PART FOUR: Living Jesus Creed
Chap. 19. Believing in Jesus
"The goal of a disciple of Jesus is relationship, not perfection."
BELIEVING IS A RELATIONSHIP. The important thing for Jesus is believing, not being a good person. The Phoenician women that pestered Jesus to heal her daughter is an example of a person who believed.
FAITH AND ITS FRIENDS. The Jesus Creed is for someone who believes, not someone who believed. There are at least three dimensions to faith.
- Faith's friend of the mind: affirming kingdom truths. We have to believe in our minds that Jesus is God. Creeds are a way of expressing that belief intellectually.
- Faith's friend of the body: acting on kingdom truths. Genuine faith prompts action. If you truly believe in your head, then your body will act accordingly.
- Faith's friend of the heart: persisting in kingdom truths. Persistence is important in faith.
FAITH IS… "We cannot have a relationship with our christology—we can have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Our soteriology cannot save us from our sins—our Savior can. Our ecclesiology does not make us one—the Lord of the Church does. Our eschatology will not transform this flawed universe—Jesus the King of kings and Prince of Peace will do that. And, no matter how much we love theology—it will never love us back. Only God in Christ loves us, and that is why believing is a relationship.
Chap. 20. Abiding in Jesus
Sometimes it takes a jolt to get the point. Martha misses the point; Mary gets the point.
THE PROPER POSTURE. "Sitting at the feet' became synonymous with being a disciple. Mary had the proper posture, sitting at Jesus' feet.
CONSTANT ACCESS. Gods love is like constant access to the network. It is always available.
ATTENDING TO JESUS. We can best attend to Jesus in three ways.
- Attending to the Lord in the Word. We need to read to be transformed, not just informed.
- Attending to the Lord in worship.
- Attending to the Lord in fellowship.
WE ATTEND TO JESUS BY ABIDING IN HIM.
PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD. The example of Brother Lawrence.
THE FRUIT OF ABIDING.
Quotes from Mcknight, Scot (2009-10-01). Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (pp. 190-191). Paraclete Press. Kindle Edition.