Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus… ~ Hebrews 3:1

The word apostle means sent one, and as the apostle of our faith, Jesus is the sent one from God. He is the very face of God to us. In Jesus we have all that our faith needs to comprehend the character and nature of God. When we consider the actual ministry of the apostles whom Jesus discipled and ordained, along with the ministry of Paul, we find that the apostles were entrusted with laying the foundation for New Testament doctrine, worship, and practice.

Thus the apostleship of Jesus speaks to the truth that Christ is the founder of the faith, the One who laid the very foundation of our faith. This is echoed in Hebrews 12:2, where the writer of Hebrews encourages us to run our spiritual race with patience, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

In the following verse (12:3), the writer says, For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. This is the same language he uses when speaking of Jesus as the apostle and High Priest: consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

As apostle, Jesus is the author of our faith. As High Priest he is the finisher. As our Great High Priest Jesus abides in the presence of God to aid us, keep us, and daily cleanse us by his blood. He is our intercessor and representative, who lives forever to make intercession for us (7:25). Jesus’s is God’s guarantee to us that what he has began in us, he will bring to its completion.

Because of Jesus abiding in the presence of God as our representative, we have unrestricted access to the grace and mercy we need as we journey through life in the walk of faith. Jesus is the apostle (the founder), and High Priest (the finisher) of our faith!

May God grant us all a deeper understanding of what it means that Christ is indeed our Apostle and High Priest.

You have attracted people who are determined that ideology is more important than facts. ~ Ted Koppel to Sean Hannity. 

In the United States, there is a clash between the facts that non Christian people see and experience and the ideology of many Christians, especially  white Christians.

Rather than being the light of the world (John 5:14) that Jesus called us to be, the ideology of many Christians has intensified the rejection of Christianity among our fellow citizens. Rather than being light to their fellow Americans, many American Christians are at war with them.

The light we are called to be as Christians is expressed in the traits that Jesus reveals in the sermon on the mount, which we often refer to as the Beattitudes. Being meek, poor in spirit, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers never once caused anyone outside the faith to blaspheme.

The culture wars that many American Christians have engaged in against their fellow citizens is steeped in right winged politics rather than the truth that is in Christ.

Consider the title of a podcast I recently came across as two Christian rightwingers engaged in political conversation about “Christian warfare” against the left. I have changed the name of the person to American Christian Activist, because my point is not to bring attention to any one particular person, but the mindset behind American Christian ideology. The title said:

American Christian Activist EXPOSES the “Love your neighbor” Fake Christianity.

When loving your neighbor is met with contempt, true motives are revealed. Ironically, Jesus employed the truth of loving your neighbor many times, and he did so to expose the hypocrisy of those who presented themselves as spiritual people. The story of the Good Samaritan is a visual illustration given by the Lord of glory regarding what loving your neighbor actually looks like.

Unfortunately, the ideology of many American Christians who like to use terms such as “biblical” to defend their culture war positions, looks nothing like the model Jesus gave us in the Good Samaritan.

Rather than being a light to the world around us in true holiness and the fear of the Lord, many American Christians have embraced a persecution mentality and feel threatened by the lifestyles of their fellow American citizens, and rather than showing kindness and mercy, they have chosen to engage in culture wars against their neighbor. 

In this ideology the Bible no longer points them to fear of a Holy God in true humility, but the sacred scriptures now serve as their political guide book for justifying the hatred they have for their neighbor.