Christianity has been a major force for good in the world, and it may yet be a big part of what saves us from the gathering evil of today.
But the effects of Christian religion have been uneven, and I believe that's because people misunderstand or have great difficulty following Jesus' actual definition of discipleship:
John: 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
That's simple and incredibly direct. You are a Christian, in Jesus' definition of the term, if you have love for your fellow human beings. That's IT, nothing more is needed. Not that many Christians agree with Jesus on this, in my experience.
"Believing" in Jesus, or going to church -- doesn't make you a disciple of Christ. Loving your fellow human beings is what defines discipleship, and if you can't do that, work on yourself so that you CAN feel love for others. Empathy for others, a sense of connection with others, is the key. Interesting, I think, how well this fits in with Q's repeated calls for unity. When you understand and FEEL that we're all brothers and sisters, how can unity NOT be important?
We are all one family. We are all the same in important ways (we need air, food, water, social interaction, and more). That's what makes love and unity possible, and necessary. And we are all DIFFERENT in our unique traits and abilities and perceptions and preferences, which makes FREEDOM critically important and which gives Mankind it's most powerful tool (where would we be if, like social insects, we were nearly all the same? So MANY different things need be done to create and maintain civilization, only our differences allow for the division of labor that keeps us above the Stone Age).
I expect that many will find it odd (or obnoxious) that I'm pointing this out. It's something everyone knows, after all. Don't they?
But while I consider myself a Christian -- or more accurately, someone working to live up to Christ's commandment -- a LOT of people I've met disagree because my beliefs are not traditional in several ways. For example: Life after death? Um, maybe. Probably not, I think. Luke: 17:21 works for me here: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
My difficulty believing in an afterlife-heaven [since early childhood] or in several other traditional tenets of the various Christian denominations gives other people difficulty in seeing me as a Christian. Or seeing people of other faiths -- Hindus, Jains, Jews, Buddhists, whatever -- as Christian EVEN WHEN THEY EXPRESS and SHOW LOVE FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN.
Why is this important?
Because if we need Unity -- and Q is right, we DO -- then we need to understand that there is more than one way for the human mind to conceptualize something beyond human understanding (like the nature of God). The exact structure of the intellectual concepts we use are less important than the core teaching: Love one another.
As long as a religion does not preach malice or hatred (and yes, some do), I consider it a true religion if it primarily teaches love for others.
Even individuals raised in a religion that DOES, in part, teach malice towards others can be loving human beings by ignoring the malice, in the same manner that Christians and Jews today ignore the Old Testament's command to stone to death adulterers. Jesus was a healthy, civilizing force in that regard: His teachings and His example helped to make the world more humane.
We still have a lot of work to do on that, obviously. If the Great Awakening is to mean anything in the long term, then more emotional health -- that's what best supports "Love one another" and is this why Jesus' lessons on children are so important -- will be needed.
My understanding of the Heavenly Father is that He is lacking in nothing. He has no 'needs'. We are created by Him - not to be His puppets - but to work WITH Him on behalf of His Kingdom and on behalf of each other.
Does He WANT the best for us? Yes; just as you would want the best for your own loved ones. Is He in any way deminished by our waywardness? Not at all. Does he WANT to punish us? Scripture says that it is His will that not one should perish. I think He HATES sins but He has no time for grudges against sinners.
My understanding of Christ Jesus is that He is THE BEST for us. God came IN PERSON as Jesus of Nazareth to teach us 'The Way, The Truth and The Light'. And, more importantly, Jesus was/is the Obedient Son of the Triune God - and Jesus obediently took ALL OF OUR WRETCHENESS onto Himself - even to death on the cross - to redeem all of creation. AND, Jesus is an ever-present Holy Spirit of Joy, of Wonder and of Wholesomeness.
But I'm just one badly broken sinner; saved by Grace through faith. GET TO KNOW HIM; you will not regret the investment in time, in prayer and in study.
Amen!
Amen! Yes, it’s time.
Amen!
The Harvest is Real!
