A faith community that is God-centered has got it right.* A faith community that is centered on us has got it seriously wrong. A faith community that is Bible-centered is outright idolatrous.
A corollary:
I don't care whether you believe in the Bible. The very concept is suspect (see above). John 3:16 does not conclude that "whosoever believeth in the Bible shall not perish but have everlasting life." Do you believe in God? Does the God in whom you believe love creation, including us?
If the answer to that last question is "No," then your deity is either uninteresting or repugnant.
If you do not believe in God, I probably have more in common with you than I do with those who put their trust in a book.
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἔνα Θεὸν
*Assuming it is not so heavenly minded it is no earthly good, but that is not being God-centered.
--the BB
2 comments:
Does the God in whom you believe love creation, including us?
If the answer to that last question is "No," then your deity is either uninteresting or repugnant.
Paul, I could not agree more. I have such difficulty with Scripture passages, prayers, and hymns that say the likes of, "God sent his only son to die for our sins," because I do not believe that. The God that I know and love would not send his beloved son, his own creation, too, to die for our sins. I am horrified by the thought.
Jesus saves us, first by the Incarnation, by coming to be one with us. He saves us by his teaching and the example of the way he lived his life. Jesus saves us by the manner in which he went to his crucifixion and death, not because his Father willed his death, but because the powers in Judaism and Rome conspired to have him killed. And Jesus saves us by his Resurrection.
Perhaps, my thoughts on salvation are no more than my made-up theology and count for nothing, but they work for me.
Amen, dear Brother!
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