What We “Believe” Really Matters
Did you know that the word “live” is embedded in the English word “believe”?
Mere mental assent doesn’t change anything in this world. It must be accompanied by affirmative, concrete and continuing
action.
To be a Christian necessarily involves both belief and action. That BELIEF is that Jesus Christ was and is the embodiment of the spirit of God, miraculously born of a virgin through God’s spirit, who lived a perfect life free of sin and died on a cross in our place, taking the punishment for our sins, so all who believed in Him might be reconciled to God and have eternal life. That ACTION is a surrender of the personal will and stepping out in faith to follow Jesus Christ and His teachings in all aspects of our earthly life, drawing on the power of God’s spirit. Many theologians try to make all this very complicated, but in reality it is simple.
The Bible teaches us that believers are not only to obey His teachings, but also live out a three dimensional Jesus. First, we are to imitate Him. 1 Peter 2:21, Ephesians 5:1-2. Just as children imitate their parents, we should follow His example. Remember the WWJD bracelets? What would Jesus do in whatever circumstances we face? Second, we are not to evaluate others from a strictly human point of view, but instead through the prism of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:16. How would He view them? I believe this same principle applies to things, like our natural environment. Third and last, we are to treat any persons whose path we cross who are in need of practical assistance as if they were Jesus. Matthew 25:31-46. This one is very hard. In fact none of us can consistently meet any of these standards apart from the indwelling spirit of God. In simple terms, we can and must draw upon the power of God to live as God requires.
I’m not trying to sound “preachy.” I know that I’m no better than anyone else. And I have Muslim, Jewish and atheist friends who in many respects live their lives consistent with the teachings of Jesus even though they do not acknowledge Him as the authority in their lives. But, as is the case with professing Christians who try to live in their own power, they will consistently fail. The active power of God’s spirit is all important, and makes all the difference.
Where am I going with all this? To be honest, I am very worried about the Christian church in my country. A very large segment of Christ’s Church in my country seems to have turned a blind eye to the most basic teachings of Jesus in pursuit of an America whose ruling authorities embrace the church and stand with it as a bulwark against those whose “liberal” agendas are perceived as threatening the church’s ability to do its job in our society.
Were the church in fact dependent on government support to succeed in carrying out the mission that Jesus gave it, I might understand what is happening. But the only power the church needs is the power of God’s spirit, and embracing rulers who are perceived as protecting church interests actually robs the church of its power. It becomes no different from any other social or political organization.
Could it really be true that influential church leaders are willing to compromise core teachings of Jesus, inflict significant damage to His global reputation, severely limit the church’s capacity to fulfill His Great Commission, and threaten the continued viability of our over two centuries old Constitutional order in order to stop the new “majority” from taking over the reins of power from those who seek to protect their wealth and power?
Was Plato right? Are we inexorably sliding towards a supposedly benevolent oligarchy that will oversee our country while they make significant adjustments to our system of “self” government? Checks and balances are slowly being eroded. The rule of law itself is under tremendous threat. Look what happened in Hitler’s Germany in the early 1930’s. Threats, fear, lies and raw, unchecked power were the basic recipe for a complete transformation of society, while church leaders were often complicit, at best silent.
Look at the “established,” three-self church in China. Under government control, it operates, but devoid of real spiritual power. That power rests with the hundred million strong underground church, whose leaders live under constant persecution from government authorities. I pray that the church and the American people will wake up before it is too late. Will we truly “believe”?
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