Christianity as "The Third Way"
Christian Soldiers
We believe we are Christian soldiers on a spiritual battlefield in a spiritual fight to win the souls of men while guarding and transforming our hearts for Christ. We are Gospel centered, Spirit empowered, and Word driven. We are a church creatively seeking growth in God's Kingdom both in number and maturity. We are intentional to educate, develop, and transform men to love and lead their church, family and community. We are committed to peacemaking. We are committed to excellence in ministry. We are real people in real relationships with God and each other. Our mission is to establish an influential and continually expanding legacy for Jesus Christ.
| Subject | 1st Way (A Way) | 2nd Way (A Way) | The Third Way |
|---|---|---|---|
Worldview & Philosophy |
'Post Modernism'Everything is relative |
'Moralism'Good for goodness sake |
'Christianity'To live is Christ, to die is gain |
View of religion
|
Irreligious | 'Religious' | Relational |
View of Jesus |
A good man, he 'fills the gaps' |
Jesus as an example | Jesus as Savior and Lord |
Personal Code |
Lives by their own righteousness | Lives as self righteous | Lives in Christ's righteousness through the Holy Spirit |
Effect on the person |
Works on emotions | Works on behavior | Works on the heart |
Obedience |
I don't have to obey anyone but myself | If I obey I will be accepted by God | Because I am accepted I gladly obey |
Acts of charity |
Does good for the sake of self | Does good for the sake of being good | Does good for the sake of God |
Suffering |
Misunderstands suffering and sacrifice | Avoids suffering and sacrifice | Finds purpose in suffering and sacrifice |
Standing before God |
Does not feel a need to be justified before God | Justifies themselves by attitudes and religiosity | Finds justification before God in Christ alone |
Views of truth |
Sees grace over truth | Sees truth over grace | Follows Jesus as He is full of grace and truth |
Personal worth and identity |
Found in searching | Found in what they do | Found in Christs Acceptance |
Afterlife |
Sees heaven subjectively or non existent | Sees heaven as conditional upon 'right methods' | Awaits & is motivated by heaven, has hope and confidence in future grace |
What it all means
The Third Way - a description of Jesus and His way, was coined by Tertullian, an early church leader. Just as Christ was sacrificed between two thieves, Christianity stands opposed to two opposite ways. The gospel critiques both religion and irreligion. The Gospel is not something in the middle, but something unique and different from the other two world views. The Third Way answers the questions of life and the afterlife. The Third Way is more than just how - but also why and who.
The gospel shows us that God is far more holy and absolute than the moralists' god, because he could not be satisfied by our moral efforts, even our best! On the other hand, the gospel shows us that God is far more loving and gracious than the relativists' god. Modern and post-modern people have rejected religion for good reasons and will only listen to Christianity if they see it is different. They say that God (if he exists) just loves everyone no matter what they do. The god of the relativist pays no price to love us. The true God of the gospel had to suffer and die and he rose from the dead to save us. Jesus is our religion and His Kingdom is our mission.
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SUNDAY EVENING Fellowship
284 Village Dr.
6:00 - 7:30pm EVERY SUNDAY
Verse by verse teaching from the book of John. Join us for some solid instruction and some joyful singing.
Childcare provided!
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