying. And then we shift the onus. The em-pha-sis is one the wrong syll-ab-le
As pointed out, Budhists, Atheists, Mormons, Muslims, all do good works. What in the world does that have to do with Christianity?
I believe that THE biggest problem that the Church faces today is the inability to distinguish between law and gospel and that is why we have all these ‘striving to be like Jesus’ projects, where people are now focusing (consciously, or not)on their performance and putting themselves back under the yoke of slavery, instead of glorying in the cross of Christ and the freedom He has won for us. The Word of God will grab hold of whom it will and the good works will flow as the Spirit deems fit without the prodding of a ‘be like Jesus exhortation’. That the law condemns us whenever we try to compare ourselves to Jesus is exactly it’s job. We don’t like it, but that’s tough.
We are not antinomianist. We believe the law is still in place and has it’s proper roles.
We are not universalists. Jesus Christ is God’s revealed Word, and He will decide who belongs to Himself, or not.
Thanks Michael.
– Steve
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Completely off topic, I know, but for anyone who wants to win a free DVD of I Am Legend, play the “I Am Legend/Gospel of Jesus Christ compare/contrast”-game here.
Grace and Peace,
Raffi Shahinian
Parables of a Prodigal World
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I’m putting together a Bible Study right now on 1 corinthians 15. and something struck me about Paul. Paul was probably better than any of us at “beign Christ like.” He also had the added benefit of seeing Christ, and being taught by him, so there was no confusion for Paul as to what it meant to be Christ like. But what was Paul’s motivation? Was it the law, the ten commandments, all those exhortations to love? Not at all. It was the Grace of God that led him to do it. As He says:
1 Cor. 15:10 (ESV)
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
Preach the law, but then proclaim the Gospel, and let it be. It will work. problem so often is we don’t trust the Gospel. We want to add to it, we want to make it something it is not. Were afraid it won’t do what is says it will do.
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michael,
How do you tell the difference between Jesus Followers and Jesus Fans?
How is your dichotomy here not phariseeism?
I don’t know if you want me to leave Law/Gospel alone, or explain it. It is pretty impossible for me, though, to leave it. It is the “paradigm” Christ gave the church, and more speciffially to me as a called and ordained servant of His, When in the 24th Chapter of luke he told the disciples: Luke 24:47 (ESV)
“that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
It is not an antinomian doctrine. one of the two main components of the whole “Paradigm” is the law. It doesn’t work with out the law. It isn’t anti-law, or anti-good works, quite the opposite. But it realizes the limitations of the law, and the true outcome of the law: Hypocrisy, or despair, and other great shame and vice.
as it says in
Romans 3:20 (ESV)
“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
and ” Romans 5:20 (ESV)
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,”
So we preach the law to bring repentance, but then we preach Christ crucified, and the forgiveness of sins. Law, gospel. Not Law, Gospel, law. It is the gospel, not the law, that bears good fruit. That accomplishes the law for us in the love of Christ.
It’s true, Christians fail to live up to the law, often fail imitate Christ. And by worldly standards often do a worse job than Muslims, or Buddhists, or Atheists for that matter. (But then there is that first commandment which they all fail miserably at. Even if they’re pretty good with the last six.)
But the genius of Christ, was not that he was able to fulfill the law, but that he forgave those who didn’t.
On an aside, I often marvel at who people think Jesus was, and how he behaved. As if he always had a kind word, and never a rebuke. As if he was some sort of ascetic, and couldn’t enjoy himself, or the finer things of this world. Certainly he didn’t live for the finer things of this world, but neither did he forsake them.
To imitate Christ is to love like Christ, all the sinners of the world, even the hypocrites, or Jesus fans, most especially the Jesus followers. But we can only love because he first loved us.
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“A decision that one does not want to go to hell is almost never the beginning of a relationship that would be described in the gospels as discipleship.” MS
How very true!
And the reason this “fire escape” concept chafes against our discipleship sensibilities is because the modern, unbiblical notion of eternal torment in the afterlife has much more to do with Dante than with Christ.
