Why The Episcopal Church USA Needs to Stop Calling Themselves 'Christian'
The words of the incoming presiding bishop demonstrate and confirm a longstanding fact: the Episcopal Church USA is not a part of the historical, orthodox Christian Church and need to stop pretending otherwise.
2. Claiming that we can save ourselves demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the nature of sin and the holiness of God. If, as Schori claims, that "salvation comes as the healing of all Creation through holy living" were true, then absolutely no one would be saved and everyone is doomed to hell. List one person, including Schori, who has been successful at "holy living." That is the very reason Jesus had to come and that nothing else is capable of getting us to God. We all sin (Romans 3:23)
Our sins are so offensive to God that His holiness demanded payment (otherwise, as God, He would cease to be God by ignoring sin). As perfection was the only possible and adequate payment for such sin, the only candidate for such payment was Himself! God took on the weight of our sins Himself through Christ and proclaimed us who are, by nature, very unholy (and incapable of "holy living"), holy when we believe and receive Christ as Lord (John 1:12). It is absolutely impossible (realistically and logically) for us to save ourselves. The Bible says as much in Ephesians 2: 8-9, instructing that salvation is strictly through the grace of God, not of works so that we cannot boast. Schori somehow missed that in theology 101 (i.e. children's Sunday School class)
3. Finally and arguably most important: Limiting God only in the sense that He chose to limit Himself is not putting God in a box. It is called believing about Him what He says about Himself. Jesus claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6). Believing that the Creator of the Universe (that is to say, Jesus--see John 1:1-4) is the only way to eternal life is hardly considered a "very small box." I do not understand how anyone can consider themselves Christian who doesn't actually believe in nor follow Christ? The fact is, they are not Christians any more than a boy who doesn't wear the Boy Scout uniform, adhere to the Scout Oath or believe in the organizational structure of Scouting can be considered a Boy Scout. You don't pick and choose what you like and decide what you think Christianity should be. You take it as it was given us by God through Christ or you join a country club or something.
Am I being too bold in claiming that those who adhere to the ECUSA (as far as they fall in line with their new bishop) are non-Christians? No...their leader has demonstrated the truth of that very claim herself.
[Quote from Crosswalk.com]
She says she doesn't consider Jesus Christ to be the only way to God. She says she believes God makes some people "gay." And, reports AgapePress, she's soon to be the leader of a mainline Protestant denomination in America. In an interview this week with Associated Press, Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori -- who is to be installed on Saturday as the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA -- stated that Christians should not say that Jesus is the only way to God. "If we insist we know the one way to God," she said, "we've put God in a very small box." Jefferts-Schori says she disagrees with the idea that salvation comes only through trusting in Jesus Christ, but instead salvation comes as the healing of all Creation through holy living. On the issue of homosexuality, the Episcopal Church has been embroiled for years in a debate over the ordination of homosexual clergy and "blessing" ceremonies for same-sex couples. Jefferts-Schori supports both, and told AP that she does not believe the Bible condemns "committed" homosexual relationships. God, she says, made some people "gay."1. God does not make people into something that His very word calls sin any more than He makes some people murderers, liars, thieves, gluttons, or gossips. God's word demonstrates that His love and compassion extends to homosexuals as it does to all of us sinners, but homosexuality is as much a part of the fallen nature of man as any other sin. One may not like it because it calls us to accountability and denying our fallen desires, but one cannot change the words of Scripture and continue calling themselves a Christian.
2. Claiming that we can save ourselves demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the nature of sin and the holiness of God. If, as Schori claims, that "salvation comes as the healing of all Creation through holy living" were true, then absolutely no one would be saved and everyone is doomed to hell. List one person, including Schori, who has been successful at "holy living." That is the very reason Jesus had to come and that nothing else is capable of getting us to God. We all sin (Romans 3:23)
Our sins are so offensive to God that His holiness demanded payment (otherwise, as God, He would cease to be God by ignoring sin). As perfection was the only possible and adequate payment for such sin, the only candidate for such payment was Himself! God took on the weight of our sins Himself through Christ and proclaimed us who are, by nature, very unholy (and incapable of "holy living"), holy when we believe and receive Christ as Lord (John 1:12). It is absolutely impossible (realistically and logically) for us to save ourselves. The Bible says as much in Ephesians 2: 8-9, instructing that salvation is strictly through the grace of God, not of works so that we cannot boast. Schori somehow missed that in theology 101 (i.e. children's Sunday School class)
3. Finally and arguably most important: Limiting God only in the sense that He chose to limit Himself is not putting God in a box. It is called believing about Him what He says about Himself. Jesus claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6). Believing that the Creator of the Universe (that is to say, Jesus--see John 1:1-4) is the only way to eternal life is hardly considered a "very small box." I do not understand how anyone can consider themselves Christian who doesn't actually believe in nor follow Christ? The fact is, they are not Christians any more than a boy who doesn't wear the Boy Scout uniform, adhere to the Scout Oath or believe in the organizational structure of Scouting can be considered a Boy Scout. You don't pick and choose what you like and decide what you think Christianity should be. You take it as it was given us by God through Christ or you join a country club or something.
Am I being too bold in claiming that those who adhere to the ECUSA (as far as they fall in line with their new bishop) are non-Christians? No...their leader has demonstrated the truth of that very claim herself.
[Quote from Crosswalk.com]
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posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 11/03/2006 05:30:00 PM
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