As far as labels matter – and, they often do – I gladly accept the name of Christ and call myself a Christian. I have done so since November 1991 when I confessed Jesus Christ as my Lord and as my Savior. I am a church-going, Bible-believing, prayer praying Saint. I have faith in God through Jesus Christ and I’m ready to defend the truth of the Gospel. If I were to give a summary of my beliefs, I would say the following according to the teachings of the Bible. Take a second to read this:
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The above statement is called “The Apostles’ Creed” and it has been a foundation of orthodox Christianity for centuries. I accept it as well. I labor to lay out all of the above because some of you will think I’m crazy for writing a few of the sentences that will follow this introduction.
For the record, I also believe that Christians, Believers, the Born Again should be challenged to learn, live and love the way Christ taught. It just so happens that we have a ready example of people of incredible religious zeal operating in our world today. My own persuasion is that Islam falls short of the Truth. However, there are some things that I believe we Saints can learn from them among others…and demonstrate more zeal along with knowledge in our faith. Feel free to throw rocks.
1. Most Muslims allow their faith to direct their lives daily – on the other hand, some of my Christian friends treat their faith as an accessory. Some days we put it on; some days we don’t. Kind of depends upon whether it goes along with our activities for that day.
2. Most Muslims actually read their book – I find the level of Biblical illiteracy astounding. This wouldn’t be surprising in terms of the general population, but amongst the Saints, it’s rather shocking to realize how little we know. Frankly, for some of us, they might as well not even publish Old Testaments.
3. Most Muslims pray “religiously” – There’s something to be said for regular, regimented prayer. At least, I can say more for that than I can say for failing to pray. Christians alternate between laughing at and disdaining what they call a “religious” spirit and bypass some of the important disciplines that the religious observe.
4. Most Muslims respect authority, order and training – It’s always disappointed me that the only requirement (in some circles) to become a religious leader is the ability to gain followers, raise an offering and wear a fat tie. Some churches are started by people who were told by their own pastors that they weren’t ready to lead a church… so they bolted! Tough issue because it touches on the denominational versus non-denominational argument and the matter of “what is a church anyway” discussion. Too much for one blog. Get back with me later.
5. Most Muslims still respect gender roles – I feel like I’m holding a can opener in one hand and wearing a raincoat on this one because this is a nasty can of worms! A lot of people think that making distinctions between the sexes is to automatically devalue one or the other. Not so! As a result, it appears that our relationships are more haphazard than purpose-driven…more strife-filled than peaceful.
6. Most Muslims raise their children to observe their faith – I’m not sure why so many Believers are so passive when it comes to sharing with our children what we believe. I don’t know where that comes from. I understand we can’t “make” them believe, but shouldn’t we at least give them the benefit of our worldviews? A lot of our young people leave home unclear about what mom and dad believe and, therefore, enter the world uncertain about their own beliefs.
7. Most Muslims know what they believe and can articulate it – This is connected to the issue of Biblical illiteracy and one of my chief passions. I care quite a bit that we learn what believe and know it enough to accurately communicate the basics. That in which people choose to place their faith is up to them. As ministers of the Gospel, our job is to be faithful in our testimonies. Most of us can’t explain what we believe. (That’s why my Intro includes The Apostles’ Creed, by the way. If you don’t believe that, you might not be a Christian.) We must do better. I believe we will.
Suffice it to say that I believe those who accept the name of Christ, starting with this writer, have a lot of room to improve in terms of surrendering ourselves as “living sacrifices” according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul. I’m not seeking to beat you up. I have a log in my own eye that I’m trying to work free.
Feel free to add your own comments. I’m still working some of this through myself.
Peace.
Mark Anthony McCray is the Founder of "Live Big, Die Empty" a movement designed to help people live life more abundantly and walk in the purposes for which they were created. Write or call 832-566-2001 for more information and follow Mark on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MARKMCCRAY and http://www.twitter.com/LiveBigDieEmpty
