Orthodoxy, though not a universally understood or agreed upon term, might be described as the conservative Christian theological system that requires “true believers” to have “right thinking” or “correct doctrine” in order to obtain salvation. Orthodox believers must be able to articulate and sustain a correct doctrine of the Faith in order to gain entrance into the Kingdom. The proof text for the orthodox view might be: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim 4:16 NIV).

With the advent of Liberation Theology in the 1960’s, a new controversial system was put forth that put the Liberal-Fundamentalist war on hold. Orthopraxis, though not a new theological formulation, was proposed as an alternative to liberalism and evangelicalism by South American theologians who were struggling against the repressive regimes in their respective countries. Orthopraxis proposed that Christian salvation was obtained from the “right practice” of and reflection on the Christian faith rather than simply the “right knowledge” of the faith. (Emergent theology seems to be headed down this road as well.) Matthew 25:40 could be a proof-text for orthopraxis: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.”

Most Christians would agree that both views, orthodoxy and orthopraxis, contain critical elements that are necessary to successfully live the Christ-life.

Unfortunately, Liberation’s orthopraxis fell into serious disrepute as Communistic elements within Liberation hi-jacked its main principles and asserted that “salvation” could be obtained by merely participating in the process of alleviating injustice in the world. This new interpretation of “right practice” discounted the grace of Jesus Christ in freeing people of their sins by His blood on the Cross (the Atonement). Additionally, the revised form of orthopraxis became a purely works-based religion, thus stripping Christianity of its power and uniqueness. However, it could be said that even orthodoxy is a “works” based system, because it often forces the believer to have a correct understanding of the faith before being justified.

In the end both orthodoxy and orthopraxis, by themselves, fall short. I propose that if Christians are to truly benefit from the partial truths found in these systems of thought, we need to develop a new grace-based option.

Orthofilia is a newly coined term that will describe an alternative basis for inquiry, one that incorporates the good of both orthodoxy (Romans 12:2) and orthopraxis (James 2:26). Orthofilia will be a system of Christian thought which emphasizes that it is only through “right relationships” with Jesus and humanity that one can be saved. Therefore, salvation is gained by receiving the unmerited favor of God through faith in Christ, confessing Jesus as Messiah before men, and receiving, by repentance, the resurrected Jesus as the Lord of your heart. Further, as you enter into a correct relationship with God through Christ, and appropriate the grace and power of Jesus through that relationship, you will be transformed into a Kingdom relationship-builder, spreading and sharing the love of God with your neighbor (Galatians 5:14).

The Biblical paradigm for Orthofilia will be the “one another” passages of both Old and New Testament Scripture. One of the main problems of orthodoxy and orthopraxis is their tendencies towards reductionism. Each attempts to reduce the Christian faith to simple emphases, and thus does not permit the believer to benefit from growing spiritually in the dynamic tension of the “grace/works” paradox. Alternatively, Orthofilia will be based on the warp and woof of the meta-narrative of “right relationships” as described throughout the Bible.

Orthofilia will always take a larger contextual look at God’s Word. This approach will assist the Christ-follower to not overly focus on the teachings of Jesus, a gospel that may seem to emphasize Kingdom activity or works (Luke 4:18-19), thereby under-utilizing the teachings of St. Paul, whose gospel may seem to emphasize grace (Romans 16:25). Hence, a theology constructed primarily from the Gospels may lead one into the trap of a one-sided orthopraxis. Furthermore, if one was to start from St. Paul (especially the Epistle to the Romans), and not interpret his teachings in light of Jesus’ words and deeds, a danger exists of falling into the trap of a noetic, one-sided orthodoxy.

But by focusing on the “one-another” passages found throughout Scripture, the Christ-follower will center their attention on the God who wants to be in a “right relationship” with them. With this correct relationship with and to God, the Holy Spirit will manifest His power in us so that we can be in “right relationships” with our neighbors (Matt. 22:37-39): “And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21 NIV).

Orthofilia is only a new way to look at an old tension. Ultimately, I hope that the coinage of the term Orthofilia, its subsequent preliminary definition, and further reflection by others, will assist the Church in our attempt to bring unity to the “faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

On a recent trip to a local pumpkin patch with my family, my oldest son noticed a green pumpkin off to the side of the rows of bright, orange pumpkins.  He asked a poignant question, “Mommy, when will that green pumpkin become ripe and turn orange.”  My wife replied, “That pumpkin will never become ripe because it is not attached to the vine.”

Though the exchange ended there, a few hours later I was reminded of Jesus words above.  If we are not connected to the vine of Jesus, we will never ripen into the image of God that the Christ-life affords.  All of our labor will be in vain.  The Apostle Paul said that he labored, struggling with all of God’s energy to present every Christian he came into contact with mature in Christ.  Apart from God’s power working in Paul, apart from Christ’s Spirit controlling him, Paul’s labor would not produce any fruit.

Our connection to Christ, His very presence in our lives, is the only fruit producing activity that we can hope for.  It is the love of Christ that must compel our activity, so that God will be glorified and others will recognize God’s love in us.

So, how do we remain in Jesus?  Of course, the typical answers of more prayer and more study of God’s Word immediately come to mind.   But we must be careful not to focus on what we need to do or add to be connected to Him, but what Christ wants to do for us.  Christ sent His Spirit to us, so that we would have His presence always.  So, maybe it isn’t what we will add to remain in Him, but what we need to subtract.

