"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" (Romans 1:16).
As hard as it may be for some fellow bloggers to believe, I'm not much of a fighter. I don't go around looking for an argument. I don't even care about many of the issues that preoccupy some of my fellow Christians, much less have a firm opinion about them. I would love to get along with everyone I meet. I enjoy serving rather anonymously in the church of Jesus Christ.
However, once in a while, I feel the need to get involved in an argument...not just any argument, but an argument about the essentials of Christian faith and ethics. For example, I could not remain silent when an urban ministry leader in Texas started undermining the trustworthiness of the Bible, the book that led me to faith in Christ (see http://larryjamesurbandaily.blogspot.com/2008/03/fundamentalism-very-real-problem.html). How could I call myself a follower of Jesus Christ if I were too embarrassed to stand for him when I could receive harsh criticism, ostracism, or worse? Would I rather be comfortable or faithful to my Savior? I owe Christ my life. Why should I deny my faith in him when things get a little heated?
At http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/culture.asp?id=1373, Tim Woodroof has written an excellent article about the need for Christians to be willing to fight for their faith without being quarrelsome. He asked, "What would you fight for?" It's a question for every disciple to consider.
I plan on writing a couple of more posts this week about convictions and the character of Jesus Christ which will supplement this post. I hope to demonstrate the need to be faithful to Christ even when it makes us look bad.
Thanks for reading!
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4 comments:
Terry, I would love to read your refutation of my comments regarding fundamentalism, but I can't seem to find them. Did you post something on your blog page? Let me know where to find your reply. I'd like an opportunity to respond if possible. Thanks!
I left a comment on the post cited on your blog in March. If you have come to believe in Christ as the only one through whom we can approach God in faith or in the Bible as the inspired and accurate message from God since then, I have missed it. If so, I will apologize.
Actually, my point was the absolute certainty with which fundamentalists approach the world, even to the point of violence and warfare. Faith is all about trusting with humility in the worldview you uncover and develop on the journey toward home. I trust God to take care of the judgment, I just need to work on my humility and my respect as I engage my world. I, like you, am a Christian. I, like you, read scripture for direction and connection to God. At the same time, I've recognized over the years that some things remain a mystery and some things are beyond my ability to operate with the certainty of the fundamentalists of whom I speak. You may not agree, you may consider me weak, so be it. But life has taught me that things just aren't as certain as we sometimes would wish. I appreciate you, your faith and your heart.
Thank you, Larry. We disagree, but I appreciate you for engaging in the discussion.
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