Being A Suicidal Christian

So many Christian churches teach a false view a Christianity. Often churches lay down various sermons about 5 steps to a better prayer life, 4 ways to keep your children from being rebellious, but is this what Christianity is supposed to be. A Christian by definition is a disciple of Christ. In Luke 9:23, Jesus is speaking to his followers: "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ...'"

What does it mean to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily? Denying ourselves is one of the hardest things to do as a human being, it is realizing that we cannot bring ourselves out of our totally depraved state. We cannot pull ourselves out by our own bootstraps, it is basic Law of Conservation of Momentum, an outside force is required to initiate momentum. Once we realize this we must take up our cross. A lot of churches read this as we must partake in Christ's suffering, but to this audience the cross was our gas chamber or firing squad. Taking it up yourself is essentially suicide.

Christ tells us to deny we have the power to save ourselves then to kill ourselves, and daily? How can we kill ourself daily? Is Jesus insane? Paul understood this in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. " We are killing the selfish part of ourself whose only goal is to profit ourself. This is the same part that vainly tries to pull itself from the mire.

So, in reality the proper place to be in spiritually as a Christian is suicidal. I have an unrighteous jealousy of those on suicide watch, because they realize that they are in a wretched position and cannot save themselves. The folly though is that they do not realize that there is a solution. It is not the physical body that must die, since the problem is not with the physical body. Instead our the rebellious sinner within us must die.

Christ's simple solution is "Follow Me." This often his simple command is proclaimed again and again within the gospel. Although light in words it is heavy in its implications. Christ formed a nigh impossible standard and started a revolution among the religious apostasy of his time. To many people are following pastors and theologians and not directly following Christ.

A Corollary to all "Christians"

Our English translations to the Bible are flawed. We may have the best literal translations but something seems to be missing. Alot of the passion seems to be quenched from writers hands. Isaiah 64:6 says in the NASB "...And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..." which is saying how meaningless good works are apart from God's glory. The literal translation is "menstrual rags" instead of just the harmless "filthy rags." Much more graphic and much more potent. Another instance is in many points in the New Testament one will utter or write "By no means!" The Cotton Patch Bible (which is not at all an inspired text) writes this as "Hell no!" Which choice for Romans 6:15 is more powerful:
1. "Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! " or
2. "Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? Hell no!"
One strikes deep and moves you emotionally, while the other can easily be passively read with no change of heart. If we have a Bible that refrained from sugarcoating essential issues it could much more easily touch the hearts of more people.
Many may be thinking "Tyler, this just a minor issue such an issue is just a church splitting matter." This is true I wouldn't call for a burning of all old Bible; current Bibles are stil amazing and important to my life. However, such a Bible would not be comfortable to read it would stir emotions and scare children, which is not what we as Americans should do. Forget that! People ought not feel comfortable. They are doomed to Hell and we ought to let them know of their declining state, their terminal disease. Making anyone comfortable should be the least of our worries. None of this beating around the bush. None of this frolicking through the tulips. There is more in the Bible than Jesus loves you. There is much more passion and life changing ways to live. Step on people's toes, make them uncomfortable, or else their lives will be far more uncomfortable in the future. Hell is not sugarcoated, despite what you may read.

A Message to all "Christians"

Martin Luther started his reformation by announcing the flaws in the church fo his time in his 95 Theses. Here is what is wrong with current church and where it counteracts the Bible. When most everyone thinks of Christians they think of the many things that the religious right has stood behind. Anti-Gay Marraige. Anti-Abortion. But is this really what we ought to be known by? Hell no! (or as you find in your NASB "May it never be!") Jesus said to his disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) We are to be known by our love, and this generation's church's intolerance is unacceptable. Our goal ought not to be to make sinners to stop sinning, this is like trying to drive a car up a cliff. But our goal is try to lead sinners to the path of salvation. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:13) If Jesus is the perfect example that Christians ought to follow, then why are we trying to condemn those we ought to be leading toward salvation?