“Jesus calls men, not to a new religion, but to life.”
A Reflection:
During the Nazi years, the Nazis developed the “German Christian Church” which fused Nazism and Christianity, or more precisely: the neo-paganism of the “blood and soil” mythology loved by the Nazis under the name of Christianity. (See: 2 Timothy 3:4-6)
Two of the phrases used by the German Christians were “practical Christianity” and “positive Christianity”. In our time so-called practical and positive Christianity is espoused in many quarters today. It is the grist of much Christian publishing. These folks say that such preaching should be about, for instance, “real life” and practical living, not the real life we have in Christ Jesus, and most decidedly not the Cross and true repentance. They say that this fills pews and sadly it does. I am not saying these folks are Nazis. But the Old Adam does not want to die to sin, to live in Christ, but live and flourish on his own terms.
Any Christianity which is a fusion with whatever nation and culture it is in, ‘German-Christian’, ‘American Christianity’ is a sell out. The true Church does not sell out because it has been bought for a price. If Christianity and the Church is about moral uplift, a positive message and the like, then it is like putting a band-aid on a corpse. Our Lord faced our sin and death and died that we might live. We also must so serve His Word from Pulpit, Podium, Prayers and Sacrament in face of the death and horrors of our times. As did Pr. Bonhoeffer. No band-aids, only the Cross (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Bonhoeffer knew that and the Lord’s salvation is as hard-as-nails love for sinners, Pr. Bonhoeffer lived it with many others in the minority in the Truth which alone sets us free (see John 8:30-32). Easter Bunny ‘Christianity’ folds in the face of persecution. The apostles did not risk martyrdom because they felt forgiven or for a new religious spirituality or program. Christ raised them with us in His Body. Christ is risen. –Pr. Schroeder (More on Pastor Bonhoeffer here)
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