The only truly religious act in history was the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Holy Jesus in holy faithfulness presented himself to a holy God. For this reason all other religious acts (so-called) are false and idolatrous. In comparison to the one truly religious act of Jesus everything else is, in the word of Paul, dung. Unfortunately, the church through the ages has made much use of the dung. The challenge in any era is to celebrate the mighty act of God in Christ without the celebration, its effects, its character and its promulgation becoming the focus. How can we offer thanksgiving to God without the thanksgiving becoming a religious act? How can we worship God without the worship itself becoming a religious act of merit? Perhaps the answer to these questions lies somewhere in the relationship between the Gospels and Paul. The religious significance of the death and resurrection of Christ found in the writings of Paul must be balanced by the judgment against religion found in the Gospels.

Indeed, both aspects of the gospel are found in both the Gospels and in Paul. Paul's emphasis on the death of Jesus as sacrifice is found within Paul's many ethical admonitions and also Paul's recognition of religion's bankruptcy (as mentioned above). Jesus's ethical admonitions are found within his willingness to suffer the baptism of death in historical faithfulness in consequence of his righteous life. The church's call to faithfulness cannot exclude the historical life of Jesus in its rush to celebrate the salvific effects of his death and resurrection. "Being saved" cannot be simply a doctrinal affirmation but must incorporate the recognition and affirmation of existential willingness to follow Jesus in our own historical sphere. I am a Christian, not simply when I believe something, but when I desire to follow the teachings of Jesus.

For this reason I must continually question the right to call myself a Christian. And when the church better understands this existential aspect of the Christian faith the church may in fewer numbers become more effective in the work of Christ and in revealing the power of God on earth.