At the center of the Christian gospel is the good news offered to the world and authored by God through Jesus of Nazareth. You would think that to be obvious, especially to folks who might stumble on this blog.
"Yes, of course !!"
Ah !! But maybe it is not so obvious. We have spent a life time since Christ, dividing the church over issues that may embrace "truth" but have nothing to do with the issue of Christ's saving influence in our lives.
The High Church questions the personal message of salvation and preaches the efficacy of liturgy. The non-Catholic Church has no clue what liturgy is nor the doctrine of grace giving ceremonies (i.e. the Eucharist). We are divided over the doctrine of baptisms, the form of church or congregational governance, the place and purpose of the bishopric, tongues and the Holy Spirit inspired charismata, the Eschaton and its eschatological importance, the place and purpose of Holy Scripture, social justice as a function of church politic, prophecy and its eschatological purpose, the sovereignty of God versus the creaturely demand for obedience, the whole soteriological question and how we apply that teaching without getting in the way of God's saving activities . . . . . and on and on.
Today, I hope to meet with a couple of young Mormon elders. This will be my fourth set of meetings. From the beginning, I purposed to present a "incarnational gospel," if you will; one that allows for the problem solving sovereignty of God to draw us together upon the pronouncement that Jesus is Lord.
They have tried to talk about the need to discover the right church. I have talked about the problem of being a member of the right church while continuing to be a sinner and sinning in our personal life, away from the "right church."
They have talked about the importance of the prophet, Joseph Smith, (oooops, I almost wrote "Joseph Smithson") and his function as mediator. I have talked about Christ centered relationships and the mediation of the Christ of God.
They have talked about the Spirit in the Church and I have talked about the Spirit within us.
And at each of these points, they readily agree!! That is, if I don't force a denial of their present beliefs.
Some will argue that I am doing a disservice to the message of the gospel. I would argue that I am preaching the only gospel Christ left us to preach.
Look, Paul tells us that some within the first church believed there were other Gods, dynamic and living. He writes to the Corinthians words to this effect," we know there is but one God but there are those [our brothers] who do not share that belief." As a result, Paul argues, we must honor their fear of eating meats offered to these false Gods. We can conclude that the Corinthian Church was full of disciples who had actually made a choice as to which God they would server, Zeus (for example) or the God of Christ and the Jews.
We know that the First Church was almost 100% Jewish in composition. They worshiped and sacrificed on Saturday and attended Christian services where Christ was the only sacrifice. They practiced their "old" religion as if nothing had changed while naming Christ as their Lord and Savior.
How does all this work and why would we think that Mormons who name the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior should receive less grace than those "in error" within the First Church.
I for one, cannot imagine the existential difference between those in error within the First Church and our Mormon friends who name the name of Christ.
I understand that they are more than confused as to the doctrine of God and Christ. Does that mean that God/Christ cannot work salvation in their lives, saving them until the time they understand that he is truly God.
I was baptized at age 12 -- 57 years ago. I doubt that I had a clue as to what Christian doctrine was all about, or the eternity of God or his sacrificial death on the cross. Heck, it was not until 1997 that I came to understand the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Was I lost until then?
Do I have to think right to be saved? I know that there is not enough obedience within me to make the grade, apart from His mercy. What about my ability to think? Are only the most intelligent saved.
What about that addict whose brain is wasted and whose sensibilities are retarded?
You may have your answer.
I have mine and it is truly good news for the stupid and blind and addicted.
A final question: who wins, man who thinks and does unrighteousness or the grace of God?
If our sins and intellectual failures win the day, if they "stop God in his tracks, God is not sovereign. The claim to "sovereignty" demands God's ability to accomplish his will in our lives, in the function of his creation and in spite of our several inabilities.
finis
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