The ‘K’ is not silent

Democrats by birth and education, we … prefer to think that all nations and individuals start level in the search for God, or even that all religions are equally true. It must be admitted at once that Christianity makes no concessions to this point of view.
5: agree strongly

It does not tell of a human search for God at all, but of something done by God for, to, and about, Man.
5: agree strongly

And the way in which it is done is selective, undemocratic, to the highest degree.
“There is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:11)
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” (Romans 5:18)
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God…” (I Peter 3:18)
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.” (I Timothy 2:5-6)
From the scriptures, it seems to me that God’s initiative toward man in offering salvation is not selective. Undemocratic? Yes, insofar as salvation is on God’s terms, through Jesus Christ alone. But it is offered to all men, and is not at all selective in who it is offered to. Therefore, I conclude…
2: disagree

By Jackson Ferrell on Aug 1, 2006

1 Cor. 9:21-22:
“To those outside the law I became as one outside the law — not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ — that I might win those outside the law.To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

Obviously, Dwight, you’re reacting against the general nature in our culture to become generalist in theology and therefore lenient in belief and morality.

I am not opposing that. What I am opposing is the generally “doctrine-righteous” position that your post conveys to me. In the comment above, Jackson quoted 1 Tim. 2:5-6, and to paraphrase, its refers to Christ as the one mediator. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Does it mean that if I speak the words that Christ is My savior and repent in my heart, than I am ontologically saved? Great. Where do I go from there?

I also thought of this other verse, as I read the passage from Lewis:

Romans 2:
“For God shows no partiality All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

You and Lewis are right in asserting that the law of Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
But it is those who do the law and not hear the law. It is the utterly inescapable tendency of most Christians to believe that salvation is stored up for the hearers, that we possess the treasure, and that the heathens who do it do not.

What about a muslim, who lives her life in prayer and meditation, and feeds the hungry and clothes the naked, (metaphorically and spiritually) and believes in God as the Sacrificial One, who has created and will save us. Is that so impossible? Maybe she has even heard of Christ through some missionary who shoved him down their throat with free food or a revolver; but she doesn’t believe in Christ because she has not seen him incarnate. Yet she may have become Christ incarnate, sacrificing herself for his body, even the genitals, those filthy heathens. She dies one day. Where does she go? Up or down? She never confessed the name of the Word, but she may have become the Word made flesh, unbeknownst to herself and all others.

I apologize for the hostile tone in this comment. It was provoked by the volatile nature of your post. The whole notion of God being “undemocratic’ and “selective” sounds very elitist and dangerous.

P.S. I hate the internet for creating such a sterile conversation.
Dwight, give me a call if you want to talk more.

By Charlene Garklavs on Aug 3, 2006

P.P.S.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Garklavs

By Charlene Garklavs on Aug 3, 2006