“I don’t care that the
Bible says a whale swallowed Jonah; as matter of fact, I’d still believe it if
it had said it was Jonah that swallowed the whale!” – Anon.
Several years ago, I was watching a Cable News
Network report about some new archaeological discovery that would radically
change the way we understood the life of the man Jesus and the early apostles!
(There usually is always a “radical new” discovery that would presumably shake
Christianity to its very foundations being presented every year).
During the presentation, the CNN reporter
defined Christians as “those who believe in the resurrection of
Jesus”
That definition struck me as odd because most
secular definitions of “Christian” are something like “a person professing
belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teachings of
Jesus”. However, this particular definition, coming from a patently secular source, was most interesting;
because it would wipe out a significant percentage of “Christians” from the Map
if it was applied!
There’re clergymen today – supposedly spiritual
leaders of whole masses of people – who openly declare that they do not believe
Jesus actually rose from the dead. They usually go on to declare that belief in
a resurrection is not that essential
to one’s faith as a Christian. These well-versed doctors of divinity probably
skipped “Christianity 101” in theology school.
The truth is, it’s not as much the belief in the Resurrection that makes us
“Christian” as much as it is the agreement
with the inspired Bible authors.
1Co 15:4 says, “And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day ACCORDING
TO THE SCRIPTURES”.
I feel that is the spirit of that CNN
definition: a “Christian” is one who
believes whatever the scriptures say (and not what “professors”, “scholars”,
“experts” or even culture says).
Does this updated
definition still enclose you; or does it exclude you out?
AMEN.
More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss
them in Jesus’ Name.
GREG ELKAN
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