Cross Training - Doctrine of Faith and Jesus Christ

This past week I ventured into territory I have never ventured before.  As a church we audibly spoke the United Brethren Confession of Faith in the worship service.  I had a Catholic man, who attends our church when he brings is elderly parents, approach me after service and ask if he could have a copy of that Confession.  He told me how much he appreciated hearing it because from within his Catholic community all he ever hears is that the Protestants have no, I think he used the word, "backbone."  

I love how the Confession begins - "WE BELIEVE..."  When I recite this portion of the Confession I see myself stomping my foot, just to let people know how important this doctrine is.  Our personal doctrine or confession of faith, is the front line of what we believe, or better yet, the battle-front of our faith.  I'm kind of ashamed of myself for not finding more ways in which to educate the church on the importance of this Confession.  

Doctrine, both personally and corporately, has been diluted.  I think a crucial turning point within the church came when she began to shift away from doctrine and move closer to the dogma of self-help and self-improvement.  Instead of examining what a proper concept of Christ is and how that concept flushes out into our thinking and walk, we have taken only pieces and sewn them in as patches.  I think doctrine introduces to us a completely new garment, one that doesn't want to just cover up what we deem to be a personal issue, but one that puts us under a different sort of examination.  

I wonder if proper doctrine isn't already the ultimate self-help.  A proper concept of our faith in Jesus Christ would naturally have a profound impact in our walk.  Jesus didn't just address the needs of creation spiritually, but also emotionally and physically.  Therefore, our understanding of the work and person of Christ should naturally have a "trickle-down" effect in our personal lives.  

 I share all this more as a question because I have been profoundly moved by this study of the doctrine of my faith.  It has made me believe that there is more to my relationship with Christ than what I KNOW about him.  

Love to hear from you,

Randy

Cross Training - Doctrines of Faith and Jesus Christ

I really appreciate what Ravi Zacharias stated in his book Jesus Among Other God's -"Faith is confidence in the person of Jesus Christ and in his power, so that even when his power does not serve my end, my confidence in him remains because of who he is."

People have debated for centuries of the essence of Jesus Christ and who he is.  Some have concluded the following-

· He was a great man, but not to be worshiped.
· He was a good man who died for his convictions.
· He was a man more advanced than others.

As I thought about all these descriptions of Jesus I was curious to look online at what our history has deemed "great men."  What I found kind of shocked me as far as the list of individuals that have been deemed "great men," because each of them, though they historically made great contributions to the world , still struggled with their own individual flaws and idiosyncrasies.  Still great men, for sure, but still men who struggled with finding a way to cure the problem that plagues humanity, the problem of our own sin. 

Jesus Christ on the other hand made claims that put him into a completely different category, the category of sinlessness.  A category that depicts who he is.   There is a reason why this is so important.  Paul shared with the Colossian church concerning Christ's connection to God, as the eternal Son of God, one in essence and nature.  In Colossians 1:15-17 he states -

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV) 

Great leaders in our history became great leaders through the process of "trial and error."  As a Pastor and leader within the church some of my greatest strengths came not because I was naturally endowed with them at birth but came because of my own blunders, or just simply learning from the blunders of others.  When Paul wrote the Colossian church, however, and stated that in Christ "all things hold together," there was no room for trial and error.  Paul's claims were staggering. 

He left no room for the world to settle on whether Jesus was a great man, good man or just a simple man with wild claims.  He either was able to accomplish His claims or he was delusional.  Over 2,000 years after His death, he continues to make a life-transforming influence in people's lives each and every day around the globe.  This is not the product of a delusional man.  This is the product of a man that deserves to be studied because his target was YOU. 

Everything we see and know that surrounds us is held together by Christ's never-ending influence.  Shaping and molding this creation for us, because He loves us.  That deserves study.

Randy

Cross Training - Doctrines of Faith and the Son of God

Every once in a while my brain meets testosterone and it goes into the ozone of thinking. Please, keep your composure, because sometimes the things that come out of my brain are not necessarily worth repeating or sharing, but I like to think that my brain is at least making a valiant effort towards rational and intelligent thinking.

We are in the earliest stages of this topic, the "Doctrines of our Faith," and yesterday we dabbled with the idea of Christ's eternity. Not a topic that will be resolved overnight, I'm sure you understand that, however, one that we need to be aware of and work out with a bit of "fear and trembling." As I studied the topic of Christ's eternity a thought came to me that helped me put my mind around the importance of this topic - Christ's eternity sustains creation. My study was based on what John 1:1 states - "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God" (NLT).

Their continues to be this mass of people who fight the idea of Christ's eternity. Many teach that Jesus was a "created" being like the angels, but on a higher level of authority. So I thought long and hard about importance of this topic. Here is what oozed out of my brain.

If Christ were not eternal then he becomes “created.” If he were “created” then he becomes a pawn no different than the angels, carrying out the tasks of God who has now become “one,” instead of “three-in-one.” Because God is now “one” there’s no longer a need for man to be made in His image which is the image of relational community because God ceases to be a community and therefore, humanities existence falls under a God who desires chess pieces instead of a creation to love and to be loved.

 Are you getting me here?  This idea of Christ's eternity really seems to mesh well with the idea that we are made for eternity as well.  I know this is far to short to truly explain the vastness of this topic, but it made me think, if Jesus Christ is truly who He claims to be, the eternal Son of God, one-in-nature with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and we are made in His image, then we are made for eternity as well.  We are not made to be chess pieces, though the Lord has the right as our Creator to do as He pleases, but we are made to exist as the Lord exists - eternally and in community with one another. 


Not sure I have explained myself real well here so help me out.  I would love to hear your thoughts, both positive and negative.



Randy