"Cultural" Christianity?

"For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Mt. 16.25) So, for the sake of -Me-, that being Jesus Himself. Is that what motivates our choices, our deepest desires this side of heaven and in eternity beyond?

I just finished a lengthy article re. Kierkegaard's assault on "cultural Christianity" so here are a few core thoughts.

First, I've read plenty of his work for many years and found most all he writes hard to disagree with.

Jesus clearly did not call people to believe in any particular "state", nor state-sponsored religion, "spirituality" or the like.

Though it has long been argued even by some atheists, and a great many agnostics and lastly, those who attend church or call this or that denomination, independent church or house church "home" that at least one can benefit by the morality teachings, social "order" (civil peace) and ethics of what is called Christianity.

Kierkegaard would 99.9 percent disagree with it all as a sham, a travesty and in the end false because to merely have something or other to do with the only Savior which is not based on relationship to Him but mere gain on some level is to miss the point of Jesus' coming, death, resurrection and return. I think his view on this is solid indeed.

The other matter he railed against continually was the state church of Denmark where plenty considered themselves believers but were merely cultural Christians, that is, not in actual moment-by-moment, daily -relationship- with the risen Jesus Christ. They came to a concept of gain on one or more levels rather than coming to God for Himself.

I've long agreed with such an issue as a reality amongst those who profess (and that's why I use such a term repeatedly) and claim to follow Jesus. What does FOLLOWING mean if it's only about what you can get out of someone -even God Himself?

The thin crust one may ingest as such a selfish gain-seeker is of course not without any merit. As for saving faith in Jesus Christ? Whew... Only God Himself knows whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life but I would bet someone who claims to love God supremely but continually places personal benefit the highest priority over that of continual seeking, learning, and a growing daily relationship to Jesus is skating on very thin ice regarding eternal salvation via the only Savior there is or ever shall be.

So much for "a Christian means voting -this way-" as some sort of ultimate definition of what it means to be a genuine follower of Jesus.

I'm not at all saying how you vote is unimportant, nor that the state should not care for it's people, rather that NO government equals God, NO culture in itself equals eternal life!! Only a genuine daily relationship with one's Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has such power -and importance!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn