No "single" Christians
I believe that Christians can not be alone. I'm obviously not talking about marital or dating singleness, but merely unattached and anti-accountable Christian living. A Christian can not survive without the body...its true and its right. We were created for community and that's how it’s supposed to be. I exercise this truth in two areas. I apologize if I'm unclear in any ways...i'm still getting used to this whole "putting your thoughts into words" thing.
As believers, we can not go about interpreting life by our observations alone. Though many of us possess the power to think, read, and grasp ideas on our own (most of us do). Where would we be if there was no one to share them with. Example: A women recently came out and admitted to an illustrious extra marital affair she had been involved in for some time. She said, "from the beginning I had been praying and reading scripture and still felt it was totally right and ok." Now wait a minute, do you think if she would have taken that issue to anyone in the church, any church for that matter, they would have agreed with her and affirmed her for this behavior. We are often blinded but have no idea. As the Truman show put it, "We accept the reality in which we are given."
Lastly, there is a higher standard of living that most American Christians can not seem to grasp. The idea of self sacrifice seems to go out the window after the offering plate has been collected. For some reason we fail to see, I often fail to see, how "holiness for the sake of community" is a way that we love our neighbor. Example: Some people have no problem with drinking alcohol, my cousin Casey in particular (love ya case), but there are numerous people in this great country that are called alcoholics. These are people that because of circumstances, mostly out of their control, can not handle alcohol without losing control of themselves. It is rather unhealthy. So... does my cousin simply say, "Its not a sin, it doesn't hurt me, I can do what I want." or maybe he understands the simple idea of sacrificing what I may enjoy in order love thy neighbor.
I wish I was a beautiful writer and could make this seem like a beautiful & romantic adventure. But its not, sacrifice is usually painful and easily avoided. Sometimes we must put aside something we enjoy, even if its not bad, to build up the body. Obviously there are holes we can find in this, but in the end we must remember that we are sustained by Christ alone and it doesn't matter what we have to give n order to get other souls to heaven.
What will you do? I do?
There are lots of issues/sins/temptations/addictions that we can say, "That’s not for me, that's for the other guy." CD burning, breaking the speed limit, social dancing, smoking, cursing...you know what I'm talking about.
Love thy neigbor.
Don't be a "single" Christian.
I'm done writing now...
Jared Bell
As believers, we can not go about interpreting life by our observations alone. Though many of us possess the power to think, read, and grasp ideas on our own (most of us do). Where would we be if there was no one to share them with. Example: A women recently came out and admitted to an illustrious extra marital affair she had been involved in for some time. She said, "from the beginning I had been praying and reading scripture and still felt it was totally right and ok." Now wait a minute, do you think if she would have taken that issue to anyone in the church, any church for that matter, they would have agreed with her and affirmed her for this behavior. We are often blinded but have no idea. As the Truman show put it, "We accept the reality in which we are given."
Lastly, there is a higher standard of living that most American Christians can not seem to grasp. The idea of self sacrifice seems to go out the window after the offering plate has been collected. For some reason we fail to see, I often fail to see, how "holiness for the sake of community" is a way that we love our neighbor. Example: Some people have no problem with drinking alcohol, my cousin Casey in particular (love ya case), but there are numerous people in this great country that are called alcoholics. These are people that because of circumstances, mostly out of their control, can not handle alcohol without losing control of themselves. It is rather unhealthy. So... does my cousin simply say, "Its not a sin, it doesn't hurt me, I can do what I want." or maybe he understands the simple idea of sacrificing what I may enjoy in order love thy neighbor.
I wish I was a beautiful writer and could make this seem like a beautiful & romantic adventure. But its not, sacrifice is usually painful and easily avoided. Sometimes we must put aside something we enjoy, even if its not bad, to build up the body. Obviously there are holes we can find in this, but in the end we must remember that we are sustained by Christ alone and it doesn't matter what we have to give n order to get other souls to heaven.
What will you do? I do?
There are lots of issues/sins/temptations/addictions that we can say, "That’s not for me, that's for the other guy." CD burning, breaking the speed limit, social dancing, smoking, cursing...you know what I'm talking about.
Love thy neigbor.
Don't be a "single" Christian.
I'm done writing now...
Jared Bell
posted by Jared at 2:49 PM
5 Comments:
RE: Holiness for the Community's sake:
Maybe a middle position exists? Could drinking be OK in some circumstances and WRONG in others? Could the story of Jesus healing on the Sabbath (Luke 14:1-6) be an example of Him doing what was against the law or even socially unacceptable toward a more principled life? Jesus' life is full of these contridictions. Could I be a drinker and just be careful not to allow my brother to stumble, so he thinks I am not? I am not sure how Holiness for community's sake is always best for the community. My self-sacrifice might become legalism if I am not careful.
I agree with the synopsis on the first illustration about adultery (it is forbidden in scripture), but other community standards aren't forbidden (alcohol), and giving them up should be a matter of principle, not sacrifice. Otherwise we lose part of our identity which the community should embrace. If your principle is "sacrifice" the other folks in community never have to think about the hard decisions in Scripture because you have conformed to their standard. How is this good for them, or even for you?
I do agree with your overall premise that no Christian is an island though and we were made for community. This brings up a relevant question: What do I do with my Christian friends who no longer find church healthy for them and think going alone is the better way? How do I convince them we were made for community?
I agree with what you are saying. But I would like to point out that maybe God has convicted you of something in your life that he hasn't convicted me of in mine. I use to get caught up in this with my one sister. She would be saying how she isn't going to speed anymore...so as the little sister always looking up to her I felt that I should also quit speeding, the problem was God had convicted her of this for her and not for me, so i became upset about not being able to speed and feeling guilty when I did. We have to be careful in making sure that we don't push our convictions on other people. Granted my sister wasn't trying to do that...but I think sometimes we do. God may never ask me to stop speeding, assuming I do, and if he does I will have to deal with that then.
Christian community and accountability is important as long as we are not asking other people to join our "ban wagon" of self conviction. I would also like to add that there is a difference between this and truelly confronting someone Biblically about their wrong behavior. All this to say maybe swearing is ok for you, maybe it is something I am still wrestling with. I am not going to tell you that you are sining just because I don't agree with it or because I'm not sure yet where I stand on this issue. The same could be said of burning CD's, drinking, smoking, ect.
I wish I was a beautiful writer and could make this seem like a beautiful & romantic adventure. But its not, sacrifice is usually painful and easily avoided.i thought that was eloquent. and i love your way of thinking, though i don't agree with it all.
hi, by the way. i stumbled across this blog from juli's... i'm megan stone, formerly of iwu... met you there and again when visiting friends at olivet. how are ya? congrats on the engagement... hope you and becky can make it down to southern illinois for my wedding this summer.
hey Jared----
take a hint and stop writing stuff that other people don't fully agree with.
Jared
ha. that's not what anyone wants! i like other opinions.
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