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I’m all for taking risks to find new and radical ways to extend the love of Christ to the world. We need risk-takers and churches willing to encourage and forgive them through each success and failure. Getting our hands dirty has everything to do with sacramentalism.
I would caution to stay away from the guilt-motivated Christian social activism of recent decades, which had nothing to do with love or the gospel. When it comes to hubris, there is plenty out there in the name of Christian activism (I’m more compassionate than you are). I don’t remember Mother Teresa gloating like that.
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“Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” -1 John 2:4-6
While other verses in 1 John make it clear that perfectly walking like Jesus is impossible, the whole of the book (and of the rest of Scripture) points to a faith in which our salvation comes through the blood of Christ and only the blood of Christ, but our faith drives us to live in a certain way. Though our righteousness is only in Christ and its only through Christ’s work that we are able to do any good, we ought to walk in the way that Christ walked. Period.
The fact that our justification is not by our own work, but Christs, should make us even more diligent in living righteously.
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Michael A,
you write:
“I’m not going to continue with a litany. Rather, let me just say that if salvation is not about being made more like Jesus, then let me off the train.”
Bravo! You are exactly right, Salvation is about being made, not more like Jesus, but perfect like Jesus. Only think is this happens to us. We aren’t the operators. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who operates on us through his word, and the sacraments. And by grace we are made to be perfect.
2 Cor. 12:9 (ESV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
But Paul makes it clear this isn’t something we ourselves can even attempt to do apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 3:3 (ESV)
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
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I sort of understand this point, but how do we reconcile it with Jesus telling us to be perfect as he is perfect? The problem with removing any expectation of conformity to Christ is having to ignore many passages exhorting us to do just that.
We strive to be like Jesus not to be assured of our success, or failure, spiritually speaking, but because we believe Jesus’ way is the better way…the higher way…the truer way. We accept our failings as part of our humanness, but that doesn’t necessitate abandoning the things we can do through Christ. And, sometimes, we learn to do a little more through practice.
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Michael,
I’m certainly not advocating antinomianism or universalism! And I don’t think the other brothers are either. Perish the thought!
Like I said, I agree with what you wrote. All I am questioning is the emphasis. Is focusing upon what I do for Christ going to get me where I should go? Or is it more important to focus upon what Christ has done for me and let him get me where I should go?
I for one am not denying the need for growth in godliness, holiness or Christ-likeness. Just last night I read a piece by Carl Truman on the Heidelberg Disputation. One of the great emphais of Luther was Christ-likeness or imitating Christ. But this imitation takes place in self-sacrifice and suffering.
So the question I’m asking is not whether or not one should be Christ-like or as you put it, have a Jesus-shaped spirituality. My only question is how do I get there. Anytime I focus in on myself to try and make it happen, I will fail. But when I look outward, to Jesus and the cross, clinging to and trusting in him alone to work in me, then Christ-likeness happens.
I can’t speak for the others, but that is the paradigm from which I operate.
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Jesus seems to have a lot of fans these days.
IMonk, the word is Fanboy.
(In SF fandom, “Fanboy” refers to a fan who’s anywhere from clueless to totally obsessive to flat-out crazy. The term normally implies the fan has gone really overboard — like the Trekkie who legally changed their name to a Vulcan one and is getting their ears surgically pointed in Tijuana. Or the one who can quote every line of dialog from every scene of whatever they’re a fan of but have forgotten how to bathe. Another word — from local afternoon drive-time shock-jocks — is “No-Life”.)
And there are Jesus Fanboys. Sometimes I wonder if the parable of the sheep and the goats is Christ going “Get out of here, Fanboy!”
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Well, if we are to be imitators of Christ, then I have one question…’how’s it going’? Ya’all better get busy.
Speaking for myself, I can only say that I’ve got a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.
“Christlike”?
I’d better throw out the T.V. (what a time waster that is)
The computer is next. How can I be searching out the lost and lonely and hungry in my neighborhood if I’m banging away at this thing for hours a day?
I’b better give up (sell) my home. Jesus didn’t have one.
