Life on the Pasture

"Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith. Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will, without doubt, perish eternally." Thus begins the Athanasian Creed, one of the three ecumenical creeds which Christians throughout the centuries have accepted as true statements regarding what is taught in the Holy Scriptures. But for some, the exclusivity of the statement is troubling. They want tolerance for divergent beliefs and say things such as, "You mean to tell me that a loving God would send me to hell because I don't believe the same things you do?"

The current protests and rioting have driven me to think through a proper Christian response based on what I believe. While some will say I am being naive or am glossing over injustice, I have to begin with my acceptance of the creation account as given in Genesis as opposed to a pure evolutionary view which offers the possibility of different groups of human ancestors developing at a similar time. Because I accept the creation account, I accept that Adam and Eve are our common ancestors and the idea of separate "races" is non-biblical and antithetical to the Christian faith. John 3:16 does not say, "For God so loved all races," but, "For God so loved the world." Thus Jesus came as Savior of all. If He loves all so much to die for them, then I also follow His example in that I love my neighbor (my fellow human being) as myself.

So how do I love my neighbor as myself? The Ten Commandments are instructive, especially when we consider that if there is a negative aspect (what we should not do), there is also a positive aspect (what we should do). Martin Luther teaches this so well in the Small Catechism. For instance, he explains the commandment to not murder this way: "We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his or her body, but help and support him or her in every physical need." And regarding the commandment to not steal: "We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his or her body, but help and support him or her in every physical need."

 If I am gong to talk this talk, I must also walk this walk. I must take personal responsibility for not only my words, but also for my actions. I cannot apologize for things I have not done. Nor can I ignore the plight of my neighbor if I am in a position to help. And in all things, if I am publicly identifying myself with Jesus, I must reflect Him as I have come to know Him from the Holy Scriptures. The language that I use is to build up rather than tear down. The public groups I choose to identify with cannot be "ok" in some areas but "disagreeable" in others. I'm either all in or not at all, conscious of the fact that because I am a child of God through faith in Jesus, I bring Him with me wherever I may be. I wish to hallow His name.

Paul writes: "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Timothy 4:16, NIV) There may be pressure to identify with various causes, and, if we don't, to be shamed as uncaring, etc. For me, I belong to Christ and am obligated to reflect His attitudes and actions as I have come to know them from the Scriptures. I am obligated to live a life of love, treating all as my neighbor for whom Christ died. In other words, through the Spirit's work, I am exclusively His.

– Pastor Schmidt