Repentance Is No Longer A Qualification For Being A Christian?

Have we come to a point in modern Christianity where repentance is no longer a qualification for being a Christian?

Solomon teaches "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13

Today you hear a lot of people confessing that they are Christians but repentance seems to be absent from their faith expressions. Most of their teaching is driven by passions and social norms. It appears as if mainstream America has developed an ideology that meets the criteria of being good and brings justice, but it lacks any resemblance of being born again. At no point do you hear the need to repent, only that love covers all sin and that we are all God's children.

Still others say they believe in God, but have a very distant experience. Their faith expressions sound like they are exploring the endless possibilities of God in an observatory. They cling to their telescope (theological systems) and stare into the starry sky searching for meaning and purpose in a vast galaxy. There is no limit to the theological extrapolation, however; there is still no evidence of encountering God.

Then there are those who have rejected the established Church to the point that they have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. They have rejected the corrupt humanity of the Church to the point that they do not accept the authority of the scriptures. While I must confess that my theology over time has shifted and settled, my source of theological evolution has always been the authority of the Bible. What source material do you use to develop your theology if you reject the Bible as a collection of corrupt manipulative writings? Maybe this is why there is no repentance; there is no submission to the sacred text.

Without repentance and starting discipleship with a fresh start, Christianity becomes a collection of whimsical quotes and clever sound bytes. God will not compromise; You must repent to be a Christian, but most people today have decided to be a Christian and never repent.

Egos and Idiots: Equality in the Church

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

    Class segregation has been around as long as there have been egos and idiots. For as long as one person has felt the need to feel superior to another there has been a drive to segregate and suppress.  This passage reflects three segregated classes that were called into unity by the early Church.    

     The first was the religious fight between Jews and Gentiles.  Jews were God's chosen people who were entrusted with keeping the revelation of God while the Gentiles lived sensually indulgent lives.  Many of the Gentile leaders oppressed the Jews harshly causing the religious/political tension to rise.  For some Jews, the idea of sharing their heritage with unsanctified Gentiles was appalling.  It was almost as distasteful for Gentiles in leadership to have to humble themselves and learn the sacred text from Jews.  Did they have to come together?  The teachings were simple, within the body of Christ there could not be any difference between Jews and Gentiles.    

    Then of course there was the friction of the slave population.  Slaves and indentured servants had to earn their status as free men and women.  How is it that the Church could simply give equal status to the lowest class of citizens?  While the church did not have any legal authority to grant freedom from bondage, salvation to God brought equal status to all believers.  One of the principle teachings was that Christ paid a debt that the sinner could not pay.  In doing so, Jesus freed all believers from their bondage to sin.  While in the market there were places for people of noble status and places for slaves, in the Church everyone had to be treated equal.      

    Lastly we see the equality hurdle between men and women.  The traditional role of the man was to provide income for his family, to protect the home, to run the business of the community and to provide safety from foreign attacks.  Basic caveman stuff, check!  The right for women to vote did not come until 1920 and a woman's ability to be a sole provider did not come unto almost 1960.  Cultural norms kept women completely reliant on men for survival.  Still, the Church required men to share power with women.  Equal power.  

    So things have really worked out well for slaves, women and religious politicians.  Oh wait..what happened?  Egos and idiots.  It seems that the ability to act arrogantly superior did not stop at the Church doors. Neither did someone's ability to look down at others with contempt.  So what should we do today?  The body of Christ has to come to grips with the reality that a society that recognizes class by power and money has greatly influence our theology and practice.  Mostly, we have to teach our followers how to be the humble servant of Christ.   

       The greatest class divide that ever existed was between God and humanity.  Jesus bridged that separation as a humble servant all the way to the cross.  Egos and Idiots.  Let's get this together.       

Peace and Blessings,

CH Redden

We need #Reconciliation

Responsibility of Christian Leadership

"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be known as children of God."

Matthew 5:9

     There are many voices being broadcast on social media concerning the racial tension across America.  Do you hear any Peacemakers?  During the sermon on the Mount Jesus mentions several characteristics of how Christians should handle themselves. How are you being heard?

The words you use are powerful and should be chosen carefully

Kind words can bring encouragement to a troubled heart. (5:4)
Gentle words can bring love to correction. (5:5)
Merciful words can relieve a heavy burden. (5:7)
Pure Words from a pure heart can remove the doubt of betrayal. (5:8)

     Mature Christians can use their position in many different ways to bring peace and these choice leaders will have the reputation of being children of God.  One of the best examples of a Godly peacemaker was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  When you read his sermons, you hear a seasoned preacher crafting his words in order to motivate people with a clarity and purpose.

Proverbs 10:20 says "The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver."  One of Dr. Kings most famous quotes is "We may not all have come here on the same ship, but we are all in the same boat."

