Christian Chronicle (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 15, Ed. 1 Monday, July 17, 1972 Page: 2 of 12
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I
CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE
July 17, 1972
Page 2
B
Christ Our Life
Third, one who lives the “Christ-life” does
‘intestinal
fact of his or her new life source — the “Christ-life,
(Eph. 5:17).
I am so fe<
cations of the truth that “Christ is our life.
A Sick Parody
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The Christian Life
become cross-bearers with him.
At this point, however, it is important to poin Wade (I
purify for himself a people of his own who are
zealous for good deeds.
Christ is the Christian’s life, Paul says in (Col.
3:4). The implications of this stark truth easily
escape the undiscerning. The spiritually mature mar-
vel at the ever-deepening meaning of this truth. In
a parenthetical remark, missed by those accustomed
only to the obvious, Paul makes the most significant
remark of the third chapter of Colossians: “Christ
is our life” (Col. 3:4).
The Christian’s life is Christ as a result of the
Christian’s personal participation in Christ’s death,
burial, and resurrection by baptism (Col. 2:12, 20;
3:1; Rom. 6:1-7). God creates this new kind of “life”
when one becomes a Christian (Col. 3:10).
One of the most widespread phenomena of
human experience is blaming. Paradoxically, blam-
ing is both necessary and debilitating. There is a
blaming stage through which children must pass in
learning the values they have been taught. On the
other hand, the adult chronic blamer who hasn’t
outgrown simple blaming suffers serious emotional
and spiritual handicaps — ones that are contagious.
Children show an irrepressible urge to place
blame or show “who’s at fault.” Every parent has
faced an indignant child, stuttering indictments
against a playmate. There seems an almost innate
sense of injustice in all of us. Something seems
wrong when an injustice gets by without being
attributed to the guilty party.
We also have an urge to feel we have acted
responsibly. Placing the blame is a way of fulfilling
the need to act rightly. Each of us has heard someone
proudly describing himself as not afraid of “telling
it like it is.” Thus the occasion of blaming may
itself be seen by the chronic blamer as one in which
he becomes responsible or even righteous.
Many Christian writers have taken it upon them-
selves to write summaries of the Christian religion.
Some do so by describing the life of Jesus and point-
ing to that description as a pattern for our lives.
Others have chosen particular concepts (such as
the Sermon on the Mount or the Golden Rule) and
put them forth as a summary of the faith. Perhaps
the number of such attempts leads to a certain cyn-
cism about the task, but it ought not to do so. Chris-
tians need to reflect about how the faith is to inform
the contours of our lives.
There are several such summary statements of
the Christian life in the New Testament, but one
that is often overlooked is found in Titus:
Additionally, blaming involves the desire to
excuse one’s self. In face of things arousing our
moral indignation and need to act responsibly, blam-
ing offers a way for us to divorce ourselves from
that which we find reprehensible. Since we know
where the fault lies, we are not guilty. And, for
many, to be pronounced not guilty is to be pro-
nounced not responsible.
The real hell of blaming, however, lies in its
overall impact on the shape of one’s life. Eventually
the blamer no longer waits for occasions to exercise
blame. He comes to see blameworthy things where
others see none. And worse, he may even begin
to provoke others to act in a blameworthy manner
in order to exercise blame — the life-blood of his
crippled existence.
As indicated, blaming is inescapable although
few of us may suffer the full “blame syndrome.”
Our concern here is that blaming does contain seri-
ously un-Christian possibilities (even pre-Christian
ones, e.g., Pharisaism) which may penetrate the
heart of our faith and govern the shape of Christian
life.
We see in Jesus a stark contrast to the mindset
of blaming and its conclusions. Paul tells us that
Jesus bore our sins “while we were yet sinners.”
He accepted responsibility for others — he accepted
guilt of others. To be sure, Jesus pointed the finger
of blame. The all-important difference, however,
the name of the Lord” that Paul offers in the con a convicted
eluding verses of this chapter practical examples
of how the ‘ ‘Christ-life’ ’ works out in various human in the broth
relationships (Col. 3:18 — 4:1).
The Christian’s joy is also the Christian’s chai
Living the “Christ-life” means four things to < ;
Paul in Colossians 3. First, the peace of Christ rufe
the hearts of all who live the “Christ-life” (Col
3:15). To this peace every Christian has been called
and by this peace every Christian lives in Christ’s
body, the church.
Living the “Christ-life (Col. 3:16). Christians
feed on Christ’s words, hunger for Christ’s words, Wade wrote
and seek out the fellowship of others who share the Issues,
these same desires.
es; you wrot
“brethren” «
etc.; “my b
ment the wi
discuss the
any and all
_____11:12
Editor, the
In the M
Titus 2:11-14
In these few verses we see all the basic themes
of the Christian faith. We learn that God made an
initiative to save us because of his grace. Unlike
most religions, Christianity stresses God’s search
for man, to bring to man peace, wholeness — salva-
tion.
This short passage also teaches that those who
have tasted of the kindness of God are to live a
certain kind of life, renouncing impiety and worldly
passions. This is not all, a negative statement of
what we cannot do. But the verse continues to
instruct us in disciplined, upright, and righteous liv-
ing. There is no worse criticism of the Christian
faith than the un-Christian lives of some believers.
And at the same time there is no more compelling
sermon than the Christian faith as it appears in a
human life.
Then we are called to remember that as our lives
have been qualified in the past by God’s mercy,
they are qualified in the future by Christ’s appearing.
The faith in the coming of the Lord serves to give
hope in the present broken and injured world. And
at the same time, the appearing of the Lord, serves
to remind us of the transitoriness of the treasures
of this life. The appearing of Christ places both this
life and the next in perspective.
Finally, the passage from Titus shows the relation
The Christian’s life is Christ because “Christ
is all, and in all’ ’ (Col. 3:11). Having confessed Jesus
as Lord (Rom. 10:9, 10) the Christian responds in
every situation to the will of his new Lord (Rom.
14:7-9). In a world of many gods and lords the Chris-
tian has made and makes a conscious, deliberate
choice of following Christ, responding by faith to
his imperative regarding all matters of life and faith
(1 Cor. 8:5, 6).
11 ■ iii
I
Paul devotes the majority of Colossians 3 to
this “Christ-life” that the Christian experiences.
First, this new life is viewed negatively in the sense
of what the person living by this life will not do.
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. But now put them
all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul
talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another”
(Col. 3:5-9). Second, Paul views the “Christ-life”
positively in terms of characteristic attitudes and
conduct. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones com-
passion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and pa-
tience, for bearing one another and, if one has a
complaint against another, forgiving each other”
(Col. 3:12, 13).
Man we
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Christians have i
accepted and affirmed by the whole community o
believers where the word of the gospel become
infleshed. Consequently, we often compete wit
each other even in the business of being loving - names i
seeking to establish our own righteousness on a com
parative basis. We elevate ourselves by citing th
faults of others. U--------
This tragic development has many satani
effects. It prohibits Christian maturity, prevents hai g | j
mony and unity in the corporate body, an(
ultimately, hinders both individual Christians an ----
the church from being about the task of proclaimh
reconciliation to the world through word and deei
On these terms, Christianity becomes a sick parod)
the occasion not for salvation but for contagioi
Afl
Ralph Sweet .... publisher
John Allen Chalk .... editor
Bill W. McClure .... business manager
Editorials by Ralph Sweet, John Allen Chalk,
Michael Weed, Wendell Willis
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For the grace of God has appeared for the salva-
tion of all men, training us to renounce irreligion
and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright,
and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed
hope, the appearing of the glory of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to
of Christ’s work to the church. Christ’s deal
redeemed us from sin and gave us the responsibilil
for being a community “zealous for good deeds.
The church is not simply called out, but is sd
back. It is not just several individuals who ha'I
found a Lord, but a community which has a missid
Such summaries of the Christian faith may I
thought to say too little — this verse does not ha’
the depth of thought we find in Romans. But!
some ways, they say too much. There are enoui
important Christian beliefs in these five verses | organism to
provide thought for many hours, and perhaps inspii dwelling in b
Christian life for many years. capable of b
could not b
I intended witl
fhe first
The Christian Chronicle is published every ether Monda)
by the Sweet Publishing Company. Second class postage ■ .
paid at Austin, Texas. Material for publication should H 1 r
sent to the Editor, The Chroiticle, P. O. Box 4055 ruled instead
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is in the fact that he bore the cross for those saint On the otl
ones he pointed at.
Jesus’ ministry and death are unique events
Yet we must remember our call to imitate him antL Q)r
But not f<
wa
out that imitation of Jesus becomes a hollow shell to fit into his
or hypocritical mask unless it is built on the sam tent in your
foundation of trust in God that was at the base oiNAMENA
his life. Without his fundamental relationship tifor not nami
God, efforts at imitation lead only to frustration Over and <
false piety, and further blaming.
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Quite simply, the problem is that of the viciou^
circle posed by the unloved being unloving. ManL^
Christians have never really felt God’s loveto >jay Qn
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everything with thanksgiving and in the name of^ SUC^
the Lord (Col. 3:17). The Christian, by the verl ambjgU0US
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lives purposefull conscious of what the Lord will; <*gn0Ugj1 01
sounding lil
Fourth, so important is doing everything “ijafternoon t(
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L11C UUHUl, 111V VHUUU1V1V, * .
Austin, Texas 78751. Offices are located at 6721 Nort^g^
Lamar. Telephone: (512) 454-5211.
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Chalk, John Allen. Christian Chronicle (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 15, Ed. 1 Monday, July 17, 1972, newspaper, July 17, 1972; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1666411/m1/2/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.