CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY2009-2010

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!

Warning!Warning!

Avoid . . .

1. Jesus and meis just lik

eis just lik

e

Christopher HitchensAuthor, God is NOT Good:How Religion Poisons Everything

Marilyn SewellUnitarian Universalist Minister

Interview, Portland Monthly Magazine, Jan 2010

The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of the atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make and distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Only in this respect: I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, in other words, the Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

I disagree with that. I consider myself a Christian. I believe in the Jesus story as story, as narrative, and Jesus as a person whose life is exemplary that I want to follow. But I do not believe in all that stuff that I just outlined.

I simply have to tell you that every major Christian, including theologians, has said that without the resurrection and without the forgiveness of sins, what I call the vicarious redemption, it’s meaningless. In fact, without that, it isn’t even a nice story - even if it’s true . . .

It doesn’t really matter to me if it’s true literally. It matters to me whether the story has efficacy for my life.

Well, that’s what I meant to say. When C.S. Lewis, for example, says, . . ‘if this man was not the son of God, then his teachings were evil’ because if you don’t believe that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and you can get to it by the way, the truth, and the life, offered by the gospel, then there’s no excuse for telling people to take no thought for the morrow, for example, as he did. . . It would be an evil nonsense.

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!

Warning!Warning!

Avoid . . .

1. Jesus and me

2. Jesus and _____________

is just like

is just like

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!

Warning!Warning!

Avoid . . .

1. Jesus and me

2. Jesus and _____________

3. Jesus on Ice

  55Your attitude should be the same as Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: that of Christ Jesus: 

  66Who, being in very nature God, Who, being in very nature God,       did not consider equality with God       did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped, something to be grasped, 

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!

77but made himself nothing, but made himself nothing,       taking the very nature of a servant,       taking the very nature of a servant,       being made in human likeness.       being made in human likeness.   88And being found in appearance as a man, And being found in appearance as a man,       he humbled himself       he humbled himself       and became obedient to death—       and became obedient to death—          even death on a cross!          even death on a cross! 

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!

99Therefore God exalted him Therefore God exalted him to the highest place to the highest place 

      and gave him the name       and gave him the name that is above every name, that is above every name, 

  1010that at the name of Jesus that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every knee should bow, 

             in heaven and in heaven and on earth and on earth and under the earth,  under the earth,  1111and and

every tongue confess every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

             to the glory of God the Father.to the glory of God the Father.

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!

What? Jesus is Lord

Why? The Scriptures and history are unambiguous about the Person of Jesus. Every person and thing will acknowledge His Lordship.

So what? 1. I am created in His image . . .2. My life is not my own.3. Growing in my knowledge of

Christ is my goal.4. “What did He say?” I will follow . . .

Christ Alone!Christ Alone!