We need #Reconciliation

     These are brilliant words that speak to every side of racial tension.  There are no emotional rants sparking outrage, no compliments omitting validation and no hidden agenda.  His message was clear; unless we both win, we both lose.  We are the body of Christ.  How can we go on fighting ourselves?  We need to come together in love and unity.  One body not fighting itself, but building itself up.  We need to work toward the healing of the many parts, so that the whole body benefits.

We are all in the same boat.  We need to live together in love.  I pray that God raises up mature Christian leaders who are peacemakers.

Peace and Blessings,

CH Redden

Be Honest

" A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight"    Proverbs 11:1

     When I was a young child a friend of mine taught me how to steal.  Neither of us ever had pocket change to spend as we wished, so he taught me how to sneak candy when the cashier wasn't looking.  It felt really scary, but he kept telling me it wasn't a big deal.  It became pretty routine to meet up with my friends and go get candy.  Pretty routine, until my mother found out.
     When you're a kid you really don't think about the second and third order of effect.  You pretty much live stimulus to response.  Take candy, eat candy, life is good.  Come to fine out, my mother understood this stimulus response process really well.  She introduced two new things into my life that I would forever associate with stealing.  The first was accountability.  She marched me into the convenient store and made me confess.  In front of everyone I had to say "I stole candy from you."  It was a second order of effect that I hated.  I felt so ashamed saying those words and so humiliated for what I had done. The truth of being caught and having to be held accountable would forever be associated with the thought of being dishonest.  The second event that mom administered was an ancient practice called "paddling."  It is a process where a parent would take a thin board and begin to stimulate the gluteus maximus in sufficient manner as to produce a different response from the child.  It worked, thank you Mom.
     Why is honesty so important to God?  It has everything to do with our faith in God as our provider.  Life is like a child with no candy watching all the other kids enjoying themselves.  You begin to reason your way into sin: "the store has plenty of money, they won't miss it, they charge too much for other items, they don't treat their employees right, I'm a good kid and I deserve candy like everyone else. I'll never get caught, I'll only take a little..."  So rather than trusting in God to be your provider you decide to be dishonest and cheat...just a little...on your taxes.  "It's no big deal, everyone else does it."  Then you begin to extend it to taking things from your office..."they do not pay me enough."  Then it is when a cashier hands you too much change, a product does not scan with a grocer, you wrongfully return an item to a merchant...and the list goes on.  Unfortunately, dishonesty has a way of slowly taking you down a path you can not backtrack.  A path of accountability and repercussions.
     When we live stimulus to response, we nurse our cravings and sear our conscience.  If we will add the second order of effect, getting caught and having to be known as being dishonest, it may keep us from the third order of effect of punitive action.  Ultimately it will keep us from having to confess to God that we did not trust Him as our provider, we took a short cut and became dishonest.
     Being honest has it's own rewards.  "The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. (Proverbs 11:3)"  It is the wisdom of purposely putting your life on a path that can not crumble underneath your feet.  The peace of mind you live with knowing all is well, regardless of any inquiry.  Do we really need a reward from God for being honest?  No.  The return of honesty in your life is its own reward.

Father, help us remember "when the wrong oft seems so strong, you are the ruler yet."  Your ways are beautiful and your paths bring safety.  In Jesus Name, A-Men.     
         
     

Choice Words of Restoration

      

"The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver..." Proverbs 10:20

     In this section of Proverbs the teacher is contrasting the blessings of the righteous to the fruit of the wicked.  In this instance we see how the words of the righteous are rewarding and satisfying.  There are so many ways we can explore how this saying is true, but let us look at how Jesus confronted Peter after the resurrection.

     In John 21:15-17 Jesus confronts Peter's denial and uses choice words to bring restoration.

(Actual text)

Jesus: "Do you love (agape) me?"
Peter: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (philia) you.”
Jesus" "Tend my lambs."

Jesus: “Do you love (agape) me?”
Peter: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (philia) you.”
Jesus: "Shepherd my sheep."

Jesus: “Do you love (philia) me?”
Peter: “You know that I love (philia) you.”

Jesus: "Tend my sheep."

     In most confrontations we see the anger of being betrayed, an admission of guilt, a request for forgiveness and then the granting of forgiveness.  I could have expected the conversation to go like this:

(hypothetically)

Jesus: "Peter! You betrayed me!"

Peter: "I know, but I was really pressured and didn't know what to do..."

Jesus: "Peter!  You left me all alone!"

Peter: "There wasn't enough of us, we couldn't overcome them."

Jesus: "Peter, I thought I could count on you"

Peter: "I know, I'm sorry"

Jesus: "OK, I understand...I forgive you."

     Jesus could have unloaded on Peter but instead he chose his words carefully to help bring restoration.  Could you imagine being Peter on the beach that day when he realized he was talking with the resurrected Christ?  After running away scared, abandoning Jesus and then denying him three times Peter demonstrated nothing short of cowardice and betrayal.  In response to Peter's actions Jesus simply asked him one question.

1.  "Do you (more than anyone else) love me?"  This question says it all.  The face to face question confronts the betrayal, confronts the abandonment and goes straight to the heart of the matter.  After all is said..."do you love me?"  What if this was a moment when a child confronted a parent who had been abandoned?  Choice words can help remove the shame of the sin and get straight to the heart of the matter..."do you want me?"

