INTRODUCTION TO AFFIRMATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
As time marches on and the aging process begins to cast a shadow on my short-term memory, my mind seems sharper now than ever regarding long-term memory. It is interesting to me that, at 85 years of age, I am still recalling interpretations of Christian beliefs that have been hallmarks of my ministry for three score and more years.
After all, I have sat under the preaching, on a right regular basis, of no fewer than a dozen inimitable pastors with whom I was associated in my role as Church Consultant, Christian Educator and Community Counselor. In my associations, and during those years of Christian service, each of my pastors involved me in the ministries of preaching and teaching the Word.
Living in the latter days of my life on this earth, with the 21st century well under way, I find myself “up against it” regarding a lot that I read today, and hear, about endeavors by more than a few Christian ministers to re-define basic Christian doctrines – beliefs that, for me, were and still are “pillars” upon which to build one’s Christian life.
In our world of instant communication, we pick up on much negativism as to the validity of our Christian Faith - for instance, the brazenness with which professing Christians embrace ways other than Jesus Christ for being saved – even by folks who know that Jesus proved what He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life . . . No one comes to the Father except by me.”
An illustration of how some folks are thinking occurred at one of my favorite places for fellowship with friends - The Waffle House: One morning while sitting at one end of the coffee shop, I and everyone else could hear a guy at the other end waxing eloquent about religious issues. Although I for the most part had tuned him out, my ears perked up when he started talking about how one goes to heaven. Don’t know how the subject came up, but what I heard this guy say was: “All people of all religions will go to heaven if they’re good.”
Now folks, I’m in favor of everyone being good; and I’m in favor of everyone going to heaven; but it doesn’t matter what I am in favor of, or what the Waffle House customer’s view was; the fact is that the Bible tells us who will and will not go to heaven; and nowhere in the Bible does it say that “all people from all religions will go to heaven if they are good.”
Later in this series, I share my understanding of a Christian view of “how to go to heaven”. The “who and how” of receiving, by grace through faith, God’s gift of eternal life ought to be a major objective of all Christian preaching and teaching.
Pursuing an evangelistic objective, however, in no way diminishes but enhances the importance of affirming and acting upon all other major Christian doctrines – the necessity of which motivated me to reaffirm my Christian beliefs.
There were basically ten tenets which I felt the need to reexamine and work through in my own mind until I could say, “This I believe.”
Yes, reflected in my statements of belief are numerous interpretations and perspectives gained from a lifetime of intensive Bible study, as well as listening with an attentive ear to good teachers and preachers, not to mention all the research done through the years in preparation for teaching teachers – probably the most rewarding aspect of my ministry. Amen.
AFFIRMATIONS – SERMON II: BELIEF IN GOD OUR FATHER
Before Jesus came, the concept of God as “our Father” had not been expressed in writing or in speech by anyone in authority. When Jesus used the word “Father” to describe His personal relationship to God, it was then that His disciples became aware of their own relationship to God as Father.
Why did Jesus refer to God as Father? The obvious reason would be that, because Jesus was the Son of God, it follows naturally and logically that He would speak of God as His Father; but I suggest to you a much greater lesson to be learned - primarily due to the meaning of the Greek word used by Jesus – the word “Abba” – which was used by children in Jewish homes to refer to their earthly fathers as “Daddy.”
You and I both know from our childhood that “daddy” was a term of endearment - affection and intimacy - used by children when addressing the one who fathered them biologically, or, in many cases, nurtured them and provided for them as their “second daddy” or their “daddy by adoption.”
In my case, my biological father died when I was five years of age; so as I grew up, there were others who, to me, were looked upon as “daddy”.
My son Mike’s step-daughter – who was three years old when her mom and my son got married – was raised by my son and his beloved wife; the two of them cared for Kristen and nurtured her until she got married.
My son Mike became his step-daughter’s daddy; she called him daddy; he was the only real daddy she ever knew; so, it is not surprising that, when the time came for her to get married, she asked my son to escort her down the aisle and present her to her fiancée for marriage. A proud moment!
The kind of relationship we are describing is one of intimacy. Jesus used “daddy” not as a term of condescension, but as a statement of his and his Father’s relationship; Jesus wanted His disciples to have that same kind of close and personal relationship with God. Jesus wanted His disciples – including you and me – to know His Father as our Father too.
Jesus wants us to know that, because of our new birth experience that brought us into a new relationship with Christ, we have become children of God through adoption into the family of God; as God’s children, we too can and should enjoy an intimate relationship with Father God.
Jesus taught us to begin our prayers to God by addressing the One to whom we pray in these familiar words: “Our Father who art in heaven.”
As we go through any circumstance in life, as we bear any burden, as we walk through any troublesome valley, it is okay to call upon God as our Father - knowing that God the Father loves and cares. So, we affirm our belief in God the Father; yet, we also realize that God occupies a position far superior to that denoted by the term of endearment - “daddy.” Amen.
