Thursday, September 21, 2017

The Truth Shall Set You Free

Thursday, September 21, 2017
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-32(NLT)
My friend and UMC elder, Drew McIntyre shared his review of a new book by David Watson, in which the author makes the point that there is no such thing as a church without creeds: 
There are churches with implicit creeds and churches with explicit creeds. Every Christian tradition, however, is organized around some set of beliefs that set it apart from other traditions, and the adherents of those traditions generally know what those beliefs are. These beliefs help to shape the ways in which the community of faith understands and applies Scripture.[2]
Creeds are simply that which we believe about God, and which we continue to pass along as the faith once delivered to the saints[3].  You might say that a church of folk who are creed-aphobic could be defined as those who are afraid of being known as holding any thoughts about the nature of God and our relationship with Him. 
McIntyre makes the exact opposite point;
We should not be shy about the traditions we inhabit and the beliefs that go along with them.  In part, this is simple honesty: be up front with insiders and outsiders about who you are and what you are about….Better to own it than to deceive.
Beyond simple integrity about what we claim to believe, I would carry it one step further and hold that this very truth is what sets us free, and makes us strong , or Godly.  In fact, everything we do in our daily lives restates part of the creed we hold.  Every hymn sung or act of worship in which we participate, witnesses to what we believe or hold as creed about God.  To deny this, or to be embarrassed in it, is to deny the very faith we claim to possess. 
You are a Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, or whatever label history has crowned upon the distinctives of your creedal tribe; because of recent events or changes, or lack of change, you find yourself being too embarrassed to even claim being part of that tribe.  This would be a good time to reflect on what makes you nervous about the place where you once found faith.  Like Martin Luther and countless other reformers and protestors who sensed they served a church that was missing the mark, it’s time to do what Paul the Apostle suggests:
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 
2 Corinthians 13:5(NLT)

For You Today

Now, as one who has served the church, loves the church, and wants only the advance and strength of the genuine church of Jesus Christ, do not mistake what I am suggesting.  This is not a call (or convenient excuse) for wholesale scrapping of local churches and denominations.  But, if after diligent prayer, heart-searching and personal honesty, you cannot say you identify with the church where your faith once heard the call of God to labor together and heartily, vibrantly server others…if the creed which was once your own now only serves to divide you…then, like Luther and others, if you cannot own it, live it, and proclaim it, it may be time to leave it! 
As it was in school, where nobody else can take your tests for you, it is most certainly true in the weightier issues of life, faith and eternity – no other person can take that test for you.  But when you live out those tests with honesty and integrity you will find truth, and He, THE Truth will set your feet on freedom’s path!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!


[1] Title Image: Courtesy:  Pixabay.com
[3] Jude 3

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