In response to the “good people” topic, I think it’s imporatant to point out what the Bible says about people, since it [I]is[/I] the authority on our faith. It says no one is inherently good (i.e. in accordance with God’s moral will), we made that choice back in Eden to depart form God and depart from good and so now no one is good. Romans 3:11 - "There is none good, no not one."
I think why we hear the term “good Christian” used so much is that we find our identity in Christ, that’s just who we are. Some like to say if you invite Christ into your life you’ll be a Christian…but what it really is is Christ inviting you into His life. When that happens, He puts His goodness over our sins. So that when God judges us we are righteous in His sight, only through the imputed righteousness of Christ which is recieved by faith alone. Thus we are saved from death. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?..And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Cor 6:9, 11
So Christians are not perfectly good (at least, in this life), but they are covered by Christ’s goodness which overpowers sin and death and “badness”. If we are covered with Christ’s goodness, we have the [I]ability[/I] to [I]do[/I] good things that please Him, and of course we want to please Him since He saved us from an eternity of death =). To sum up…Being a “good Christian” is “striving to be like the One in whom we trust for life.” Being a “good human” is impossible (the Romans 3:10 verse)
I hope my logic wasn’t too rambling…
I’m a Christian knitter by the way :mrgreen:. Kntting for other people is such a great reminder to pray for them! Also, there’s no excuse not to memorize God’s Word when knitting so I like to try that too =].
Sandy, I don’t think anyone here is in defence. Just the way photolady asked questions about Paganism in the other thread and was answered in a very nice way, i think it’s legitimate for others to ask questions about Christianity and I hope it won’t get to a discussion about which religion is best, that’s just childish, but asking questions and trying to understand others’ views doesn’t seem wrong to me. I’m sorry for barging in, especially when i’m neither Christian nor Pagan :teehee: .
Another Christian knitter here…I don’t try to memorize scripture while knitting, but I am making a rather involved afghan for a young couple and am praying for them as I work on it.
Thank you to those who have responded, and yes, it has clarified it for me.
There is no need for anyone to defend their beliefs as it was never my intention to make anyone feel I was threatening them, I simply wanted to ask the question because it was something I didn’t understand. The answers have been clear and I indeed have a better understanding of the importance of people to be good Christians.
As I stated, in no way was it my intention to take away from this thread and I didn’t think I was barging in nor demanding to know why they believe what they do, I never questioned anyone’s faith, I simply wanted to know why it seems so many focus more on being a good Christian as opposed to focusing on being a good person.
After all, how can anyone come to an understanding without asking questions?
Anyway, my question has been answered and I do indeed have a better understanding of the issue.
I’m also a Christian, and I love to knit. I haven’t tried using knitting time to memorize scripture, but it can be a great time of prayer and focus.
I’d like to answer Demonica’s question. To me, and this is just the way I see it, to want to be a good Christian IS to want to be a good person. Our goal is to live a life pleasing to God, and our role model is Christ, who according to the Bible is the sinless, spotless son of God. The ultimate “good person” so to speak. When I find myself, falling short of that goal, I think of myself as failing to be a good Christain, which to me, is the same thing as failing to be a good person, because a Christian is simply a person, who believes in Christ, and his teachings. Sadly there are lots of people who claim to be Christians, who don’t seem to act very Christian-like. I can’t speak for them, or judge them. That’s between them an God.
I’m a Christian knitter too. I do pray for those i am knitting for. It’s one of the things I LOVE about the oddball baby and preemie blankets. I can pray for specific children that I wouldn’t be able to pray specifically for otherwise.
I also knit at church. Just simple patterns. But it keeps my mind from wondering. Keeps me focused on what is being said.
I too will have to start using my knitting time to memorize scripture.
I wanted to add something to what the others have said about being a good person or a good Christian. Being a good Christian is sometimes not the same as what would be called being a good person. God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. We have to look to the Bible to guide us. Sometimes that means doing something that in our finite human brain seems mean or wrong, but with God infinite wisdom it’s just not.
No, no, if you would like to add something, that’s fine as I’m sure each person has their own view as to why it is important to them and I, always seeking other’s viewpoints to try to come to a better understanding, would love to hear what everyone has to say!
Thank you all for your replies and for not being offended as that truly, from the bottom of my heart was not my intention, understanding was my intention.
I just didn’t want to totally hijack the thread and have it steer off topic.
Hmmmn…I am a Christian. As a matter of fact, my dh is a youth pastor. We both feel very called into this ministry.
I often pray for others when I knit, specifically for the recipient of the item. I pray that the baby I am knitting for now would be a joy to his parents, and that his parents would have wisdom and grace as they attempt to raise him in God’s ways. I love that every stitch of the sweater has a prayer in it, just for him.
As for persecution…most Americans have no idea what true persecution is. We don’t like it when someone doesn’t like us because of our beliefs, or when someone mocks us. That’s not persecution…that’s called being different. Which is what we are CALLED to be. Persecution is going to jail for your beliefs, facing torture, knowing that your family will likely face the same circumstances. Persecution is knowing that your life is in danger. Being harassed and hit. Go to a Muslim country and see how converts are treated. Go to China…pastors there are in jail, their families are in jail, they are tortured for their beliefs…starved or beaten in jail. The letters they manage to sneak out are horrifying…but inspiring. That is persecution. What we face here, I will gladly take without a complaint.
Being a Christian means being a Christ follower, trying to be Christ-like. It saddens me how often people use His name when doing something that He would never do. Jesus didn’t judge those who were sinning…he hung out with them. He went to the tax collector’s houses and ate with them. He befriended prostitutes. He was kind to Roman officals (he raised Jarius’s daughter from the dead). People were drawn to Him, not because He was perfect, but because He was so good.
