What I Learned In Church: Saved by Faith Not Works (An Alternative Perspective)

Current mood: animated
Category: Life
We are saved by faith not works.

I was concerned about missing church for so long. Then I was concerned about being late today. Then I walked in on that scripture. We often get caught up in the glamour of our religion, the glamour of our jobs, the glamour of our lives. We want to be able to tell someone "I'm a Christian" "I'm a Buddhist." "I'm an atheist" "I work here" "I work there" I'm a doctor" "I'm a police man" "I date him/her" "I married this or that thing" "I had kids with …(his/her name slips my name at the moment)"

And we all want to wear our badges of distinction. In Deuteronomy, the Hebrew people started wearing a phylactery (a tiny box containing a piece of paper with the heart of the Israelite law written on it.) Today some Jewish people still wear it when they pray. Just like some other Jews carry mini Torahs around, or Christians wear crosses, some Moslems wear the crescent and star, or Buddhists carry mini prayer books. I know some of us throw the bible in the windshield hoping for some protection when we drive. Police officers love to flash badges to gain special privileges. We want the world and God and his Mama to see everything good we do.

But Paul warned about getting caught up in deeds. If you truly want to help your fellow man, just help. Don't get caught up in the rules. As a child we might have gotten praise for following this or that rule. We all know as an adult there is no such thing. The reward IS the deed. We don't go to church to say we went. I mean, do we get extra prayers/blessings for writing our name and address on the donation envelope? We all went to medical school to save lives – I think. We became lawyers…to…(well that was for the money but you know what I mean.) And I know we got married and had kids out of love. I know weddings are cool, the open bar is REAL nice, naked-dicking is cool when you are married and someone has to take out the trash – nothing beats slave (I mean child labor…I mean allowances.)

And Jesus even told us, those crosses we got hanging around our necks will get us NOWHERE. All the flamboastin and flashiness, the vanity plates (4GOD, LVJESUS…etc) won't get us into, don't come with us in heaven. So what purpose do they serve? Check Matthew Chapter seven.

"A faithful response to God's way"
God is good all the time. But we don't trust that. We live totally in our perspective. Trust in the goodness of God. Life shifts. Things change. It may seem like turbulence and turmoil if you don't have the faith. It's about the way we change ourselves to fit God's ways.

It's not about The Show. It's about doing something. It's about being Christian, buddhist, Moslem. It's about finding the happiness and joy in BEING whoever/whatever you are. It's not so much about being good as it is about being good at being


Wow this is your best! This is so true.

Why thank you! I was leaning towards worst because I have just been squeezing them out lately. Plus, people didn't seem to be reading. But I have been getting pleasantly surprised this week.

I totally agree with what you are saying!! God bless you...

And also you sister!