You’re Worthy beyond Measure

And it has nothing to do with what you’ve done or haven’t done

Photo by John Westrock

Today, I want to make a distinction between two modes of faith in the Christian tradition…

One mode of faith, born out of 18th and 19th-century revivalism, is subjective faith (subjective = that which is inside of you). This is a faith that stems from a sense of personal/moral aspiration and progression.

Maybe you’ve heard the following kind of statement from Christians in your past (or present)…

“Yeah, I used to be a total piece of work but then I made the choice to get saved by Jesus and now I don’t smoke, drink, or have sex. You should see my life now — I’m super proud of myself and I really want you to live just like me, as does Jesus.”

This is the subjective gospel. It’s all about ‘me’ and my moral prowess. This is how I determine my value at my core.

Now… If you’re like me, you probably ended up liking this person even less and actively sprinting away from anything/anyone considered ‘Christian’. It’s taken me over twenty years to give it another chance.

Well, I have good news. This is not the only version of the Christian faith (if it were, I wouldn’t be going to seminary at age 40).