Summary of Chapter 4 of Why We Belong by Gerald Bray - Religion Essay Sample

Chapter 4 speaks about been both an evangelical and a Baptist and how to fulfill the dual commitment to spreading the gospel and doing God's work. Timothy F. George has fulfilled the double duty for more than six decades and has never got tired. He is the suitable person to speak to people who might want to become both evangelists and Baptists or any other positions in the church. He goes ahead to explain the challenges that he has faced in his career path, for instance; people have called him numerous disrespectful names such as an opportunist and a fundamentalist. George confirms that it is possible to be both an evangelical and a Baptist and not embrace the two positions (George, pg.93). It is not necessarily that one must observe all their posts, but it is important to focus on the one that they perform best as they improve the other ones.

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In one of Georges preachings, he recognizes the importance of taking the Lord Jesus as our shepherd and doing things according to His and His Father's wishes. It is relevant to please God in whatever we do as He will award our actions or judge us by our doings. The New Testament says that what we preach is not ourselves, but what the Lord has sent us to spread (2 Corr: 4:5). Declining to do God's work is an act of extreme ingratitude against Him, and we will be liable for His judgment. Saint Augustine tells us to be cautious of our doings here on earth, and he tells us to question ourselves and see what makes us different from others. As 1st Corinthians says; "What did you have that you were not given? And if you were given, why do you boost that you got it on your own?" (4:7). George recommends us to consider this verse in the scriptures as it will guide our actions towards God, our fellow Christians, and other people in the society. He emphasizes on a united Christianity and shuns any divisive factors that may facilitate a rift within the religion of Christianity. He says; "We must sustain Christianity, embrace unity and enjoy it since we are all believers of Jesus Christ. Let our conscience not try to divide us as we agreed to maintain the faith in Christ (George, pg.94).

It is critical; to consider the Roman Catholic notion of the hierarchy of the truths of faith. In this concept, one should note that it is primarily based on the belief that the theological weight is given priority over the divine revelation, hence; Christian faith rests on the Holy Scriptures and not on the clerical celibacy or other teachings in the church. For instance, it is evident that most Christians attend church services without their copies of the scriptures. Hence; they rely on what the preachers read for them or tell them without confirming that the priests' words are in line with God's word. This is highly discouraged in the Holy Trinity and Christians are highly recommended to spend time reading the Bible and understand it. As the Bible says, God will judge us individually and not in a group; hence, it is critical that we observe ourselves and make the necessary corrections where we are wrong to make peace with the High and Mighty. Having a coveted position in the church does not assure one of inheriting God's kingdom; hence, being an evangelical or a Baptist does not define your faith (George, pg.94).

By the use of examples from the Scriptures, George encourages us as Christians to be confident in God and have faith in Him (pg.95). He narrates the story of Polycarp of Smyrna who was a firm disciple of Apostle John. Polycarp was once brought before the Roman tribunal which was against the religion of Christianity as the Romans were pagans in that era. He was a brave Christian, and the acts of Pagans did not scare him away from Christianity as he broadly boosted of his faith in Christ. As Christians, we should not deter from doing what Christianity requires us to do or get intimidated by the enemies of Christianity. God judges our inner faith during our hardest times, and that is when we should even be stronger to make Him proud of us. Besides, we should always remember the story of Job; a man who lost all his riches and family but remained stable in God because he knew that He would not forsake him in his difficult times. As a result, God restored all his glory and gave him more riches than what he had lost. George explains that God does not judge us by what others call us or by which positions we hold in the society, but by what distinguishes us from others. Hence; we should not be blinded by the factious titles such as evangelical, bishop, or a Baptist. These titles do not determine our fate in the house of the Lord, thus; we should act in agreement with God's wishes to ensure that we always please Him in our endeavors.

There have been numerous reshuffles in the partisan groups in the congregation. Some members of the church such as Alexander Campbell have tried to eliminate certain denominations in the church in attempts to restore the true Christian faith. Campbell successfully introduced a new sect that divided the body of Christ into three divines, and each of the three generations was subdivided into three hostile church bodies. However, the orthodox believers can be easily identified by their commitments to the liturgical practices, the loyalty to their nationalities, and their ethnic attachments. For instance, a true Christian will not be influenced by his/her cultural background in doing the work of God; but they will be ready to be crucified by their people for doing the work of God. Evangelism has been adversely impacted by the numerous diverse rivulets and tributaries. Distinguished Historians such as David Bebbington identify the markers of the Christian family, and through them; we learn that Evangelicals are recognized by traits such as their vast knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. Their uniqueness of redemption through the death and the resurrection of Christ, their necessity of their personal conversion, and their priority and urgency of evangelism (George, pg.95). For instance, the Evangelicals should be ready to make great sacrifices to create time for carrying on with the work of teaching and spreading the Gospel. To them, nothing is more important than doing the work of God and winning more souls into Christianity; they are viewed as the fishers of men.

According to the Christological census, Evangelicals should worship only one God, the God who is the highest and Mighty, Jehovah. This means that as Christians, we should not engage in any other faith apart from believing in Christ. For example, one soul cannot serve two masters at the same time; one cannot worship idols and also pretend to worship God. God hates people who do not know where they belong, and according to Him; it is better to worship the idols alone since He can save you because you lack the knowledge of Him. Pretending to be a true Christian and still worship other gods will mean that one is aware that God exists, but he/she does not believe in Him. Thus, evangelicals have an agreement with God and the historical creeds of the church, and they have an obligation to do God's work with passion and determination to extend the church and save more people. The spirit of evangelism and other posts in the church grow from within the faith of an individual, and cannot be induced by men.

Reference

Bray, Gerald, et al. Why We Belong: Evangelical Unity and Denominational Diversity. Eds. Anthony L. Chute, Christopher W. Morgan, and Robert A. Peterson. Crossway, 2013.