More Birthday Testimony

Happy Birthday to Me! Here is the rest of what I wrote about my testimony - the conclusion of my post on Wednesday:

"When you cut through all of the commentary about Jesus and focus foremost on what He actually said - those things that He preached directly to His disciples and the people who followed Him, there are some basic characteristics that define discipleship best. They are summarized beautifully in the Sermon on the Mount, and that is how I judge my discipleship.

Am I becoming more poor in spirit, more able to mourn with those that mourn, more meek, more hungering and thirsting after righteousness, more merciful, more pure in heart, more of a peacemaker, more in control of my anger and tongue, more chaste in thought and deed, more true to my promises (making them a simple “Yes” or “No”) Do I give more freely and do not revile as quickly; do I love those who revile me and seek situations of interaction with those who will do so.

I am nowhere close to perfect (complete, whole, fully developed in Christ), but I have given my soul to God and am doing the best I can to be who He has asked me to be. I have met the requirements asked of every Christian by Christ to be able to call myself a poor, sinful, but saved Christian, and all I ask is that my discipleship not be mocked by those who profess to be accepting the same Lord who has made it possible for me. We don’t have to believe all doctrine in the exact same manner and be identical in our discipleship, as long as we allow all who love the Lord to be equal in our discipleship.

I have not read anything from the Lord Himself that required a perfect understanding of doctrine to receive the words, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” In the end, He has required a broken heart and a contrite spirit, with the promise that there will come a day when our natural, fallen shortcomings will be erased and we will be able to “be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (I John 3:2) That is my hope and my faith and the reason for my repentance."