I’d better trust the Father in all things and completely stop worrying (that is very un-Jesus like).
I’m going to stop here, because I’ve got to gather all my belongings and put them on e-bay before I sell my computer.
If you don’t hear back from me…you’ll now I’m on my way to greater Christlikeness.
Bye-bye!
– Steve M.
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Lutheran brothers: Can you allow us to have this conversation without ramming the law/gospel paradigm on top of it? Frankly, I’m not going to turn this thread into the fourth long discussion of how law/gospel is necessary to understand the Gospel.
Guys: Learn the following two words- “not perfectly.” We will never PERFECTLY be anything Jesus calls us to be. That’s why grace is grace. But to say Christians are not called to be like Christ is indefensible, no matter what your paradigm.
Perhaps you should explain the difference between your version of the law/gospel paradigm and antinomianism or universalism.
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This part
was especially pertinent to stuff I’m dealing with now.Thank you for this.
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Amen. I’ve struggled to move towards Christ again and again, only to be knocked down by ‘grace alone’.
I struggle with saying what you are saying because it means judgment of dear friends.
My wife (Chinese) converted to Christianity really on the basis of relationship with Christ-like Christians. They do exist, though of course they are far from perfect.
These Christians are defined by love, honesty, and humility and those are fairly obvious–their position on issues and on a left right political spectrum is harder to discern.
She has, however, come across Christians being petty, vain, and selfish in churches and seminaries, and doesn’t get how these people can be that way if they are followers of Jesus.
Being a Christian is being born into a new life, and so we must be different.
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Wow, great post. I couldn’t agree more. What gets me is all the labels the Christians apply to themselves and others.
I once heard an author say, “The word ‘Christian’ is a great noun, but a terrible adjective.”
Take care & keep up the great posting!
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So Steve (and others) what does it mean to be imitators of Christ? I think that’s what iMonk is getting at here. If not I apologize.
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Michael, I hear where you are coming from. And I can’t say I disagree.
But I agree with much of what Steve Martin said above. Will I ever in this world be like Jesus? I mean, yeah, I can make some progress, but isn’t the point of the gospel that Jesus succeeded where Adam and the rest of us fail?
You’re confusing me, brother. On the one hand you promote Rod Rosenbladt’s awesome message on “The Gospel for Those Broken by the Church” and ministries like The White Horse Inn and New Reformation Press. And then on the other hand you make a post like this.
Maybe this reveals some of my own struggle on how the two things go together – the freeness of the gospel of grace and the call to follow Jesus. But trying to practice Christianity in the way you described above just about killed me. For awhile I was a huge pharisee. But when I finally became honest with myself it threw me into deep despair over my sin and my lack of ability to “look like Jesus.” Oh, I tried and became exhausted in the process.
Finally I gave up and collapsed at the foot of the cross – the cross I’m holding on to for dear life even today.
I’m not a Lutheran (even though I’ve been greatly influnence by Lutheran theology), but isn’t this really a law and gospel issue here?
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Michael,
I’ll bet I like it all, Michael.
Anytime I have a chance to put Christ forth as the One who came for the ungodly…I like it.(except when there’s a good game on)
Your biggest fan!
– Steve M.
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Amen
I found this recent talk very revealing (Chuck Colson’s part)
“3 Generations – Evangelical Politics”
Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd, and Shane Claiborne.
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/evangelical_politics/
highly recommend the “Un-Cut” version – for the obvious reasons
[audio src="http://download.publicradio.org/podcast/speakingoffaith/20080417_evangelical_politics_uc-npc.mp3" /]
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I think it would be interesting to have a post on “Jesus-shaped spirituality” and monasticism. Is there a place for it and what role should monasticism play? Is it relevant? Essential? etc.
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I think that many of us in the American church need to take a long, hard look at this warning:
Matthew 7:17-23 ESV
(17) So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
(18) A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
(19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
(20) Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
(21) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(22) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
(23) And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
I made a confession of faith long before I decided that I wanted my life to change to look like Jesus. Of course, there are many areas where I do not look like Him, but I believe that the genuine pursuit is the key. I look around the American church and don’t see that pursuit.
