True Christianity is Unique Among all Religions...

If one is to look at the various world religions one finds a common core.  It is centered upon the notion that one must perform in a certain fashion and in doing so work their way into the good graces of their particular deity.  Of course this notion in Buddhism is that such leads to good karma in the next life.   

This is often described as a works theology.   Of the many problems attendant to such a notion, three are as follows.  To begin with if acceptance is based upon good works, then those incapable of same are immediately eliminated.  Second, is the matter of what constitutes an acceptable good work.  Who really knows?  Then there is the quantity problem in that no one is quite sure how much is necessary.

There is but one exception.  That exception is found in genuine Christianity. 

To be sure there are many facsimiles of Christianity which in reality are distortions of the genuine.  The problem is not with what Jesus Christ taught and lived nor is it with what the Bible teaches.  The problem lies with what man has attempted to add.   In some sense it is the idea that one can improve upon genuine Christianity.

This amalgamated "christianity" does two things.  First, it simply does not work as God had intended and thus eventually will self destruct and fail.  History teaches such is so.  Second, it presents a wrong picture of what Jesus was all about and thus gives much fodder to His critics such as Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and the like. 

Mahatma Gandhi was such a critic.  Upon his departure from South Africa he said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”   Jesus Christ was genuine, while the Christians Gandhi had in mind were the facsimile. It is said that he frequently read the Sermon on the Mount and had in his immediate possession a copy of the New Testament.

What sets the unique and genuine Christian faith apart is this.  One does not add some performance or another in order to work his way into a right relationship with God (salvation).   Such is quite impossible and most certainly leaves a wrong impression of what being a Christian is all. 

However, having said that,  there are expected changes in behavior.  One such change is the move from "selfishness" to "otherness."  As a part of that change a person begins to look outward from himself.  In that "otherness" one sees and is touched by the needs of others.  Thus his behavior toward other people moves from a selfish intention to that of the best interest of the other.  History is replete with example of those who gave their all in service of another.

A study of such things will reveal that almost all of the helping agencies and social movements are the result of such Christian "otherness."  Even leaving Christian "otherness" aside for the moment, few if any helping organization start without a concern for the needs of others.  They all pretty much began with an "otherness" attitude. 

The summary is this. The performance of good works is not to earn one’s way into the good graces of the Divine but it is the expected outcome, indeed the change that takes place when one enters into that right relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

More to follow...

“Thanksgiving Thoughts”

“Thanksgiving Thoughts”

(I thought of those who cannot and I…)*

When running I thought, “I can run no further” then I thought of those who cannot run and so I ran for them.

When caring for another in need I thought, “I can give no more care” then I thought of those who cannot care for another and so I cared for them.

When walking I thought, “I can walk no further” then I thought of those who cannot walk and so I walked for them.

When listening to someone in need I thought, “I can listen no more” then I thought of those who cannot hear and so I listen for them.

When laboring to reason I thought, “I can reason no more” then I thought of those who cannot reason and so I reasoned for them.

When helping another I thought, “I have no more left with which to help” then I thought of those who cannot help and so I helped for them.

When seeing those in need I thought, “I cannot bear to see more” then I thought of those who cannot see and so I saw the needy for them.

When carrying a child I thought, “I can carry this child no more” then I thought of those who cannot carry a child and so I carried the child for them.

When laboring I thought, “I can labor no more” then I thought of those who cannot labor and so I labored for them.

When out in the cold, I thought, “I can bear it no more” then I thought of those who cannot feel the cold and so I felt the cold for them.

When loving the unlovely I thought, “I can love no more” then I thought of those who cannot love and so I loved the unlovely for them.

When visiting the infirmed I thought, “I can visit no more” then I thought of those who cannot visit and so I visited for them.

When writing I thought, “I have no more to write” then I thought of those who cannot write and so I wrote for them.

When giving I thought, “I have no more to give” then I thought of those who cannot give and so I gave for them.

When protecting the innocent I thought, "I can protect the innocent no more" then I thought of those who cannot protect the innocent any longer and so I protected the innocent for them. 

When grieving with those who grieve I thought,"I have no more grief to give" then I thought of those who cannot grieve and so I grieved for them.

When being patient I thought, “I have no more patience to give” then I thought of those who cannot be patient and so I was patient for them.

When being thankful I thought, “I have nothing more for which to be thankful” then I thought of those who cannot run or care or walk or listen or help or see or carry a child or labor or feel or love or visit or write or give or protect or grieve or be patient and it was then that I realized how very blessed I am.  Indeed I have so very much for which to be thankful.

Thankful because life does not consist of what one does not have but for the many blessing with which one has been blessed.  Oh, and there is one more!

When doing good works to find salvation I thought, “I can do this no more” then I heard Jesus say, “I know and I took care of it so just come, freely come to Me you who labor and are heavily burdened--come just like you are...” and so I came.  But there was more for it was then that I understood that when I did these things "...to the least of these my brethren..." I did it to the Lord (Matthew 25:40).


*Note:  Sometime ago I heard the first thought in passing and it set me to thinking and what follows came of that original thought. I researched and could find nothing published so to the best of my knowledge it is not taken from someone's original work.  

"Salvation or Social Idealism"

Fr. Tryphon writes,


"Just as we have seen the progressive moral bankruptcy of our society, we have also been witness to the wholesale sellout of traditional Christianity by much of America's religious community. The partial adherence of many of America's denominations to the traditional Gospel call to repentance, forgiveness and redemption through Christ, has given way to a new kind of salvation. These "churches" are now more concerned with social idealism than seeing souls saved through entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ. They have ignored Our Lord's own words, "My kingdom is not of this world". They have shown forth for all to see that their loss of faith has led to a replacement of the good news of salvation in Christ, with a mandate to build a Utopian society where social justice and peace reign forever. They have forgotten that Christ said we would never attain this outside of His Kingdom, 'which is to come'."


Full article available at https://www.facebook.com/pages/All-Merciful-Saviour-Orthodox-Christian-Monastery/104578182913886 and also at  http://www.morningoffering.blogspot.com/


May you be blessed with but more importantly challenged by Fr. Trypon's words.  Reading carefully and prayerfully will not only enlarge your view but challenge your heart to a deeper commitment to the Lord, Jesus Christ and His eternal Kingdom. 


It is of utmost importance, indeed imperative that we who are followers of Jesus keep in mind that it is an "already" and "not yet" proposition.  For those who do not understand, we enjoy some of the benefits of following Jesus Christ "already" (in the now) but they are a mere shadow of what we will enjoy (the "not yet") when we are united with our Lord and Savior.  Indeed is not that the hope that should cause all of this life to grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace*?.


*From the chorus Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus