Incarnating the Word (that is, enacting the Way of Jesus) is the only meaningful affirmation of the word.
Christians are people of the incarnation (of the Word of God), we are not people of the word, or of the book -- that's Islam.
It doesn't matter what we say we believe, only what our beliefs lead us to do, say, and see. Conversely, what we do, say, and see reveals what we believe.
This doesn't mean that we aren't loved when we fail to enact the Way, or that we need to try harder to imitate Jesus. Although, there is a place for effort. As philosopher Dallas Willard put it so memorably, "Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action."
This issue here is simply clarity. The Way of Incarnation, or of embodying the Way, means that ONLY enacting is affirming. We affirm our faith in the Way by walking it, not by confessing creeds. Once this is clear a lot of the things that divide the body of Christ and limit it's impact are wiped away.
Not only are the superficial and meaningless differences wiped away, but also the hubris of individual pride. When we measure ourselves not by what we think we believe, know, or by comparison to anyone other than Jesus, "thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought" is no longer a problem.
Once this state is achieved we can begin. We can be resurrected.
Christians are people of the incarnation (of the Word of God), we are not people of the word, or of the book -- that's Islam.
It doesn't matter what we say we believe, only what our beliefs lead us to do, say, and see. Conversely, what we do, say, and see reveals what we believe.
This doesn't mean that we aren't loved when we fail to enact the Way, or that we need to try harder to imitate Jesus. Although, there is a place for effort. As philosopher Dallas Willard put it so memorably, "Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action."
This issue here is simply clarity. The Way of Incarnation, or of embodying the Way, means that ONLY enacting is affirming. We affirm our faith in the Way by walking it, not by confessing creeds. Once this is clear a lot of the things that divide the body of Christ and limit it's impact are wiped away.
Not only are the superficial and meaningless differences wiped away, but also the hubris of individual pride. When we measure ourselves not by what we think we believe, know, or by comparison to anyone other than Jesus, "thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought" is no longer a problem.
Once this state is achieved we can begin. We can be resurrected.
