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Existential Christianity
Life is like the butterflies. You flit from flower to flower… then you die. The idea is to look as pretty as you can while you flit. (Source Mr. David Needham)
Life is a world covered by ocean. We each have a row boat. No matter how hard you row there is nowhere to go. The only way to feel relevant is to interact with people in other boats. You can chain together to spell each other in your rowing or to convince yourselves there is a point to your rowing even though there is nowhere to row to. You can splash people in other boats with your oars to make yourself feel relevant, but if you thought about it very hard you would realize there really is no point.
These two paragraphs describe the reality of modern existentialism. Life is defined by what you can see touch and smell, by our senses. Apart from the here and now, nothing is relevant. This philosophy was generated by men and women who wanted to give a reasonable pretext to do what they wanted, when they wanted, without moral guilt imposed by a supreme being.
“Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook. And personal choices become unique without the necessity of an objective form of truth. An existentialist believes that a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions.†(All About Philosophy)
“Existentialism attempts to describe our desire to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. Unfortunately, life might be without inherent meaning (existential atheists) or it might be without a meaning we can understand (existential theists). Either way, the human desires for logic and immortality are futile. We are forced to define our own meanings, knowing they might be temporary. In this existence the individual defines everything.†(The Existential Primer)
What is sad is many who call themselves Christians live as existentialists. Their beliefs are based on what is practical and pragmatic for me… now. That is exactly the attitude Eve had in Eden, the garden of God;
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17
Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4
Many of those who call themselves Christians pick and chose what they will believe from the Word of God rather than believing the Word of God. They form groups that affirm them in their “distinctives†whatever they might be. When these “Christians†encounter biblical passages that challenge their self centered willfulness, they pass them off as cultural to biblical times and not applicable to today.
This melding of modern (really its old) philosophy and the Christianity of the bible is syncretism. Syncretism is the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion. It really is a blending of oil and water.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:24
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20
We walk by faith, not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God ; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8
In Philippians chapter 3, Paul pointed out if he was to evaluate his confidence in his place and relevance by the worlds standards from the world’s perspective, he could be far more confident than most. Instead he rejected his confidence in his worldly station;
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death ; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet ; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:7-14
Paul’s identification with Christ was complete;
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Philippians 3:20
All these (those who lived in obedience) died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God ; for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
There is a saying that goes; “you can be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly valueâ€. This would be to say that Jesus and Paul were useless to God. That saying was from the lips of the devil. If you are earthly minded, you are of no value to heaven, it makes you an enemy of heaven and a friend of the devil.
We cannot have it all. Jesus did not come to make your life better; He came to bring life and it has not been realized yet.
God does not exist for us, we exist for Him. Our life is not about us, it’s about Him. (LINK)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
You don’t add Jesus to your life… you die and grasp for the promise of His life. It’s all or nothing. No syncretism, its one or the other.
To crawl up on the altar and die is acceptable worship to God. Romans 12:1
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside : anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him. Colossians 3:1-10
The only way to prove you are not an existential christian is to live by the Word of God; To know God by the Word of God; To obey God by the Word of God; to absorb the Word of God. Anything else is a product of your own personal philosophy. Can that philosophy save you?
Some might say; how do I know the Word of God is accurate?
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1:18-23
Quit flitting from flower to flower… and really live in the life of Jesus Christ.