[Thank you for participating in this discussion over these last three days. We will be publishing all three parts as a whole on a separate page of our website where we can continue the dialogue, add to it, and make changes. It is not meant to be a static document, but a means of raising awareness and pinpointing ways in which we differ from traditional thinking.]
Whereas: We are followers of Christ who are wary about things that are given the cultural label “Christian”; and
Whereas: “Christian” has become a term that has more to do with how one aligns oneself politically and socially, or how one behaves in relation to certain cultural mores, than it does with anything of the heart; and
Whereas: We want to be Christians – but with a new definition;
We have come to the following conclusions:
We do not have to determine whether a person is a Christian or a non-Christian before we know how to talk with him or her. We speak to everyone in a universal language. Some may be drawn to us; others may be repelled. We do not know who is who – nor is it our responsibility to figure this out; we only point the way.
We can be fearless in the world because we know that Jesus is praying for our protection (John 17:15), and there is no power on earth or in heaven that can stand against Him.
Therefore, and for all these reasons, we do not have to hide in a subculture, nor do we have to spend all our efforts fighting society. We are not at war with the world. We love the world as God does because it is full of people for whom He gave His Son so that those who believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
Since Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, neither will we. And since, instead, Jesus came to save the world, we will put all our efforts to that end, knowing that He has already completed all the work necessary to save people. It remains only for us is to let them know.
John Fischer The Catch 
Loved this series John. We also need to lose the private language i.e. “get into the word”. People of the world have no clue what talk like that means. We think we are communicating with them and it is a foreign language to them.
You are so right about that. I have been more aware of that as I’ve worked on these. We still have some work to do!
the more i read, the more i like this… 🙂
What would happen if we explored the Scriptures that not only talked about Grace is by faith alone, but the ones like in Revelations that we will be judged by what we have done?
Revelations 20:12
12 And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there-before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived.
Matthew 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne.32 Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats,33 putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation.35 And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room,36 I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?38-39 And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’40 Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me-you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell.42 And why? Because-I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,43 I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me-you failed to do it to me.’
46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
Not sure what you’re implying here. This could be the “faith without works is dead” discussion. All I know is, we are not going to pass any muster at the pearly gates based on our behavior. There will be no one in heaven who can point to their good works and say, “That got me here.”
Exactly what Mark said! The more I read, the more I like it.
We communicate Christ 1st and formost by LIVING Christ. We are His hands and feet and mouth. In that way, aren’t we at war with the world? Hatred v love, selfishness v giving. James did say works got us into heaven, but he and Paul both were saying that our faith is known by the works we show. I agree with most of what you say; we now have to redefine ourselves as non-political or non-cultural. I like to use the phrase “man who belongs to Christ”. Any ideas??
Please, could someone show me the way to the separate page where the sole declaration lives? I’d like to show my like-minded sister.
Thanks for any help you can give me. 🙂
We don’t have it on a page yet, but the 3 parts should be on consecutive days.