I don’t think that salvation is just grabbing the “Get Out of Hell Free” card off the top of the Community Chest pile, but that is how we tend to act. Unfortunately, that is also how the gospel is presented.
I look forward to the rest of the series. As with all things iMonk, I’m sure I will agree with some, disagree with some, but be challenged by most.
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“To be a Christian is not to be like Jesus,”
Wow. Getting beyond the semantic absurdity (i.e. what the word ‘christian’ means), what could Jesus possibly have meant when he said:
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
I’m not going to continue with a litany. Rather, let me just say that if salvation is not about being made more like Jesus, then let me off the train.
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Steve, while I understand what you wrote, Luther did expect good works to follow as a result of our faith. In that way through communion with him, we should be becoming more like him.
Andy, wonderful tongue in cheek.
We must be willing to spend time in God’s presence,listening as well as speaking. We become like the people we spend time with. Hanging out with God, we become more like him.
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This is one post in what is going to be a lot of posts, so I’d ask for a bit of patience. I will, however, be paying attention to your comments as I write future posts.
Steve: I am aware of the Lutheran response to this language, and I can predict two things.
1) You’ll like parts of this series
2) You won’t like other parts
🙂
Peace
MS
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Michael,
I understand your point, and agree with much of it, but I find it frustrating because the target seems kind of nebulous. Perhaps a good place to start would be to define what it would look like for a Christian to be like Jesus. Robe? Beard? Obviously not. I have a couple of observations from your post:
1) Paul was different in many ways from Jesus, as was John, and Peter etc. And they were Apostles! Should someone who is not gifted as an Apostle (or even a teacher) look as much like Jesus? Paul commanded most believers to live a quiet life without calling attention to themselves. My point is that I’m not sure how much of Jesus’ teaching would make those of us not gifted with leadership or organisation (I know – a heretical statement in evangelicalism) stand out in a crowd. The people close to us should absolutely see a difference.
2) What actions, in today’s context, would be expected for someone who is like Jesus? Are there really no Christians doing these things? Or are they disqualified because of other vices? Or do they have to have the whole package together before they count?
3) When you say “Most Christians today aren’t like Jesus”, perhaps you could qualify that with some labels such as “Most Western Christians” etc. I think your view is somewhat skewed by American Christianity. While the rest of us non-American Western Christians are certainly affected by your exports (eg Joel Osteen *sigh*), our Christianity is not as heavily influenced by politics (for better or for worse). From my (foreign) perspective, I take any declaration of Christianity from public American Christian figures (actors, politicians, etc) with a big grain of salt.
There’s more, but I don’t want the post to get so big it gets ignored! You get the idea, anyway, I hope.
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While I appreciate the sentiments expressed herein, I have three concerns:
1. What you seem to be calling for is quite uncomfortable, if not outright unpleasurable.
2. This leaves me little time for my material interests and pursuits.
3. It risks me (and others, to be sure)losing respectability and favor.
Perhaps when I’m older…
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Hey Michael, another point which I know you didn’t intend to omit but it’s relevant nonetheless. Your premise, unstated but implicit in your discussion, is that somehow the definition of “Christianity” is circumscribed by American or western Christianity.
Herein lies a great problem. The majority of Christians today live outside our boundaries, not only our political boundaries, but also outside the boundaries of our post modern, post evangelical experience. Most suffer persecution for their faith and yet know the Savior in a way that few Americans can even imagine, or want.
Most Christians today are found in the developing countries and/or third world. Without intending to shock too many of your readers, it is important to note that in all matters, political, economic and spiritual, the world does NOT revolve around the US. Equally shocking to some, I am sure, is the fact is that God’s Kingdom does NOT look to the US as Jerusalem.
The US, as well as Europe, are largely “has beens” in terms of vitality and as growth centers of the Kingdom.
Consequently, I think two points must be made. First, measuring the temperature of the body, using the US as the patient skews the data so radically that any diagnosis becomes almost irrelevant. Second, while I suspect my broader view may not be of interest to you, by ignoring the point, in my opinion, you are grossly underestimating the sickness infecting at least the American patient.
