faith alone?

So, I was looking up a couple comedy routines by this guy Brian Regan.  If you have never heard Brian’s stuff, he is incredibly funny, especially when you are able to watch him perform.  As I was wasting a few minutes on youtube, I saw in the ‘recommendations’ section a comedian who had a high number of views and decided to check him out. 

At one point during his routine, he began to share about why he was a Christian and this is what I heard him (and many other people over the years) say about his faith: ‘The thing I like about being a Christian is the only thing you have to do is have faith… That’s it!  All these other religions and belief systems have a bunch of rules and regulations.  Not Christianity.  All I do is believe, I’m saved, and that’s it.  An idiot can do that.”

And while that may sound nice, I find his words and beliefs to be thoroughly unbiblical.  If we take an honest look at the life and teachings of our Lord, how much time did Jesus spend teaching the disciples and other ‘sinners’ how they ought to live?  Never once did Jesus ever tell people that all they had to do is ‘believe.’ If how we spent our time here on earth mattered so little, than why did our Lord spent a vast majority of his time teaching people what the Kingdom of God was like?  Why did Jesus address complex life issues on his Sermon on the Mount?  Some may be quick to quote Paul, such as Romans 10:9 that says, "If you confess with your mouth that 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Whenever Paul or Jesus for that matter spoke of faith, it was always a faith that was accompanied by devoted action.  

Let us affirm and attest that Jesus Christ is Lord.  But God forbid we stop there.  Let us hear the words of our Lord and seek to walk in the footsteps of our rabbi in all that we say and do. 

the cross and the suburbs

I recently read through Lee C. Camp's 'Mere Discipleship.'  While I have never been the best at summarizing books, Camp believes that much of the Western Church has adopted a view of discipleship and Christianity that is not loyal to the way of Christ.  As a whole, the Church is much quicker to seek out self preservation, self maximization, financial/physical security, and self sustenance long before we consider the difficult words of Christ that call us to the way of the servant, to not store up treasures on earth, and to pick up our cross.  Bonhoeffer said, "suffering is the true badge of discipleship."  To follow Jesus in a real way actually costs something.

Well, here is my confession...  I struggle seeing any of this in my own life.  Please, I don't make a statement like this to evoke any cheap or cheesy encouragement, I am simply being honest.  My wife and I live in a wonderful little townhouse in Independence, MO.  If you were to compare our income to that of the entire world, you would find that we are filthy rich.  We own two vehicles and our fridge is fully stocked.  The last thing I worry about is a roof over my head, gunshots through my windows, what clothes I am going to wear tomorrow, or where my next meal is going to come from.  I don't wake up at night wondering if tonight is the night I will be arrested for being a minister (China, several parts of Africa, Middle East, southeast Asia).  All of our basic needs are fully provided for, and then some.  Yet, it is quite clear from Paul's writings that the suffering endured by the Messiah is paradigmatic for the disciples of the Messiah, for those who follow the footsteps of the suffering Christ will endure suffering as well.  

As for the local church I serve in... We are located in a very blue collar, predominantly middle class community.  While there are definite needs and struggles in our community that we strive to meet (family issues, clothing, lack of food, utility bills, etc), I struggle seeing and knowing what it means and looks like to be a radical disciple in my community.  Perhaps I am wrestling with guilt in knowing that while I am free, there are many others taking on a similar responsibility as mine who are very familiar with suffering.