Asking Jesus in...
Every time I hear it or read it, I get a bit perturbed. This morning it was in Bible study and we are finishing a study in "Love Walked Among Us". It was the last chapter and the author was quoting Anne Lamott. It's bad enough that the one and a half page quote included 7 paragraphs of how drunk, stoned and hung over she was...followed by a metaphor comparing Jesus to a dog curled up by her bed...but none of that made me cringe like...
"...I took a long deep breath and said out loud, "All right. You can come in."
I don't understand why I get bent about it...maybe because nowhere in scripture have I found anywhere that says...
- ask Jesus into your heart...
- raise your hand and pray after me...
- accept Christ into your life...
- take this pill...
- just repeat after me...
Every single time I read it, it requires declaring the Lordship of Christ. Take up your cross daily and follow ME.
Never, Ok I guess you can come in.
Ugh.
posted by Hollywood at 6:16 PM
6 Comments:
Actually, if you've ever read Lamott in context, it's quite a story of transformation. She's a tremendous encouragement to those that have had dark pasts, and her transparency about it is what draws many people to her.
No question there's a balance between glorifying sin and being transparent (I don't think, at any point, Lamott glorifies her actions, but it more matter-of-fact about them), but I find it equally demeaning when folks glaze over their pasts to "tidy" them up. You know, something vague like, "I made some poor choices for four years of college and now I've experienced His grace." The beauty of transformation is diminished.
And, Christians have always had their own alienating language...which, interestingly, when folks like Donald Miller or Mike Yaconelli break free from that mold and avoid cliches, the Church at-large tends to diminish them.
I've learned to let people get away with phrases like "let Him in" simply because it's a horribly difficult experience to explain and define. It's intimate. And most of the time, people fall back on cliches in hope of others relating to their experience...
6:43 AM
Oh, and just so you know, rabbinical tradition of "follow me" has NOTHING to do with "lordship." Speaking of buzzwords...I'm not sure there's a more polarizing one NOT used in Scripture than "lordship."
6:45 AM
I jsut pulled a few of the hundreds of references to Jesus as Lord (Lordship of Christ)...
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Acts 10:35-37
Acts 15:11
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Romans 5:11
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Listen, I get that Anne Lamott and Donald Miller are reaching a group of believers that have never been reached before.
My rub is with the trend towar "easy beleivism" that has no mention of repentance, turning from sin, pursuit of holiness...the "here, drink this shot of Jesus and ADD HIM TO YOUR LIFE" and you'll be saved.
It appears I'm parting theological hairs here, but I come across many, many, many posers who have their fire insurance, and my heart breaks for fear that they will be spit out, and they think they're saved.
Where are WE responsible?
1:49 PM
Reference to Christ "as Lord" isn't the same as "lordship" as you used the term (or at least how it's used traditionally in our circles). That isn't deniable. However, what is deniable is that you have to make Christ "your Lord" in order to be saved. I categorically deny that.
And, believism is NOT easy at all when you think of it from God's side. He sacrificed His only Son, for crying out loud! There's nothing easy at all about that. That's an indescribably high price to pay, my friend. A run through Matthew 20: 1--16 is usually a nice reminder.
Finally, for the millionth time, we are responsible to teach Scripture in context. Any teaching on grace that doesn't use love as the law, and emphasize holy living isn't correctly teaching grace. Read Titus 2: 1--15, PLEASE!!!!
5:45 AM
Really, Christ doesn't need to be Lord?
So, please explain the context or reference to exactly what will cause Him to "spit us out?"
And, I get that Love is the rule of the day...all the other gifts are meaningless without Love (read 1 Corr. 13), but really...
other than loving, what's our part? Once we've believed, that's it? How does that reconcile with the "works-less" empty faith that James talks about?
5:39 AM
About Christ "as Lord": Again, just because Paul referred to Christ by title, it has no bearing on salvation. We DO NOT need to make Christ "Lord" as a condition of salvation. Adding anything to "believe" isn't Biblical. Our role as "subject" to the "King" occurs AFTER we've been saved. Never, ever, confuse justification (salvation) with sanctification (growth in Christ). They're two distinctly different events. And, yes, some people can accept Christ by faith and never grow (hence my reference to Matthew 20), but that affects their current relationship with Christ and their future "rewards" in Christ...but absolutely it's possible. In our culture we see this uniquely in "deathbed conversions."
About "other than loving, what's our part?" Really, Hollywood? Nothing. If we were using love in all our decision-making as the highest consideration, we wouldn't have to focus on works at all. It couldn't possibly be a "works-less" faith because the manifestation of love (or outward realities) would be so incredibly visible...In utter seriousness, how much more of a part could anyone want than to embody the very love of Christ?
"Our part" is to allow Christ to do what He wills in us and through us. To focus on "our part" is really nothing more than arranging our lives in such a way that we create good soil for Him to work in and through. We can't create growth. We can't speed up the process. Christ does it all. It's dying to self. It's putting on God's armor. It's being wise (applying what you know). I rarely focus on me and "my part." I focus on Christ and trust Him to do the work in me.
And, yet, you didn't discuss--at all--Titus. I firmly believe that teaching grace emphasizes holiness. How we live that out, either through our strength (being good, doing "works") or in His strength (Spirit-led living, motivated by grace and marked by Love) is the entire difference between living a live of legalism and the abundant life Christ so clearly desires for us.
Obviously, you've hit my hot button--and again, you'll find that I have many standards that are even more stringent than my friends who are legalists. However, my motivation is out of love rather than boundary or limit or to be good or to try to stay in God's favor.
Grace is dangerous.
So is following Christ.
Which is why Paul was good at emphasizing both.
6:50 AM
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