Am I an unbeliever?
Growing up I needed to "believe" all the right stuff about God, Jesus, the cross, etc... if I wanted to become a believer I needed to learn more about the right beliefs and defend them and get them straight. Learning the Apostle's Creed was helpful.
But, for much of my life I have been a "believer" in Jesus, but I didn't believe Him (or in other words - I didn't share His beliefs.)
So I was (in the words of my friend John): a radical unbeliever. I believed the "right stuff," but didn't share in the beliefs of Jesus and therefore, didn't do a lot of following... I had the beliefs, but the beliefs of Jesus did not have me.
I do believe it is important to believe in Jesus as God's Son and to embrace the Apostle's Creed as truth to believe in, but if we stop there - we are missing out on sharing Jesus' beliefs and seeing our lives become what we were made for. Instead we stink of hypocrisy and the average Christian (I suppose I should lump myself into this) doesn't look significantly different than anyone else.
So what does it mean to be a true believer and share Jesus' beliefs? As I read through Luke I read some of Jesus' beliefs and wonder if I believe them...
> Love your enemies.
> Do good to those who hate you.
> Bless those who curse you.
> Turn the other cheek.
> Give to everyone who asks you.
> Do to others as you would have them do to you.
> Lend without expectation of repayment.
> Don't judge and condemn, rather forgive.
> Not good to gain the world, but lose your self.
> The least among us is the greatest.
> More blessed to give than to receive.
> ETC... ETC... ETC...
Do we believe Jesus - not just in Him? I suppose for some of us that don't believe "in" Jesus - you may even find His beliefs compelling. And I suppose you would support that kind of belief from Jesus' followers. (Because we would actually be following.)
So I guess I admit that I tend to be a radical unbeliever much of the time and I want to be a believer that lives out the beliefs of Jesus here and now.
Becoming a follower,
sd
But, for much of my life I have been a "believer" in Jesus, but I didn't believe Him (or in other words - I didn't share His beliefs.)
So I was (in the words of my friend John): a radical unbeliever. I believed the "right stuff," but didn't share in the beliefs of Jesus and therefore, didn't do a lot of following... I had the beliefs, but the beliefs of Jesus did not have me.
I do believe it is important to believe in Jesus as God's Son and to embrace the Apostle's Creed as truth to believe in, but if we stop there - we are missing out on sharing Jesus' beliefs and seeing our lives become what we were made for. Instead we stink of hypocrisy and the average Christian (I suppose I should lump myself into this) doesn't look significantly different than anyone else.
So what does it mean to be a true believer and share Jesus' beliefs? As I read through Luke I read some of Jesus' beliefs and wonder if I believe them...
> Love your enemies.
> Do good to those who hate you.
> Bless those who curse you.
> Turn the other cheek.
> Give to everyone who asks you.
> Do to others as you would have them do to you.
> Lend without expectation of repayment.
> Don't judge and condemn, rather forgive.
> Not good to gain the world, but lose your self.
> The least among us is the greatest.
> More blessed to give than to receive.
> ETC... ETC... ETC...
Do we believe Jesus - not just in Him? I suppose for some of us that don't believe "in" Jesus - you may even find His beliefs compelling. And I suppose you would support that kind of belief from Jesus' followers. (Because we would actually be following.)
So I guess I admit that I tend to be a radical unbeliever much of the time and I want to be a believer that lives out the beliefs of Jesus here and now.
Becoming a follower,
sd
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