An interesting notation from having taken a class in adult spiritual formation…
The Bible does not say–for by Grace you have been saved through belief, and that, not of yourselves, is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Have some of us got that backwards?
The problem it seems, is why are some Christians so nasty? What is that about? If we examine their beliefs, we find that what they say is that they believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, was resurrected and that by having faith in him we have eternal life. That should work, and it would work, but when we see how they treat others, especially other Christians, the disconnect seems obvious. Nasty, judgemental, sarcastic, and other adjectives often describe the “loving” behavior of these “believers.”
I’m wondering if the problem is that they no longer have faith in Christ (now faith is the essence of things hoped for, things not seen. Heb 1) but they have faith in their beliefs about Christ.
Different issue. They believe their beliefs. The “personal relationship” concept that Evangelicals bandy about so much seems seldom to be very personal. Have these believers in their beliefs lost Jesus? Do they not recognize how their actions belie the words they say? ”But we have the truth!.. We must fight for the truth!” I’ve heard a couple of them say to me personally. To them truth is a proposition. It is something to be argued, proven, pounded on and held up to glory.
Apparently their truth is that they are right. Period.
No, you’re not. Your fruits show otherwise.
God is calling us out of our faith in our ideas, in our understanding, and out of our comfortable places of “scriptural” power.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV
There is more. He is more.
Thank you for that point, I do see it to be very true today.
I was thinking though, is it possible that they do not have belief in their faith but rather belief in their system regarding faith?
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NIV)
That is pretty clear that it is a belief in God (Jesus Christ as God) that saves.
The disconnect is a lack of belief/faith that Christ really is a work all around them. He sees all. We would be embarrassed if we saw Him watching.