Macon Telegraph Logo

Christianity ain’t easy | Macon Telegraph

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Subscribe
    • Archive Search

    • All News
    • Local
    • Houston & Peach
    • The Sun News
    • Crime
    • Food Story
    • Education
    • Databases
    • Business
    • Nation/World
    • Opinion
    • Weird News
    • All Sports
    • High Schools
    • University of Georgia
    • Bulldogs Beat
    • Georgia Tech
    • Mercer
    • Columns & Blogs
    • MLB & Braves
    • NFL & Falcons
    • NBA & Hawks
    • Auto Racing
    • Golf
    • NHL/Macon Mayhem
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Living
    • Family
    • Food
    • Home & Garden
    • Religion
    • Celebrations
    • Mark Ballard
    • Dear Abby
    • Entertainment
    • Out & About
    • Celebrities
    • Music
    • Restaurants
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion Columns & Blogs
    • Your Say
  • Obituaries
  • Education Together
  • Best of the Best

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Contests

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Opinion Columns & Blogs

Christianity ain’t easy

By Bill Cummings

Special to The Telegraph

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 04, 2017 09:00 PM

A few of our readers claim I’m not a Christian — I don’t pass their litmus test. For example, some Catholics think I must believe in Transubstantiation and the sinfulness of birth control. Some Presbyterians say I must believe I am predestined to go to heaven or hell. I have several critics who claim the Nicene Creed of the year 325 must be recited and believed or I cannot call myself a Christian. But I don’t think so. I don’t think the focus is on believing. I think doing is what Jesus was all about.

I know there are 26 Pauline quotes that seem to say salvation comes by faith alone and not works, (please don’t quote them to me) but most of the time when Paul said, “works” he was talking about the Jewish regulations which he rejected, and James, the brother of Jesus, makes it very clear when he says, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-26).

Believing is easy, Christianity isn’t. Jesus doesn’t say, “Come, inherit the kingdom because you believed in the virgin birth, the resurrection and the atonement.” That would have been too easy. Instead, his litmus test consists of actions: “You fed the hungry and thirsty; you took in the strangers and the naked and the sick; you visited the prisoners” (Matt. 25:35). This is how you merit membership. It’s a whole different kind of club. It’s not just believing, it’s doing.

We use the term “believer” all the time as if this identifies a Christian. But imitating Jesus is a lot harder than believing in the Trinity. Jesus did a lot of things that most Christians would just as soon forget. For example, if I’m going to be an imitating Christian and not just a believing Christian, here are just a few of the things I must do:

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Telegraph

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

1. I must love other people. Many Christians say they love God, and that’s enough. Jesus knew that loving God was all about belief, but belief was not enough. That’s why Matthew’s gospel quotes him as saying: “You want to love God? Here’s how you do it: love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:38). The Greek word “homoia” makes it clear that loving others is identical to loving God. OK, but how about the critics who call me names and say I’m unqualified to write in this paper? Must I love them, too?

2. I must exclude favoritism. Jesus welcomed everybody, prostitutes, the hated tax collectors, the unclean Samaritans. Not only did he welcome them into his group of friends – he ate meals with them. I find this difficult. Have you ever invited a homeless person to join your family for dinner, or a young gang banger, or a radical Muslim? I think Jesus would do this. It’s not about believing, it’s about doing.

3. I must serve other people. Jesus said: I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:24), and he acted like it. He wasn’t arrogant and self-serving like I was when I was vice president of a large firm in Macon. He was the boss of his small group of followers but maintained the attitude of a listener and a fellow traveler. If the story of the wedding celebration in John’s gospel is historically true, Jesus listened to his mother when he really didn’t want to, and then joined in the party with everybody else. Real listening with no big grandstanding, if you’re the boss, that’s hard to do. I know, I’ve been there.

4. I must be a pacifist. Jesus was a sucker for bullies. “Turn the other cheek,” he said. I seldom do that. How about you? Jesus did it that night in Gethsemane. The first Christians did it also. They died in Nero’s Coliseum rather than fight back. I know pacifism is a central part of the message of Jesus: “Do not resist an evil doer” (Matt. 5:39). But how many of us have resisted the temptation to strike back? Remember the last time you heard that someone was spreading a false rumor about you? What did you do?

G.K. Chesterton has always been one of my favorite British authors; he wrote: Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.

  Comments  

Videos

Video: Local poet James Brown reads poem about non-violence

Interview with Senator Marco Rubio on humanitarian aid for Venezuela

View More Video

Trending Stories

Bibb County sheriff’s investigators probe in-custody death at jail

February 16, 2019 12:35 PM

Shooting claims life of Hawkinsville man

February 16, 2019 06:38 PM

Back to normal: GymDog Marissa Oakley shines, finds redemption in anchor position on bars

February 16, 2019 10:51 AM

First night of playoff basketball doesn’t disappoint with teams battling to the buzzer

February 16, 2019 01:30 PM

Fresh faces and new sponsors give Daytona 500 throwback feel

February 16, 2019 07:14 PM

Read Next

Why is Ga. GOP acting like babies? Because they’re afraid of new success by Democrats

Opinion Columns & Blogs

Why is Ga. GOP acting like babies? Because they’re afraid of new success by Democrats

By Erick Erickson

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 13, 2019 04:30 PM

Georgia Republican lawmakers in General Assembly need to do a better job of operating on offense instead of defense on tax and ERA issues, and not hide in the shadow and let Democrats run circles around them.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Telegraph

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE OPINION COLUMNS & BLOGS

Success for minority businesses is vital, and there’s a group out there that can help

Opinion Columns & Blogs

Success for minority businesses is vital, and there’s a group out there that can help

February 03, 2019 11:43 AM
A society was built on sacrifice of children. They have been forgotten. How about us?

Opinion Columns & Blogs

A society was built on sacrifice of children. They have been forgotten. How about us?

January 30, 2019 07:33 PM
Well, why not? Local columnist considers run for president in crowded Democrat field

Opinion Columns & Blogs

Well, why not? Local columnist considers run for president in crowded Democrat field

January 24, 2019 03:04 PM
Parking meter profits, joining Macon airport with Atlanta’s are thoughts on his mind

Opinion Columns & Blogs

Parking meter profits, joining Macon airport with Atlanta’s are thoughts on his mind

January 23, 2019 05:20 PM
Georgia has officially been put in hands of a man who means to help and represent all

Opinion Columns & Blogs

Georgia has officially been put in hands of a man who means to help and represent all

January 16, 2019 04:16 PM
There’s a group in Perry who are putting others above themselves and helping all

Opinion Columns & Blogs

There’s a group in Perry who are putting others above themselves and helping all

January 10, 2019 08:39 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Macon Telegraph App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Advertise with Us
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story