Fallen and Flawed

You say the statement is your “single, solitary purpose in life”, but “Christ and Christ crucified” are two nouns. How does this translate into a purpose?

If you’re being honest and this really is your single, solitary purpose, wouldn’t that exclude any family or social relationships of any sort? How do you feel about that (how do they feel about that)?

In crisis mode, this verse from Job has worked for me: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.”

“Sure, during a crisis it’d be nice to remember Grudem’s Systematic Theology” This would have to be one heck of a crisis. That is a big book!

As per your question: it is a good one. I’ve had to write a few papers on this subject in college. They were usually around 2 pages. So to narrow it down to one statement, a small paragraph, that is a tough challenge.

*I’ve spent a few minutes thinking about this statement of faith idea and this came to mind; it is clear, concise, and speaks the truth:

“I believe in Jesus
I believe He is the Son of God
I believe He died and rose again
I believe He paid for us all

And I believe He’s here now
Standing in our midst
Here with the power to heal now
And the grace to forgive”
(lyrics by Marc Nelson).

And I take great joy in my faith. I have a confidence in the reality of it, and I daily feel a freedom to live, and enjoy life for the glory of the Lord God, Almighty.

Tyro, great question about family. Short answer, those who are Christian understand my allegiance is to Christ over and above them. Those who are not, don’t understand [However, I've never publically declared to them "My allegiance is to Christ over you." That would be weird.]

How that works out in life is not always pretty [even with the Christians], but in reality, I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to make some kind of grand stand. I try to be enormously humble and sensitive about it. I strongly believe Christ meant allegiance to Him to be something we never wave in people’s face. When we say Christlikeness, it’s meant humility and servanthood. Not exaltation. Not always easy, though, esp. for this enormously competitive boy.

[By the way, I'm using "purpose" loosely. ;-]

Why would you have a problem telling your family that your allegiance is with Christ over them? If they know this already then it wouldn’t cause problems, and if not then it would only be kind to correct their misunderstandings quickly. Jesus was shown to care less about his mother than his teachings (Matt 12:47-8, Mark 3:31-4).

How can you manage to be single-mindedly devoted to Christ & his teachings and maintain any sort of family relationships? Luke 14:26 says that followers of Christ must “hate” their family. Maybe this is an exaggeration but he reiterates this in Luke 14:33 and 18:29 so it’s clearly not much of an exaggeration. (Mark 10:29, Matt 19:29 and Matt 10:37 repeat this message.)

I wonder, perhaps Christ isn’t your single, sole purpose in life. If it would cost you your friends, your family and any hope of a personal life, are you sure you even want it to be?

A short answer, since I don’t have much time and I’m not that smart is that though you must love Christ over friends, family, work, everything, Christ for the most part will turn around and bless you with the above. I’m not advocating “prosperity gospel” because I know sometimes he doesn’t. Paul never married, for example, and he often made it sound like he didn’t want to. A person who follows Christ singularly is allowed to love his friends and family inasmuch as he or she is willing to put Christ above those things. No need to become an ascetic monk or anything.

why is faith (a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny) good?

Tyro, one word for those passages: hyperbole. Jesus didn’t intend his followers to kick their relatives to the curb…simply to push a point home. Remember, Peter still had a wife and Jesus still went home on occasion.

Caled, you asked: “why is faith (a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny) good?” I don’t know. Why?

Demian,

It’s a possibility that it was hyperbole, yes, but his actions don’t seem to bear that out, nor was it an isolated comment. All gospel writers repeat it and Jesus said it several times. His followers weren’t even allowed to stop to bury their dead parents. That’s not hyperbole and it’s fully consistent with his other messages.

Who said that a man cannot serve two masters? Why doesn’t that apply equally to serving God and your family?

Tyro, serving Christ doesn’t exclude serving family. In fact, it embraces it. Jesus summarized the OT when he said “Love the Lord God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind. And love your neighbor, too.”

Who’s my neighbor? Potentially everyone. What does loving my neighbor look like? Ephesians 5:25 gives an example: “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church.” This means even if the wife is an unbeliever, as seen in 1 Corinthians.

My point behind a singular pursuit in Christ is not that I abandon family, friends, work and study and worship at a monastery…but in fact that I serve them. First the church family. Then unbelievers.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t always pursuit Christ. I fall off the bandwagon occassionally. That’s what it means to be broken, sinful. But Christ serves as my compass when I get lost. And influences my decisions, thoughts and affections.

Not perfectly, mind you. But always returning to that point.

Although I am not a member of a formal church, the group I’m currently associated with talks about God that is within us, around us and with us. I think it makes a beautiful, temporary creed. No creeds should be written in stone, as our experience of God is ever-changing.

Jag, certainly our experience of God changes, but does HE change? If he does, then what are you really believing in?

[By the way, I appreciate your thorough discussion via comments through this blog. Thanks for taking the time.]

First of all, is God even a he? I really don’t think God is a male… and of course God does not change. But a statement of faith is about how we experience God – and this certainly changes. That’s why I appreciate old church creeds while realising how limited they are. Our creeds will seem equally limitied to future generations.

Excuse the pronoun, by no means suggesting he has a gender. It’s just a tad more personal than “It.”

Other than that, I think you and I agree.

I did’t think you’d make a dogma out of the pronoun; just use it as an example to show how the words we use shape our perception.

Damian, I like your creed. I’ve been watching Mike Bickle’s First Commandment series, have really enjoyed it so far. About half way done.

http://mikebickle.org/resources/series/the-first-commandment

Thanks Jonathan. If I get a chance, I’ll check out the resource, too.

I’m supposed to make my own faith statement soon. idk what to put in it