Get your house emaculate before inviting guests over!!
or not . . .
In some circles within modern Christendom there is a debate that rages between being and doing in relationship to being a follower of Christ.
Weird distinction-- I can't imagine seperating focusing on being married, and engaging in my marriage. I cannot imagine isolating the concept of "being" a friend with someone and engaging in that friendship, hanging out, talking, helping each-other out.
Well anyway, Peter's first act at Pentecost, his first act upon receiving the holy spirit, was to preach the gospel. His first act was to actively, intentionally, throw open wide the gate and invite people into relationship with Jesus. But I suspect that Peter himself had a long way to go in the journey of being a child of God, being a subject of the Kingdom of God. In Galations 2 Paul writes about having to confront Peter about major issues with his ministry in his prefferential treatment of Jewish people in the congregation. Apparently Peter was still a work in progress, yet that did not stop him from working to intentionally spread the gospel. So I guess it's ok to not have your house completely tidy before you invite people in.
posted by Jeff Cannell @ 1:52 PM
4 Comments:
I guess it is pride. Thanks for adding to the discussion Fred!
Jeff,
I would swap the concepts of being and doing in your post. Once someone BEcomes a Christian they get a new nature. Then we spend the rest of our lives learning how to live (do) according to that new nature. We don't do things to be Christians, we do things because we are Christians.
What I've said can appear to be semantic nit picking, but it's based on the contrast of works and grace, a theme of the Bible.
At the same time, the Bible does assume a natural connection between someone being a Christian and doing Christian things. But the doing of Christian things does not make a Christian. You can engage in married activities because you are married - not the other way around.
Paul seems to have a category for people who are Christians but don't do Christianity in I Cor. 3, he calls them "carnal".
A lot of Pauls writtings follows a pattern: you are a Christian, so act like it.
Mark
Emasculate my horse before inviting guests over? Sheez, my pastor is weird.
hey jeff-
thanks for posting this. i was literally having folks over yesterday and wrestling with the need to have my place perfectly clean when i read this.
i know it wasn't exactly you're intent, but i clearly felt our Lord tapping me on the shoulder when your page loaded.
thanks,
kirsten
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