I'm kind of thinking Jesus would dress a whole lot more like the guy on the right than the one of the left. You?
Christ-follower v. Christian
Wednesday April 9, 2008
Categories: Faith
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James, you are not dressing up (or down) for God-- you are doing it for the others in the congregation. If you believe otherwise, you're tricking yourself.
Dress up for church if that's what suits you. Dress down if you prefer. But don't elevate one and denigrate the other.
Oh, and I dress down for church. Partly it's my preference, but mostly it's because I have two young children, and when they inevitably smear food on my shirt during coffee hour, it's nice to clean up the mess without involving my dry cleaner.
Peace.
I know its very popular these days for people of my age group (I'm 20) to bash organized religion and be all hip with spirituality (with out evening defining what that is). However, the foundation of Christianity is doctrine and theology and not action. Our actions as Christianity comes from our theology and doctrinal convictions. It is impossible to say Jesus Christ with out deep meaning theological convictions. To say "I follow Jesus Christ" is to say: "I believe Jesus of Nazarath was the Christ, the messiah" and that "his interpretations of scripture were right and those of the Jews at the time and now were wrong". It implies a type of heremeuntic for the old Testament, it implies that there two testaments. It is to say that Jews are wrong. To follow a man who was hated by the majority at the time is a risk. At the time you would have been considered brainwashed by a charismatic cult leader. There are other great implications to even the most basic sayings. Take: "Jesus is Lord". That goes contrary to the Roman oath "Caesar is Lord". You are, in the eyes of that society, saying your Jesus is superior to the Roman ruller and thus separating you from the rest of the known world. It is also afirming the deity of Christ. To the jews you sound polytheistic and to the Romans you sound insane! The Jewish Bible foribs calling other Lord except God. And you are sharing the same greek word (Karios) for LORD with a title used for the man you claim to be the messiah.
To conclude, It is impossible to have Christianity with out well defined precise theological statements which are then called doctrine. Yet to be a Christian, one must just not profess to agree with these doctrines, they must penetrate your uttermost being and be the menas by which God changes your heart. This will in turn cause one to follow Christ and do good deeds.
Another comment, I don't like how some look down on more confessionally minded Christians and make steryotypes us that have no basis in reality. Most people don't even know how the term fundamentalist first came about in religious usage. There are some of us who believe that God ordains how He wants to be Worshiped with some room for cultural liberty (i.e. look at the entire book of levitus, the end of exodus, and the pastoral epistles) and that man kind has no right to change what God has ordained. Now I understand that not all Christians believe that, thats why there are different denominations (well one reason), but I must confess my feelings are hurt when I am called legalistic for wearing a suit to church by those who profess a more generous orthodoxy and are emerging when I don't see them working to stop prostitution here in Québec, volunteer at homeless shelters and living like there is no difference between the Church and the World (tv shows, books, vocabulary, clothes, ect...). Sorry,just had to vent that.
funny video , and yep the guy on the right for sure !
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