-Thomas Paine, Age of Reason
I have been very frustrated with evangelical's nonsensical claims of faith lately. Most claim things they don't believe and in most cases scare others into believing what they believe through the threat of hell (even though the Bible explicitly shuns this tactic).
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
In interpersonal relationships they use guilt and tug at the heart strings. They promise eternal life together with those you love most. What hard-hearted person would reject that? Sometimes they use the threat of ending the relationship as a means to convert others.
While all of these approaches are wrong, Jesus laid out a very clear path for "converting" others, it involves living out all of the teachings of Jesus.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
This is repeated again elsewhere even more explicitly (apologies for the misogynistic overtones of the verse, I think it would also apply if the sexual roles were reversed).
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of their lives 1 Peter 3:1-2
Even the Great Commission, when read with a modest degree of thoughtfulness doesn't support any of the modern ways evangelicals reach out to others or what they teach.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
First notice Jesus doesn't say to go around teaching them to believe anything. He says to share his teachings. Clearly one cannot obey a belief. While it's not exactly clear what making someone a disciple means, the book of John does a better job of showing what this will look like when fully manifested in man.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,
John 13:34-35
It's quite simple. Teach others what Jesus taught and love one another. This is the essence of the Christian life and why I call myself one.
Jesus says this again in Matthew 19.
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "
The last part of evangelism that annoys me of this whole process is how much weight evangelicals put on "faith" (Hence the Thomas Paine quote at the top of this passage). especially since I don't think many have seriously considered what the word means (and how it is different from certainty and how it relates to doubt).
First, faith should be put in it's proper perspective. Even for all of the talk about faith in his gospel, Paul still doesn't put faith as the most important characteristic:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Second, I will outline what faith isn't. It is not believing with your whole mind something that doesn't make sense. It is not certainty. It doesn't not mean people don't have doubts. It is defined very succintly as "the assurance of things hope for." Jesus talks about this in several parables, my favorite of which is about the lilies of the field.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This is the essence of faith. To simply trust that things will work out. This extends to other beliefs. Loving when it may make us vulnerable. Being generous when we may want to save or be miserly. Offering forgiveness when we may want to hold on to anger. Turning the other cheek when attacked. Having patience when we may want to lash out. It requires humanity to set aside the constant grasping for our own self preservation. To unclench the tight fist we have on our own possessions and the control we week over our own destiny. This is faith.
Some who cling to a 500 year old view of penal substitution (the idea that Jesus was an elaborate human sacrifice) will say this is all fine and well, but this isn't enough as we are some depraved fallen people destined for eternal damnation. How will we rid ourselves of the dark blot of sin?
To me, it is simple. Forgiveness is handed out freely and is really no different than faith in providence. Forgiveness comes by simple faith. Jesus says so very plainly.
"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ' For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:35-37
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7
In the interactions during his life he makes this very clear. Jesus forgave sins while he was still alive (the woman who washed his feet, the paralyzed man who fell through the roof, the woman at the well and even on the cross where in the midst of his execution he uttered "father forgive them they know not what they do." He was living out his beliefs of forgiving others.
Faith is a simple thing. It is acting in conviction with ones beliefs even when it may appear that it could cost one to lose his ego, social standing, income or pride. In a word it is selflessness based on love. Jesus demonstrates that through his teaching all we need to do is to love and forgive others, and that if we believe with the same measure of faith that our sins are forgiven, they will be.
I hope we can all stop confusing this with intellectual certainty.
1 comment:
Very well said. Hear hear.
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