2.  "Do you (without waver) love me?"  What if this was a moment when a spouse was confronted about dependability?  The choice of words address the question of guilt and devotion.  Without unloading on someone and trying to shame them, you get straight to the matter..."do you  want to restore this relationship?"  

3.  "Do you (as close as a brother) love me?"  Too often when we have an altercation with a brother/sister in Christ, rather than working toward reconciliation we harbor bitterness.  The choice words of the righteous should always be precious.  At this point I imagine Peter had been nursing his shame with tremendous guilt.  With anxiety building within Peter throughout breakfast, the moment of reckoning had finally come.  Jesus simply ask..."do you love me?"  With Peter's third admission of love for Christ the heaviness was broken and Jesus reaffirms a third time Peter's role, "Be a good shepherd to my sheep."  Confrontation can be merciful.  

      The words we use, our tone and body gesture all portray our heart.  I pray that we guard our heart, distribute mercy generously and use choice words that relieve the anxiety of stressed relationships.

     

We need #Reconciliation

Be Patient

 "Be Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction and Faithful in Prayer" 

Romans 12:2

Joyful in Hope

                I’ll be the first to admit I look for “Murphy” to show up at every turn.  It has been said that the more responsibility you have the more contingency plans you have to make.  If you are not careful your expectations of life can become more about the negative hurdles than the journey toward success.  Being “Joyful in Hope” speaks to the mental and emotional state of being during trials.  If God is a part of our life, and He is, then God is a part of our trial and delivery.  So while life experiences may condition us to watch for the next hurdle, our expectation of God’s presence in our life should motivate us to maintain our pace toward the finish line. 

Patient in Affliction

                Patience is powerful.  Being “Patient in Affliction” does not mean to sit idle and do nothing.  Patience is meant to give you time to gained enough understanding to use wisdom in your next step.  Rather than being emotionally reactive with no time to develop a rational analysis or gain spiritual insight, use the delayed time period of affliction to empower yourself.  Too many people make rash decisions to get out of their trial as soon as possible.  In any situation you can advantage yourself with time.  Time to calm down, time to re-think, time to get your facts straight, time to seek spiritual insight, time to gain wisdom from others, time for the situation to possibly change, time to contemplate a better solution, time to decide if doing nothing could benefit you more than responding at all.  If you do not absolutely have to make an immediate decision, patience will empower you.     

Faithful in Prayer

It’s comforting when we have secure and meaningful relationships with the people who are important in our lives.  It’s the same way with God.  In uncertain times, it’s comforting to connect with God and know our relationship is secure.  When the disciples were battling the storm at sea, Jesus was asleep below.  When the disciples awakened Christ and sought His help, He simply stepped forward on the boat and spoke “peace, be still”.  Stop fighting your battles alone.  Don’t hesitate to pray to God in trials.  Seek Him out and bring Him to the forefront of your situation. 

“Father; help us to maintain our excitement about our Spiritual Journey, to wait strategically for your intervention, and to be able to recognize the hand of God on our lives." 

Be an Encourager

Proverbs 11:25 "The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered"

     Early one spring a friend and I hiked Look Out Mountain in Chattanooga Tennessee.  It was an aggressive two hour climb to a cafe at Sunset Rock that offered a view of seven different States.  Unfortunately on this day the cafe was closed and it had been uncharacteristically hot for that time of the year.  Not bringing water on a four hour hike was a gamble we should not have taken.  So we began walking through the neighborhood hoping to find a convenient store.  It must have really been hot because every garden hose looked inviting.  Just as we were laughing about the idea of getting  caught drinking from the side of a strangers house we heard a voice behind us that made us jump, "you boys don't have to drink from the hose."  We whipped around and there was a kind older lady standing ten feet away in the yard behind us.  She got a great laugh by startling us and offered us a glass of water.  As awkward as it was, we gratefully accepted her hospitality.  After a short exchange of congenial conversation and several glasses of water, we left completely refreshed.
     I often think of her generosity when I read Proverbs 11:25 "...he who waters will himself be watered."  A simple effort of encouragement goes a long way toward a weary soul.  In a world that at times can be too critical and self-centered, how refreshing is it for someone to give an uplifting word.  Difficulties in life have a way of keeping us from seeing the good around us.  We tend to give to much weight to our current stress and dismiss the good.  Simple acknowledgments help shift the scales from discouragement to encouragement. 
     An experienced christian understands the importance of encouraging people in their faith.  When someone's fear outweighs their faith, encouragement can correct the scales.  Sometimes we need to help someone see past their struggle and see the presence of God.  Don't dismiss or belittle their problem, acknowledge the weight of what God is doing.  When we are an encourager, we refresh the world around us.  We bring faith into uncertainty, hope into despair and love into doubt.  Be an encourager, refresh others in your world daily!

We need #Reconciliation