We continue reflecting on what Presbyterians believe with the topic of salvation. Growing up in the Bible belt brought this question to forefront on a regular basis -- both as a question I might be asked, but also as an observation I might make of what others were doing at their churches.
A simple Presbyterian response to the question, "Are you saved?" might be, "Yes, Jesus saved me on the cross." But that would not fit what the person asking would consider to be a good answer; nor does it offer the same sense of making a commitment or decision that the Presbyterian answering the question might seek one day. The man in the Gospel of John story is caught in that place where experience and theology meet, and he's not sure what to make of it.
Nevada Barr, Seeking Enlightenment Hat by Hat (18): “I cannot know what will happen when I get around to shuffling off this mortal coil. That must be left in the hands of God. Not knowing the unknowable, I cannot prepare for it….What I can do is prepare my little corner of earth so that should He come to me in any form, He would be met with kindness and generosity.”
A simple Presbyterian response to the question, "Are you saved?" might be, "Yes, Jesus saved me on the cross." But that would not fit what the person asking would consider to be a good answer; nor does it offer the same sense of making a commitment or decision that the Presbyterian answering the question might seek one day. The man in the Gospel of John story is caught in that place where experience and theology meet, and he's not sure what to make of it.
Nevada Barr, Seeking Enlightenment Hat by Hat (18): “I cannot know what will happen when I get around to shuffling off this mortal coil. That must be left in the hands of God. Not knowing the unknowable, I cannot prepare for it….What I can do is prepare my little corner of earth so that should He come to me in any form, He would be met with kindness and generosity.”
Discipleship/salvation:
Why don’t we pray to become worthy of being saved, instead of for personal
salvation?
A really good
illustration was found via Martin E. Marty's newsletter CONTEXT, which quotes Notre Dame Magazine (August 1996), which further quotes Wendy Kaminer, author of "I'm Dysfunctional, You're
Dysfunctional" as she believes..."the talk show phenomenon grows out of the US tradition of revival meetings. The host takes the place of the evangelist, and the guests stand up and give testimony of past sins. Most of these sins, however, were committed by someone else. 'People don't get up on Oprah and say 'I've sinned'. The focus is never on their own behavior and always
on the behavior of other people towards them. They're not confessing, they're complaining. But its complaint in the form of testimony" "Even when you're confessing your own sins, penitence is no longer a requirement in the talk show revival tent. The simple act of "being honest" about some heinous deed is considered penance enough. It's a bastardization of the
revival tradition. It's the idea that salvation comes simply from the act of confession. That's just cheap grace." CONTEXT, February 15, 1997 page 4.
on the behavior of other people towards them. They're not confessing, they're complaining. But its complaint in the form of testimony" "Even when you're confessing your own sins, penitence is no longer a requirement in the talk show revival tent. The simple act of "being honest" about some heinous deed is considered penance enough. It's a bastardization of the
revival tradition. It's the idea that salvation comes simply from the act of confession. That's just cheap grace." CONTEXT, February 15, 1997 page 4.
Christian Century, 6/27/2012; “A Hopeful Universalism,” Paul
Dafydd Jones (27): “My point is
this: in light of Christ's person and
work, sin no longer sets the terms for our relationship with God and God's
relationship with us.”
Will all be saved? Willimon says we are not permitted to believe
that, but we are encouraged to hope that.
Willimon, Evangelism interview, United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH, fall 2009
Ron
Hall: “Looking back now, I mourn the
mutual wounds inflicted in verbal battles with the 'unsaved.' In fact, I have chosen to delete that
particular word from my vocabulary as I have learned that even with my $500
European designer bifocals, I cannot see into a person's heart to know his
spiritual condition. All I can do it tell
the jagged tale of my own spiritual journey and declare that my life has been
the better for having followed Christ.” Same Kind of Different, Ron Hall
and Denver Moore, 60
Samuel Shoemaker in his book How to Become a Christian writes about how salvation comes from God, but people need to make a Christian commitment: "No man [person] can redeem himself [herself]. No man [person] can make a cross of his [her] own that saves [him]....I am shocked to find how many people in our churches have never anywhere made a decisive Christian commitment. They oozed into church membership on a conventional kind of basis, but no one has ever effectively dealt with the spiritually, or helped them make a Christian decision" (67-70).
How would you answer the question, "Are you saved?" Better yet, when you look into the mirror how do you answer the question, "Am I saved?"
How would you answer the question, "Are you saved?" Better yet, when you look into the mirror how do you answer the question, "Am I saved?"
No comments:
Post a Comment