ATTACKS ON THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE GOSPEL

Attacks on the Christian faith are as varied as the imagination itself. However, an increasingly common one is this – Biblical faith is not about believing a set of doctrines but just about trusting in Jesus. Emergent Church guru, Tony Jones, claims that Jesus is just about a relationship and not about teachings and doctrines:

·       “Jesus did not have a ‘statement of faith.’ He called others into faithful relationship to God through life in the Spirit.” (The New Christians, 234)

It seems to me that these words are the product of a comfortable life, which hasn’t suffered serious hardships. I grew up with intense self-loathing, which set me apart from others. I was convinced that in order to be loved I had to be a different person. I tried on many different roles, but they weren’t able to touch the loathing I felt within. I resorted to positive affirmations, some quite grandiose, to compensate for my devastating feelings. I saw five highly recommended psychologists and psychiatrist, each leaving me worse off than before.

However, it was only the teachings of the Bible applied by the Spirit that provided the oil, the antidote and only answer to my ceaseless pain. These teachings assured me that I had a brand new identity, Christ Himself (Galatians 2:20), that the self-condemnation I was experiencing did not come from God (Romans 8:1), but from myself. These teachings informed me that I now had a Savior who loved me so much that He died for me, even when I was His enemy (Romans 5:8-10).

It is through these teachings that I am now able to stand confidently, to be transparent and secure. I am ever grateful to my Savior. Through His teachings, I know who He is and, as a result, enjoy great assurance. Without them, God would be no more than a feeling, a passing mist that refreshes and then disappears without a trace.

Did Jesus come with a “statement of faith?” Yes! He instructed us to believe in Him (John 3:16; 6:29; 8:24). What about Him? What He taught, of course. Jesus’ teachings instruct us how to worship Him as required (John 4:23-24) and how to love Him (John 14:21-24; John 15:7-14).

What did this “statement of faith” contain? Everything He had taught:

·       And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.” (Matthew 28:18-20; ESV)

Nor did Jesus give any indication of an expiration date. However, according to Jones, His teachings are subject to change:

·       “To assume that our convictions about God are somehow timeless is the deepest arrogance, and it establishes an imperialistic attitude that has a chilling effect on the honest conversation that’s needed for theology to progress.” (114)

In contrast, Jesus assured us:

·       Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Perhaps Jesus’ teachings are experienced as “imperialistic” and “chilling” to those who feel condemned or constrained by them, but to those who have experienced their healing power, they are life itself:

·       For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

When these verses became real for Martin Luther, he confessed that it was like entering heaven itself, and this kicked off the greatest revival in the history of humankind. I think that the Gospel can also do this through us.