Acts 24:14 “I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way.”
I’ve long wished we could drop the term “Christianity” – which implies a “belief” in Christ – and return to the term the early church used: “The Way.” Although John 3:16, the most quoted verse in the Bible, says that it’s all about belief, few seem to finish the passage that says it’s also about the deeds we do. The Way implies there’s more to “faith” than being a believer. It’s a way of life.
This morning’s verse jumped out at me because Paul says he’s a “follower of the Way.” He’s not a believer of the way, but one who is actively on the path.
Salvation may be – and I suspect is – based on “belief” so that we understand that salvation is a gift. We cannot “earn” God’s grace. But there’s so much in the Bible written about what we’re to DO as a result of our belief. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote that faith wasn’t backed up by doing good was no faith at all.
So I write all this to say that the main reason the church has lost its influence in the world, and in particular in this nation, is because we’ve become a religion of beliefs and not a religion of acts. Yes, we do lots of benevolence, but a follower of the Way orders his/her life around the teachings of Jesus is EVERY aspect of their lives. They carry an inner glow that’s infectious. When they screw up, they own it rather than getting defensive or trying to shift blame, dodge responsibility, or sweep it under the rug. (BTW, when someone owns their behaviors it AMAZES the non-Christian – it’s one of the most powerful witnesses one could have.) “Yes, I did that. I should have done this. I apologize. It won’t happen again. Here’s how I’m going to fix it.”
A follower of the Way applies Jesus’ commands in obedience (the “O” word that no one seems to appreciate or embrace). They hear and apply his words to what they eat, what they watch on television, who they spend time with, what and how and where they shop, and how they deal with life’s inconsistencies and irritants. They’re influencers because of their day-to-day lives, not just because they go to church and volunteer. As my wife reminds me weekly, “Move, Touch, and Inspire.” It seems to be these are words for followers of the Way to live by.
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