What are the distractions that keep us from a vital connection to God? Certainly, American Christians are too busy pursuing material possessions, spending too much time at work, and often working solely for the purpose of increasing their opportunities for leisure activities.  Our lives are have become so complex and disconnected from our communities that we find little time for the things of God.  Some of us may go to a house of worship once a week, and maybe we volunteer at a program or two.  But we find ourselves so busy that the simplicity of our relationship to Christ becomes muddy and we do not sense a real connection to the Vine.

So, to truly remain in Him we must simplify our lives.  And our quest for material possessions is the greatest inhibitor to this simplicity.  The worries of this world are choking out the breath of the Spirit in our lives.  Instead of working to get a larger house, a bigger car, a better paying job, and a longer vacation further away from home, we ought to look to downsize our houses, find smaller and more efficient vehicles, and plan more meaningful relational activities with our family and friends closer to home and to our spiritual community.

When we curtail our desires for what the world desires, we will begin to sense a stronger connection to Christ, and His love will flow more freely so fruit will be borne from our relationships with those who are lost without Christ.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was amazed at the miraculous intervention of God in saving the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the fiery furnace.  After the great deliverance, the King decreed that all people, everywhere should be careful not to blaspheme the God of the Israelites, because “… no other God can save in this way.”

Why did God intervene so dramatically in this occasion?  What are the conditions that might make for God to display His greatness through miraculous signs and wonders?

It might not be proper to place the faithfulness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego first in explaining the reasons why God acted on their behalf.  We want to be careful not to advocate a system of quid-pro-quo with God, who acts without the counsel of men, for His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9).  Nevertheless, it is quite clear that God is acting on the behalf of His servants because they are faithful to His covenant:  “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Exodus 20:3,4 NIV).  Throughout the Bible God calls His people to, first and foremost, worship Him alone, and the way in which we do that most honorably is to avoid all kinds of idolatry.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the gods of the Babylonians and did not bow down to the golden statue of King Nebuchadnezzar.  They were faithful to God. That we too will be rewarded for our faithfulness is not hidden in Scripture.

The more proper reason why God acts on the behalf of His servants is to keep His covenant promises to His people.  This is the righteousness of God.  He cannot lie; He is the ultimate good; He does not change; His Word is absolute truth: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).  This righteousness of God is what God’s people depend upon.  We don’t know when He might display His righteousness, but as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego say, “… even if …” God does not act, we will still know that He is faithful and righteous.

Lastly, God wants to declare His glory and majesty, His Kingship over all creation.  Because all the leaders of all of the nations of the world were gathered in that place, this became a great occasion for God to declare His ultimate glory.  He alone is King over creation, for He is the one true creator God.  And though many may not see that “the heavens declare the glory of God [and that] the skies proclaim the work of his hands,” God will sometimes display His heavenly glory in direct revelation so that He might be rightly worshipped by the whole world (Psalm 86:9).  Then they too will come to know that no other God can save the way God can save. 

This is also our evangelistic responsibility to the world.  We, as Christians, are to show that God is working through us to bring Glory to His Name, so that the world might be rescued by and through His Son Jesus Christ.

There exists a corollary problem in leadership studies.  The over-emphasis on leadership methodology allows students who have not learned what it is to be a good leader to attempt to do what a good leader does.  This is why so many well educated people fail in leadership.  They are trying to put into practice what they have not become.  We have over-emphasized doing leadership, rather than being or becoming a leader.  We must dock the leader ship.

 Over the years of studying and speaking on the topic of leadership, several people have remarked to me that Jesus seems to imply that seeking to be a leader is contrary to His Way.  But Jesus doesn’t just imply it, He says it clearly: “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:10-11 NASB).  For Jesus the focus is on being a servant, rather than aspiring to be a leader.  Servants, like stewards, should always be seeking to do what their master wants, not trying to become the master.

We are presented with a complicated paradox, however, as we understand the distinction between the intrinsic need for leadership in human societies and Christ’s giving preeminence to becoming servants.  The solution for some has become the notion of Servant Leadership.  This leadership theory has been wonderfully explicated by Robert K. Greenleaf and others over the past forty years or so.  And for Christians this stressing of servanthood was a welcome invitation to become participants in leadership discussions and scholarship.

But the overarching problem with servant leadership theory is that it still puts the cart before the horse.  It seems that many could be taught how to serve (or in some cases coerced to serve), without developing the selfless heart of a servant. After looking under the servant hood, would we find a Christ-like person, joyfully and selflessly serving the needs of God’s Kingdom and His people? 

Jesus knew that the motivation for true service could not be manufactured, and it really couldn’t be taught.  It must be imparted.  So, the basis of becoming leaders in the Kingdom of God is not learning about stewardship, servanthood, or leadership, but appropriating the image of God for service.  And at the root of a true leader is what is at the core of who God is: Love. 

Leadership that is effective and which will advance God’s Kingdom on earth must be based on love.  It must be imparted to the soul of the person and work its way out. And only God can do that.

I said earlier that servants, like stewards, should always be seeking to do what their master instructs them to do.  And the Master instructs us to do just one thing: Love!  Jesus, when challenged to summarize the entirety of Scripture, said that each of us ought to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. And love our neighbor as ourselves” (Matthew 22:37, 39).

As we introduce the Great Commandment Leadership model, we must first examine the characteristics and motivations of a Great Commandment leader.  We shall not give practical advice on how to lead people before we have a firm grasp of the kind of people God wants to make us into.