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I had a very nice Easter Sunday today. The music was great and the talks were good. Even my primary lesson went well. But then I began to wonder about the purpose of a Savior. As I have thought about this over the past several hours, I seem to be realizing that I can’t quite understand the atonement because I have never truly used it. I have committed many sins of course, but I suppose I usually feel like I can make up for them by myself. I can apologize when I’ve hurt someone, or return and pay for a stolen item (crime from my youth), or some such thing. I guess I feel like I’ve never committed a sin that seemed larger than what I could fix myself. I’m no where near perfect, but for some reason I feel like my faults are ones that I can improve upon eventually and even if they are with me my whole life they are no worse than faults any regular person has. I have even experienced some very dark mental states, but I don’t feel like Christ saved me from them. I suffered alone until it passed on its own. So I am left to wonder, if I can or could ever be considered a Christian. I really love the simple teachings of Christ to love our neighbors and enemies, and to forgive 7 times 70. But if I don’t understand or use the atonement, then I don’t see how I could ever be a true Christian. I wonder what it would take for me to be able to really use or need the atonement in an actual personal way. I suppose in our theology a person has to be perfect to return to live with God, so all need Christ to make them perfect, but that seems to be a general and more distant thing. It is so strange to me that as a lifelong member I could have missed the most important part of all Christianity. Perhaps this is why I lean agnostic, it is unknowable for me. Just wanted to put these thoughts out there in the universe. . .
I think the moniker Christian is challenging. Is a Christian someone who is baptized, is it someone who obeys his suggestions/guidelines, is it more – such as the atonement? Depending on which religion you practice the atonement gets a different take. Even other religions don’t think others not of their faith are Christian. The only person who knows if you are a Christian would be Christ.
I think my best answer for me is I believe in Christ. Nothing more. If people want to add to it for themselves they can. I just don’t have anything more firm than that.
You ask a great question. Thanks.
Jwald sent this to me tonight. Pretty well sums it up for me.
“I think one thing you may not be realizing is those who prefer non-organized religion may be just as spiritual as you think you are. You don’t have to believe in Jesus to be walking with Him… So while you profess that you want your wife/kids to enjoy the peace you have in Christ, I would assert that perhaps they know this peace in their walk as well. Why do you think your walk is better than theirs? I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus, as told through the shack (I bolded the part I think is something you should ponder)….
“Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslim, Democrats, Republicans, and many who don’t vote or are not part of any Sunday morning religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some were bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraquis, Jews and Palistinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved.”
“Does that mean that all roads will lead to you?”
Not at all,” smiled Jesus “Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”
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I think a critical part of it is having a deep desire to go back into the presence of God but feeling that you can’t get there by yourself—not without Christ. You need both parts—wanting to get there and knowing you can’t do it on your own. For me, not being sure about the existence of God takes the oomph out of it. Looking at it symbolically is helpful, but it just doesn’t pack the same punch. I accept anyone as Christian who self-identifies as Christian. I might disagree with one, a few or a lot of their beliefs and actions, and I might think they could be a better Christian in some way, but I accept their self-identification as legitimate.
Old-Timer wrote:I accept anyone as Christian who self-identifies as Christian.
I might disagree with one, a few or a lot of their beliefs and actions, and I might think they could be a better Christian in some way, but I accept their self-identification as legitimate.
This. Who am I to decide if someone else is or isn’t Christian? Isn’t that really up to Christ and the individual to know?
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