For example, if I wanted to test and make diagnosis to treat disease across the whole animal species, but failed to take a large enough sample and instead selected only one phylum, say Phylum Porifera, common sponges, it would be sheer folly to extrapolate my findings across the entire animal kingdom.
Clearly my example is extreme to the point of silliness. But, the point remains. I think in order not to underestimate the drift from “Christ likeness”, which I agree is a timely and valid concern, you do your readers a disservice unless you measure from a more valid and broad field of “specimens”.
Having been a missionary for over 15 years, my heart breaks when I observe the theatrics, materialism and superficiality of American “christianity”. It’s mostly about what do I get out of it/Him?
Is this who Jesus is, an ATM for my fleshly whims?
If I recall, somewhere in The Book, it says something about taking up our cross DAILY and following him. Ooh, that’s harsh! And I think He’s the same guy who once said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:24-25
Ah c’mon, you mean He really means this stuff?
God bless Michael!
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“Most Christians are not like Jesus”.
No Christians are like Jesus. Because of that one drop of poison in the glass – no part of the water is fit to drink.
To be a Christian is not to be like Jesus, to tell people that is to set them up for despir, phoniness, or pride. One of the three.
To be a Christian is to be declared righteous for Jesus sake. That’s it. Anything after that is well…there is nothing after that. Not where God is concerned, anyway.
Pastor Mark Anderson puts it this way, “Now that you don’t have to do anything…what will you do?”
You want to go and do…then go and do. You want to watch a ballgame instead of visiting someone that is in prison…so what?
You want to go and see a movie rather than vist someone in an old folks home…so what?
“There is none that are righteous, no not one.” “No one seeks for God.”
You want to be like Jesus? Fahghettaboutit! Just be you and let Himself handle the God stuff.
– Steve M.
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that’s the journey i’m on…so stay around and see where it all goes
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So, do you think that it is possible for Christians who want to live like Jesus to do so, or are we all just doomed to a life of utter hypocrisy? If you affirm the former, then how are we supposed to step into this Jesus-shaped life? It’s one thing to complain about the hypocrisy of professing Christians, but it’s another to offer a way out for Christians who find themselves to be hypocrites and yet believe in Christ and want to begin to live a Jesus-shaped life (I’m speaking largely about myself here, but I’m sure this applies to a lot of other people).
I think that at least in American evangelicalism, there’s a lot of Christians who want to live as an example of Christ to others and yet aren’t able to do so. Many of the shortcomings of evangelicalism I think cripple Christians who want to live like Christ.
That’s my 2 cents anyway.
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The answer, in my opinion, is this:
A decision that one does not want to go to hell is almost never the beginning of a relationship that would be described in the gospels as discipleship. Modern Christianity is built on a transaction that Jesus dispenses through religious organizations that call themselves “the church.” The actual message proclaimed, enacted and offered by Jesus was far more substantial than the acceptance of a sin payment so I don’t have to go to hell.
Note how some evangelicals built a two level system (Jesus as savior/Lord. Real Christians/Carnal Christians. Believers/Disciples. Without the HS/Baptized with the HS.) These divisions are everywhere, and they are testimony to a use of Jesus to build a religious movement that has almost nothing to do with the Kingdom movement that occured with the historical Jesus or that continues in his name.
Frankly, half the Christian world is almost never called to any kind of discipleship, but are simply told to believe in the transaction and cooperate with the institution.
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Michael,
I agree with your observations–most “Christians” (self included) are not like Jesus. So, given the life-transforming power of the knowing Christ, do you think that this discrepancy is because:
1. Most “Christians” don’t really know Christ.
or
2. The Holy Spirit isn’t doing a very good job of conforming us to the image of Christ.
I have always said that if I ever left the faith it would be because of this issue. If we claim that the Gospel transforms people and people aren’t being transformed, what does that say about the Gospel?
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“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.†-Mohandas Gandhi
Guilty.
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