Great meme, and I'd like to expand it a little.
Christianity has been a major force for good in the world, and it may yet be a big part of what saves us from the gathering evil of today.
But the effects of Christian religion have been uneven, and I believe that's because people misunderstand or have great difficulty following Jesus' actual definition of discipleship:
John: 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
That's simple and incredibly direct. You are a Christian, in Jesus' definition of the term, if you have love for your fellow human beings. That's IT, nothing more is needed. Not that many Christians agree with Jesus on this, in my experience.
"Believing" in Jesus, or going to church -- doesn't make you a disciple of Christ. Loving your fellow human beings is what defines discipleship, and if you can't do that, work on yourself so that you CAN feel love for others. Empathy for others, a sense of connection with others, is the key. Interesting, I think, how well this fits in with Q's repeated calls for unity. When you understand and FEEL that we're all brothers and sisters, how can unity NOT be important?
We are all one family. We are all the same in important ways (we need air, food, water, social interaction, and more). That's what makes love and unity possible, and necessary. And we are all DIFFERENT in our unique traits and abilities and perceptions and preferences, which makes FREEDOM critically important and which gives Mankind it's most powerful tool (where would we be if, like social insects, we were nearly all the same? So MANY different things need be done to create and maintain civilization, only our differences allow for the division of labor that keeps us above the Stone Age).
I expect that many will find it odd (or obnoxious) that I'm pointing this out. It's something everyone knows, after all. Don't they?
But while I consider myself a Christian -- or more accurately, someone working to live up to Christ's commandment -- a LOT of people I've met disagree because my beliefs are not traditional in several ways. For example: Life after death? Um, maybe. Probably not, I think. Luke: 17:21 works for me here: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
My difficulty believing in an afterlife-heaven [since early childhood] or in several other traditional tenets of the various Christian denominations gives other people difficulty in seeing me as a Christian. Or seeing people of other faiths -- Hindus, Jains, Jews, Buddhists, whatever -- as Christian EVEN WHEN THEY EXPRESS and SHOW LOVE FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN.
Why is this important?
Because if we need Unity -- and Q is right, we DO -- then we need to understand that there is more than one way for the human mind to conceptualize something beyond human understanding (like the nature of God). The exact structure of the intellectual concepts we use are less important than the core teaching: Love one another.
As long as a religion does not preach malice or hatred (and yes, some do), I consider it a true religion if it primarily teaches love for others.
Even individuals raised in a religion that DOES, in part, teach malice towards others can be loving human beings by ignoring the malice, in the same manner that Christians and Jews today ignore the Old Testament's command to stone to death adulterers. Jesus was a healthy, civilizing force in that regard: His teachings and His example helped to make the world more humane.
We still have a lot of work to do on that, obviously. If the Great Awakening is to mean anything in the long term, then more emotional health -- that's what best supports "Love one another" and is this why Jesus' lessons on children are so important -- will be needed.
TL/DR: Love one another.
My understanding of the Heavenly Father is that He is lacking in nothing. He has no 'needs'. We are created by Him - not to be His puppets - but to work WITH Him on behalf of His Kingdom and on behalf of each other.
Does He WANT the best for us? Yes; just as you would want the best for your own loved ones. Is He in any way deminished by our waywardness? Not at all. Does he WANT to punish us? Scripture says that it is His will that not one should perish. I think He HATES sins but He has no time for grudges against sinners.
My understanding of Christ Jesus is that He is THE BEST for us. God came IN PERSON as Jesus of Nazareth to teach us 'The Way, The Truth and The Light'. And, more importantly, Jesus was/is the Obedient Son of the Triune God - and Jesus obediently took ALL OF OUR WRETCHENESS onto Himself - even to death on the cross - to redeem all of creation. AND, Jesus is an ever-present Holy Spirit of Joy, of Wonder and of Wholesomeness.
But I'm just one badly broken sinner; saved by Grace through faith. GET TO KNOW HIM; you will not regret the investment in time, in prayer and in study.
GBY & your loved ones! MAGA-A!