Professing Faith in Christ

According to Thomas Campbell, to be a Christian is to profess faith in Jesus Christ and show "obedience to him in all things according to the Scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct." (Declaration and Address, Prop. 1).

I want to focus a moment on what obedience to Christ involves. It would appear from this definition that it's not just a matter of saying -- I believe -- it also means behaving in a certain way. The conundrum that Christians have faced from the beginning has been how to define this behavior. The old line was "I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I don't go with girls who do." The holiness codes nixed movies, alcohol, and more. There were prohibitions of premarital sex, extra-marital sex, divorce, etc. Very seldom has the question of how we treat the other person come into play -- but if we look closely at scripture that plays an important role. Jesus talked often about love of neighbor and what that involved. The Ten Commandments can be summed up in two laws -- love of God and love of neighbor -- which is why I'm opposed to government sanctioning of the 10 Commandments. The only way you can do that Constitutionally is to lop off the ones that talk about God and thus secularize them.

What is good, what does God require of us? According to Micah it is simply this: "do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

When Peter made the good confession, he affirmed Jesus as Messiah (Christ) and Son of the Living God (Mt. 16:16). He made this confession in answer to Jesus' question -- who do you say that I am?

I'd like to throw something into this from Rita Nakashima Brock. Nakashima Brock is a Disciples Feminist theologian who has contributed an essay to the Chalice Introduction to Disciples Theology that addresses the person of Jesus and our confession of faith in him. In answering the question of salvation, she writes:

Our answer to Jesus' question defines what kind of church we are. We claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ of the New Testament. He taught resistance to the unjust principalities and powers of the world, declared that we must be friends of God and each other, and organized a movement to enable the least respected and most oppressed a place at the table of life and leadership in his community -- women, poor peasants, slaves, paupers, prisoners, the homeless, and the disabled and sick. He was tortured and murdered for resisting injustice and challenging authorities. He lives still among those who live him and each other. (Rita Nakashima Brock, "Who Do We Say He Is?", Chalice Introduction to Disciples Theology, Peter Goodwin Heltzel, ed., Chalice Press, 2008, p. 113).


When we answer the question, what is a Christian, we must answer the further question, who is the Jesus that defines your faith?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Bob, the notion of the "good confession" as the beginning point for who a Christian is, is not as uncomplicated as it may seem. Your question, "Who is this Jesus that defines your faith," must be able to contain even heretical conceptions of this Jesus, as evidenced by Peter's own confused, even satanically informed understanding of the person of the messiah. We all stand with Peter in that our notions of the Christ are but gropings to grasp his essence that will always elude us, yet even in that elusive state enable us to claim discipleship.

As for government sanctioning of the Ten Commandments, this would disqualify Hindus, Buddhists and other non-monotheists from full standing in the nation, as they could not assent to the first commandment, to have no other gods before YHWH.
Anonymous said…
Anonymous, above, is actually Steve Kindle. I hit the wrong button! I don't want anyone to have to guess, and wrongly, who that heretical writer is.
Robert Cornwall said…
Steve,

I was wondering who was writing such heresy!

On the 10 Commandments -- of course that might be in the minds of some -- that the other would be disenfranchised!
Anonymous said…
My struggle in all of this is there seems to be a lot of "Jesus PLUS" mentality. This means.. you need to confess Jesus PLUS ___ (not drink, work on social issues, do justice, etc) Its not to say any of these things are bad or shouldn't be done, rather it misses the simplicity and good news of the Gospel. I start with the prisoner on the cross.. this guy is guilty, he is moments away from death, will never do anything good, yet all he does is believe and is saved. So he would fail any of our "plus" things.. but Jesus says "see you in heaven". So I guess he is a Christian.

My feeling is... confess Jesus and if you are truly a follower, your life will mold to him. You will be drawn to him, your life will move towards those "pluses" as you grow in love and want to serve. You will love your neighbor as you love your Lord in your life. You will want justice, b/c you worship a God of justice.

Today's 10 step world wants steps, signs, things to do.. but I think purposely Jesus didn't do that. B/c in the steps we are essentially resurrecting the Law.

-Chuck
Anonymous said…
I like to think of my response to Jesus, my active confession of faith, as loving God and loving neighbor. Active faith, not passive faith, because love is an active principle and not a passive one.

Obedience to the 2 Christian Commandments is not Jesus plus, if I understand Chuck, but Jesus complete. Faith in Jesus is not so much an academic exercise in reciting and embracing so many first principles (the Apostle's and/or Nicene Creed) but responding to the love of God by faithfully requiting that love and then sharing it forth with friends, neighbors and especially enemies, and learning to so respond as a way of life.

That's the obedience I strive for and that's the Jesus for whom I strive. Of course I fail more often than I succeed, but that's my mark.

John
Anonymous said…
Bob, thank you for your Pondering on a Faith Journey. As I often say, "Faith is the journey more than the destination." I am a retired Disciples pastor and sincerely appreciate what you are doing in your "Ponderings" The question I would often sliped into sermons was, "How does what I believe help me to 'love my neighbor?'" and then I would often say, "Jesus summed up all his teachings and his life in three words, 'Love one another'" These are the "journey" that comes after the confession, "Jesus is Lord." Don Mertz

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