Can’t have faith without a family

You may have to rethink your understanding of personal faith.   It’s possible you may have been seduced by the thought that Jesus has set you free from everything and you are free indeed.   Hallelujah!  Being set free by Jesus is a marvelous truth and a marvelous experience.  It is an exhilarating feeling to have the weight and the shame of sin removed from our conscience and our being.   It is euphoric.

Too often we rejoice that the surgery to remove sin is complete but fail to continue the new normal life Jesus intended for us.   Perhaps we are lured by American culture being independent, strong, brave, and free.  In America, we love the idea of rugged individualism.   We love the idea of getting off the grid, living disconnected from the strain and drain of modern life.   We know the vortex of the busyness of life is slowly macerating our souls and we long to be free and to be whole.   We long for our lives to have more meaning than earning a paycheck, paying bills, and living for a brief respite derived from our toys of entertainment or recreation.   We place dates on a calendar for a few days of break, yet sometimes we’re too exhausted to enjoy it and the trip home comes way too soon.   We say,” I wish I had a few more days.”

Perhaps a part of the remedy is time to reconsider the freedom Jesus calls us to.   Is he calling us to be free from sin (redeemed and forgiven) and free to do as we please?   Is he calling us to rugged individual faith and to live free from relationships?

It’s time for those of us who aspire to personal faith, and nothing more to come to terms with the words of Jesus.  He has a complete plan of redemption for us, and we need all of it.

There can be no doubt the only portal to salvation from God is the cross of Jesus Christ.   Furthermore, the work of the cross of Jesus Christ is an all-consuming, complete work.  Jesus will give the Holy Spirit, the Word will come alive, and Jesus will intercede from the right hand of the Father.

Now this will sound like an infomercial.  But wait, there’s more.   If you want to have a personal relationship with Jesus and nothing more, then you miss what he said.  

John 14:6 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

You can’t disconnect the two sentences.   Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.   But he points to more.   Jesus knows faith is not complete without family.   You both need and have a father who deeply loves you and longs to care for you.   Jesus loves you enough to keep pointing you to the Father.   Jesus knows you likely did not have a perfect earthly father.  He knows the power of the vortex of life around you and the temptation to pull off life and into yourself.   It seems right to get off the grid of relationships.  

Surprise, the remedy is not pulling out of life but following Jesus to his father.   Faith has a family, and the head of the family is the Heavenly Father.

Infomercial time again.   But wait there’s more.   The father has children, you have a family born of this same father and through the blood of his son.  The endless possibilities of fulfilling relationships are too numerous to calculate, but they are there.   The nourishing relationships are all around you like Baskin Robbins 52 flavors and Heinz 57 varieties.   Your father knows you need just a few to keep you healthy.   Find a few and go deep.  Keep trying until you are safe with a few.   Keep your eyes and ears open to others who are alone and share that need for caring relationships.  You are connected, and you need more than rugged individual faith.   Can you go to heaven by maintaining your independence from the father and his family?  Great question.   You will have to examine the words of the Jesus you are clinging to.

Luke 6:46 (NIV)

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

There have been some fantastic books written about this idea.  Ruben Welch wrote a book titled, “We Really Do Need Each Other”.   Dr. David Ferguson writes about this in “The Great Commandment Principle” and “The Never Alone Church”.   Perhaps the place to start is found in 1 Corinthians 12 where the Apostle Paul writes about the “Body of Christ” that each believer is a part of.   He uses the analogy of a body to illustrate how we all fit together in God’s family, his church.   Jesus is the head and everyone else is a body part with an important function.   The parts need each other.   Rugged individual faith is a silly form of pride.   Can you picture an eyeball walking around by itself declaring its independence?   How weird would it look for an ear to ride a bike and declare, “I don’t need hands to steer or feet to pedal.  I’m good so leave me alone.”  

Reframe your faith to battle your pride and your independence.  Do some self-talk about never wanting to get hurt again?   No one is perfect and dealing with hurt and disappointment is part of life.   We really do need each other.   Self-confession from me.   I am skilled with words but poor with mercy.   I really need others to help me learn to have mercy.  Mercy is a core issue in God’s heart.   Without mercy there’s no grace, just getting what you deserve.   I’m not great at serving.  I enjoy leading.   A few years ago, I was privileged to be a part of a community service project, and when the team leader recognized me they wanted to acquiesce to my leadership.  Joyfully I refused, and that day I was blessed to be led by a better leader for serving.   I learned to serve from a family member.   I needed them.

Today, reconsider your personal faith.   It’s not only personal, it’s also a family faith.  We need everything God has promised us and part of that is his family.