Of course, everyone knew where He stood. He was blameless and good. He didn’t beat around the bush when He taught. But He also didn’t beat people over the heads with it either.
I do not think there is any such thing as a “good Christian,” nor do I believe that there are “good people.”
You’re either a Christian, or you’re not. Period. What makes us different is our place in the journey. Some people are further along than others. Some stay close to God, and others remain aloof, although the repentence has occurred.
Oh, one other thing. Have y’all ever realized that there is no verse in the Bible that states that we are to ask Jesus into our hearts? This is not the way to become a Christian. It is through repentence…acknowlegement of sin and a turning away from it…that saves us.
I have always heard this, and it wasn’t until two years ago that I learned differently. I knew that repentence is part of the process, but we get so hung up on the “Ask Jesus into your heart” thing, that we don’t realize that this is not what God commanded us.
Chalk this up to “things that make you go hmmm…”
Onward…
I, like someone else stated, believe (because the Bible states it) that there are no good people. We are all sinful. We’re born that way. Watch a child. Nobody ever has to teach children to be defiant. They just are. That doesn’t change.
Granted, most people do not act out in extreme ways (although prisons are full of people who have done just this).
I have to admit that I have not tried memorizing verses while knitting, just didn’t think about it. Although, I have been involved in a Bible Study about Heaven and have used my knitting time as an opportunity to really meditate on what the study and have gotten more insights into it.
So glad to find you all here on Knitting-Help(err…Dental-help.com)
I too consider myself a Christian, and I hope I’m a good person! And as a Christian I welcome all questions, in finding the answers I also learn more about the bible. I pray everytime I start a project, I pray that he guides my hands. I have some stories of his miracles, the answers to my prayers have convinced my DSIL to believe. Thank you Dear Lord Jesus for letting us have the freedom to voice our faith. In Jusus holy name Amen.
I’m a Christian, and I listen to my mp3 player while knitting…sometimes with knitting podcasts or something like that, but often with sermons or other messages downloaded from online…or music.
I do pray for those I am knitting for as well. I haven’t ever made a direct connection between my knitting and my faith, but any quiet time if always up for use in prayer or praise.
I am a Christian as well and I do enjoy knitting while listening to Joyce Meyer or others. I am not proficient enough to listen totally while trying to follow a complicated pattern, though…so I work on more repetitive stuff while listening so I can truly hear what I am listening to. And I pray a lot while I am knitting. My prayers are more like simple conversations with God about my day and the people I care about.
I think it is important to dialogue with people who have questions like Demonica does. It’s only through talking that we gain understanding. How does that saying go…seek first to understand and then to be understood?
My simple take on Christianity is that although I personally do believe that Jesus died for my sins and I am forgiven through Him, even if that were not true…isn’t Jesus still a great model of behavior for us in terms of loving others, serving others and respecting ourselves and others? To me that is what being a good person is all about and it has little to do with whether you believe in Jesus or any other religious figure - it’s whether you give to others and care about them or not.
Of course, there are those that claim affiliation with Christianity or any other world religion and yes, they are called out by those with differing beliefs or those with questions when they don’t ‘walk their talk.’ How many people claim to be Christian and then cut someone off on the way out of the church parking lot on Sunday? This goes for every religion…if you take a stand for being a part of something that calls for good deeds and behavior, you should either be able to commit to that or you will come under scrutiny, plain and simple.
I love that you’ve said this I used to have a debate with my acupuncturist who was a Christian around the time ‘Doubts and Loves’ was published, where a Christian had said that he didn’t believe in the literal truth of the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, he believed that they were spiritual metaphors, but that his faith in Christ was intense and the model for his life.
My acupuncturist said that if the ‘miracles’ weren’t true, then none of it meant anything, and it was all worthless, where I believe that Christ’s words are beautiful and eternal. Even if he was just a man with a faith in his divine purpose from God, then the model he gave us to live by is enough. If he gave people a better way to live - through compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and love - then I would say that’s more than enough to follow him and his words, and to live as an example to others. I didn’t disagree with him too much, though, cause he was sticking needles in me
Hey if you believe in miricles then go right ahead. That’s what I think anyway. And if they weren’t iricles then they were probably srtories based on something someone once did and they thought it was so great they kind of…embellished a little. ya know the folks back then didn’t have TV to show us how fake humans can be. THey took everything literally becasue that’s all thier was. So if the stories give some christians a good feeling then I say why not.
I don’t call myself anything. But I try to live a “good” life whatever that means and respect the earth and humans and the animals. To me the presence that we all feel is love. If someone wants to call that 'god" or “buddah” or “allah” then cool. Love is still love by any other name.
I always thought nuns were cool though. THis is coming from someone who didn’t go to Catholic school :roflhard:. I grew up around a lot of catholics and Christians. I was a girlscout that had a lot of “christian” values, went to the Y, went to a camp called “good news” that sort of thing. Back then folks were very kind and nice. And I remember a lot of hippies. It was so common to me. So many young people who were into peace and love were also into christianity. Becasue that’s what they thought peace and love were all about.
I havent met anymore christian hippies. It seems that Newt Ginrich and some other folks using christianity to discriminate people gave it a bad name.
So my question for christians is this: Do you feel christianity has changed since the 70s? Has it lost something becasue of politicians using it for thier own gain rather than as a means of love? Or am I asking a really dumb question?
People change, but never God or Jesus or Christianity. Either you are a Christian or you aren’t. God knows who is and who isn’t a Christian. Religion may lose something because of politics, but never Christianity.
I used to have a debate with my acupuncturist who was a Christian around the time ‘Doubts and Loves’ was published, where a Christian had said that he didn’t believe in the literal truth of the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, he believed that they were spiritual metaphors, but that his faith in Christ was intense and the model for his life.