Is Jesus just a 'crutch'?

[sweetycakes]

Throughout the years, I have often heard it said that 'Religion is just a crutch'....or 'Jesus is just a crutch'....

...relied upon by weak-minded people.

I have also heard it quoted, though I can't remember by whom, that

JESUS IS NOT A CRUTCH...HE IS A STRETCHER...BECAUSE, WITHOUT HIM, WE COULD NOT EVEN LIMP INTO HEAVEN

I agree with the last statement!

Just for the record

[peaches]

i havent heard it being said. but i have sometimes wondered if i really DO use him as a crutch.......

[Gerioke]

i havent heard it being said. but i have sometimes wondered if i really DO use him as a crutch.......

Better to have Jesus as a crutch than all the wickedness in the world.

[swordbearing1]

i havent heard it being said. but i have sometimes wondered if i really DO use him as a crutch.......

Aren't crutches for leaning? Lean on Jesus!

[sweetycakes]

The point I was trying to make, is that, although some people might use Jesus as a crutch....symbolizing that we can use a combination of Grace AND good works....

We have to rely on Jesus totally...that HE has paid the price, and simply do our best to 'work out' our salvation

We don't even have 'one good leg' to stand on.

Jesus did it all. It is finished.

Jesus is the stretcher. We will be carried into heaven by Grace, or not at all.

Just my thinking, anyway

[JustinM]

Be careful of the liars in this world. These liars like to portray the religious as weak and ignorant. But, they do this only to discourage those from seeking God. Don't be fooled. When it comes to the omniscience and omnipotence of God, all men are weak and ignorant. But, it comes down to this. . .who's approval are you seeking? Man's or God's? It is your life, why let a man tell you how to live it? That man will be dead in your lifetime anyway, so what does he know?

[secondeve]

I've heard that phrase used. The idea is that the person in question us using blind faith to prop themselves up - by which I mean, if and when that person is confronted with an idea or situtation they find difficult, Biblical or otherwise, they revert directly to faith rather than trying to tackle the problem or think critically about it, hoping that it will all somehow work itself out. This seen as a weakness, because often, the nonbeliever will think that the Christian is only resorting to faith in this instance, not because no other possible answers exist, but only because it is 'safe' and comforting. The implication of the phrase ultimately is that the person in question cannot face hard truths, and would rather put faith in the familiar - even when it doesn't provide a solution - than risk the idea that any more difficult answer might exist.

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

i havent heard it being said. but i have sometimes wondered if i really DO use him as a crutch.......

Aren't crutches for leaning? Lean on Jesus!

Amen! Amen! Amen!

[Guest K.R.E.B.S]

I've heard that phrase used. The idea is that the person in question us using blind faith to prop themselves up - by which I mean, if and when that person is confronted with an idea or situtation they find difficult, Biblical or otherwise, they revert directly to faith rather than trying to tackle the problem or think critically about it, hoping that it will all somehow work itself out. This seen as a weakness, because often, the nonbeliever will think that the Christian is only resorting to faith in this instance, not because no other possible answers exist, but only because it is 'safe' and comforting. The implication of the phrase ultimately is that the person in question cannot face hard truths, and would rather put faith in the familiar - even when it doesn't provide a solution - than risk the idea that any more difficult answer might exist.

Second, the problem I have with this is, as a believer, one of the major tenets of the Christian faith is...well...faith. And this is something that has struck me recently in my walk with Christ. Faith is a beautiful thing. It stretches you. It takes you places you never thought you could go. Because see, if there really is a God you can put your faith in, then it's the belief that He's looking out for your best that's so comforting and what He desires.

Do you like it when people can put their faith in you? To keep your word? To show up somewhere on time? To comfort them? The God of Abraham does too...Would you rather your own child know everything there is to know about anything or sometimes have to rely on you?

Maybe I understand why nonbelievers don't like it so much now...If you don't understand it, then it is annoying to see someone hiding behind faith constantly. It's not that we're trying to be cheap, it's that we admit we don't know everything, ever will, nor want to, and that our faith is going to get us through a lot more things than knowing what the square root of 89,876 is.

Blessings,

Joe

Edited December 12, 2006 by K.R.E.B.S

[HolyHands]

some peoples faith lies in their blindness to a situation.

(in this case........it would be closing thier eyes/hearts @ challenges, and writing off that situation .....as if it were "beneath" them/or thier "faith"/"religion")

but some believe god wants them to understand and look at every situation. And they are honest with themselves...in that, they are afraid, they do doubt, they did not understand...and are willing to learn/or reap...knowledge from every situation...both pleasant......... and adverse(god forbid), fully trusting that god is in love with the unashamed heart(better known as contrite), and he will show all things to them in season.

Their "realness" will be rewarded.......blessed are those who weep now....for they shall laugh.

these are the true "children of faith".

do you always have to be sad....no...just be real...if something hurts your feelings...say ...hmm...that hurt my feelings...if you don't understand...instead of saying i don't need to understand, because god's in control....show some interest and try to understand (you'll find that it helps in better understanding of self...to understand things out of self...not unlike a mirror)..and god will bless you, with wisdom, for your interest in his workings around the world.

that was great