Forgiven Christians (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The word "Celtic" has developed a resurgence lately, and is used to describe everything from the religious traditions of ancient Ireland to New Age philosophy.

For the purposes of this page, Celtic Christianity is an expression of the belief that we were born as children of God, created with the utmost care by our Father. "Celtic Christians" hold to the core beliefs of the Christian faith, including the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds. They further acknowledge original sin as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve.

What distinguishes "Celtic Christians" is the strong emphasis that, in spite of original sin, God sees us in our original innocence. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, one can fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in joyful anticipation of our reunion in heaven.

The Celtic Christian sees nature with the Biblical eyes of God as He pronounced everything He created as "good." Man, He declared, "was very good."

Celtic Christians delight in the Lord and all of His creation. As long as they have embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior, they can celebrate freedom in Christ and the assurance of salvation. They live in harmony with others without compromising the Biblical faith.

Celtic Christians focus on growing in intimacy with the Holy Trinity, and spend little time wondering if others are "saved." God determines who will or won't be welcomed into heaven, and we are assigned the task of loving the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Salvation is God's prerogative.

A NOTE FROM JOE:

As the primary contributor to this website, as the "Pastor" to those who come thirsty and drink from this well, I feel the need to alert you to wolves in sheep's clothing.

Not all of the "experts" in Celtic Christianity are true to its core beliefs.

In contrast to the Roman Catholic Church whose Magisterium demands unquestioned submission to authority from its members, the current state of Celtic Christianity is under little or no system of checks and balances.

One can browse website after website and find different opinions of what "Celtic Christianity" means to that particular author. The key to discerning the truth is to put the emphasis on "Christianity" and its fundamental truths; "Celtic" describes a charism, not a revision of Biblical Truth.

An exemplary example of a Christian website that has a strong Celtic flavor to it is The Prayer Fondation - www.prayerfoundation.org If you spend much time on my website, you'll notice Monk Preston and Monk Linda's site is recommended more than a few times.

Blessed be God in all His designs.

Celtic Christianity is currently experiencing an identity crisis. For some it is a call to nature worship, others have a "New Age" view, looking at Celtic Christianity as a belief that we are all intricately united to the universal "life force." Some deny the deity of Christ and/or His sacrificial atonement. Some deny the truth of Original Sin and its consequences. Any variation of the basic truth found in the Bible is a false religion, and has nothing to do with Christianity.

The Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Celtic Christians believe in the Trinity, original sin, salvation through Christ alone. They believe Hell is a reality.

Celtic Christians believe God loves us passionately and desires all of us to be saved and share fellowship with Him eternally in Heaven.

Truly Celtic Christians believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man. They believe He lived a sinless life and, for love of us, died on the cross as atonement for our sins. They believe in His physical Resurrection and Ascencion to Heaven.

The charism of Celtic Christianity is the focus on God's love for us. They do not deny man's sinful nature. All Christians absolutely embrace our need for repentance of our sins and fully giving our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Having given one's life to Jesus Christ and trusting in Him alone for salvation, the Celtic Christian lives in communion with Him and with His creation. They live in accordance with the admonition of St. Paul, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!" (Phil.4:4).

Celtic Christianity places the emphasis in one's life on the joy salvation brings to the heart of the saved. They live in awe of our Father's creation. They see God revealing Himself in our fellow man and in nature. They are very concious of the implied warning of St. Paul in Chapter 1 of Romans, and are diligent to worship the Creator - not his Creation. Yet, they know in the magnificence of creation, we all have an opportunity to draw close to our Beloved.

"Celtic" and "Christian" can be a Biblically based Christian denomination with a very positive outlook on life. Again, the words "Celtic Christian" are extremely popular these days. May the reader be discerning if he or she chooses to pursue fellowship in a Celtic Christian denomination. One should never stray from Biblical truth in seeking a popular, enticing fellowship.