Happy birthday baby girl.
So proud of you, despite everything you went through to become who you are. I'm in awe of you and wish you all the happiness in the world.
What many people miss is that Christianity is not merely a religion one practices alongside other ideological identities. Christianity is a total worldview. It is a complete reorientation of reality through the Lordship of Christ.
This is why the New Testament language of salvation is so expansive. We are not merely told to “attend” Christianity. We are said to be:
born again (John 3:3),
transferred into a Kingdom (Colossians 1:13),
adopted into a family (Romans 8:15),
made citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20),
transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2),
crucified and raised with Christ (Galatians 2:20).
Christianity is not simply a belief system added onto an existing identity. It is the death and replacement of the old identity altogether.
This is why phrases like:
“Christian feminist,”
“Christian nationalist,”
“Christian liberal,”
“Christian conservative,”
can become problematic when the adjective begins to function as the interpretive lens through which Christianity itself is understood.
Because Christianity was never designed to be a modifier. Christ is not an attachment to another worldview. Christ is THE worldview.
The believer does not primarily derive meaning from ideology, tribe, politics, gender theory, class struggle, or culture. The believer derives meaning from union with Christ.
Paul says in Galatians 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” (KJV)
Notice the violence of salvation language. Christianity is not self-improvement. It is death and resurrection.
This is also why Scripture repeatedly presents the Kingdom of God as an all-encompassing reality:
a Kingdom (Matthew 6:33),
a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17),
a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9),
a family (Ephesians 2:19),
the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Even the word “Lord” is governmental language. To call Jesus “Lord” is to declare ultimate allegiance.
This is where the C.S. Lewis idea becomes important. Lewis argued that Christianity is not merely a set of moral suggestions added onto life; it is the lens through which all of life is interpreted. Like light itself:
You do not merely look at Christianity; you look through it and see everything else differently.
So when someone says:
“Jesus is a feminist,”
the concern is not simply semantic. The concern is theological.
Because Jesus is not best understood as a subset of a modern ideology. Rather, every ideology must bow before Christ and be examined through Him.
Christianity certainly affirms truths that feminism identified:
the dignity of women,
the value of women,
the protection of women from abuse,
the spiritual equality of men and women before God.
But Christianity also critiques every human ideology wherever it departs from God’s design.
That is why the Christian’s highest identity is never ultimately:
feminist,
capitalist,
socialist,
traditionalist,
progressive,
nationalist,
activist.
The Christian’s highest identity is: “in Christ.”
Colossians 3:11 says: “…Christ is all, and in all.” (KJV)
Not Christ plus.
Not Christ modified.
Not Christ filtered through ideology.
Christ is all.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
Some seasons don’t come with clear answers.
You’re trying to move forward, but the direction feels blurry, the passion feels weak, and the questions keep getting louder.
But God never leaves purpose hanging without guidance.
Join us for midweek service this evening @cci__global as we learn on the topic: When Purpose Feels Unclear.
Find out what to do when you feel lost, how to handle desires and distractions, and how to keep trusting God even when things don’t fully make sense yet.
#cciglobal
#whenpurposefeelsunclear
#mdwk
Jesus died and rose again. Never to die again. Happy Good Friday! Happy Easter! Happy eternal life to all who believe in His name, and to all who will, soon!
>American airman asleep on a train in France while on vacation with his childhood friends
>Wakes up to the sound of screaming and breaking glass
>Sees a terrorist step into the aisle carrying an AK-47 and 300 rounds of ammo
>Doesn't look for an exit, doesn't hesitate
>Sprints 30 feet down the aisle straight at the barrel of the gun, completely unarmed
>The terrorist pulls the trigger; the rifle miraculously jams
>Tackles him, gets slashed in the neck and hand with a box cutter, almost losing his thumb
>Ignores the bleeding, chokes the attacker unconscious with his bare hands
>Credits God for the jammed rifle and his survival
>Saves everyone on board
Patriot airman Spencer Stone is a hero.
The wisdom to handle disagreements without burning bridges, the patience to give others grace as they grow, the grace to be a true light in my generation, God bestow upon me richly.