Take It Personal Part 3: Family

This is the third in a series of five-ish posts, entitled Take It Personally examining what true faith is and what it is not.  In general, I started with three premises. All people have faith in something, whether it be a job, a worldview, a nation, or another object. It is not faith that is important, but the object in which that faith is placed. Second, Christians frequently fail to place their true faith in Christ but instead rely on other things. And third, while these things usually are good they must be differentiated from personal faith in Jesus that will intrude on our lives, choices, and views, ultimately leading to unstoppable transformation.

More than any other part of our life our family and upbringing shapes who we become. Because of this, our family identity can often serve as the surrogate that faith is placed in rather than Christ.

This surrogate can look like this, "I grew up as a Jones, Jones go to church, therefore I am a Christian."  Or perhaps its slightly higher-achieving cousin, "My dad is a pastor, I am his son, therefore I am a Christian."

While, of course, no one's actual, sound theology would allow them to speak such a statement aloud, in an unspoken sense this sentiment abounds.  Why are Christians so surprised when a fellow church member's child goes "off the rails"? For no other reason, but the underlying assumption that family must instill some level of faith commitment.

On the other side, I've heard people use the phrase "My wife handles the religious matters" or seen entire family lines that are trusting Grandma Ethel's faithfulness to bring along the remaining generations.

These are two manifestations of the same error.

While your family is the single greatest influence on who you are today (whether that be forming you into who you want to be OR into who you don't want to be), their faith doesn't determine or count for yours.

Instead, each person individually must own or disown the faith of her or his family.  This owning (or disowning) is going to happen at a time and a place and by volition.  We aren't simply born into it like we are with class, race, and most other major religions.

For someone raised within a Christian tradition, this means he or she has a decision and a choice to make, not their momma.

For the outsider of Christian tradition, this difference is key for he or she needs to know that Christian faith has nothing to do with a genetic code or an inherited knowledge. Rather true faith is marked by personal, transforming commitment and nothing less.

In fact, the Christian religion is inseparable from an experience of conversion. This experience need not follow a formula. It doesn't need to be at a church. It doesn't need to be immediately followed (or preceded) by baptism. It doesn't require praying a prayer or walking down an aisle. These are mostly cultural expressions of what conversion looks like. Yet, a Christian commitment requires a conversion nonetheless.

And a conversion is nothing more than saying, "I was something else, now I am this."

Biblically, it is to say one has "crossed over from life to death" (John 5:24). Or to say, "Formerly, you did not know God . . . but now you know God" (Galatians 4:8-9). Or to say, "You were dead in your transgressions . . . but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ" (Ephesians 2:1-5).

Or as the hymn that even the most non-religious person in America knows proclaims, "I once was blind, but now I see."

A Christian, by necessity, is someone who has gone from being one thing, to being another (or mre simply, has converted). No one was born into it. No one inherited it from their parents. No one can look to their "religious" relative (you know, the first one who comes to mind to do the readings at family weddings) as the one who will stand before God for the family.

True faith is inseparable from a personal, crossing-over commitment.

But, there's better news!

While it is true, that each and every one of us will stand before God and each and every one of us will give account for our life. It is possible for that account to be very short. In fact, I intend my account to consist of three words: "Yes, but Jesus . . . "

For those who have crossed over, their explanation will not require a single justification, nor any appeal to mitigating circumstances, nor a bit of anxiety, fear, or doubt (and if you are in Christ and experience those feelings, I'd encourage you to reject them because they're lies). Instead, the woman or man who is in Christ, will give an account not of their own deeds, but of the deeds of Jesus. For it is his right choices, thoughts, courage, and even his faithfulness that will be credited to our account.

For those in Christ, His faithfulness and goodness will be ours.

You need not appeal to your actions.

You need not appeal to your good intentions.

You need not appeal to your best efforts.

You need not appeal to your politics or your family history either.

The only answer that is necessary and in fact, the only answer that is possible is a simple, "Yes, those things are true, but Jesus . . . "

Christianity calls to conversion. Christianity calls to a personal commitment. It's not about your family. It's about Him.

Take it personally, take him personally.