Unfortunately a very deficient "gospel" has been spread, and keeps on being spread, in which grace and salvation are depicted merely as a matter of our sins being forgiven. It's great that our sins have been forgiven, but if you are forgiven and yet remain in the same condition, what good is that? What's missing from the gospel message that's commonly taught is the issue of LIFE! We've not only been forgiven of all sin, but our sin has been taken away and we died to our old life in Adam, and we were raised up and made alive together with Christ Himself! Not only have we been forgiven, but our condition has changed! In Adam we were dead to God, but in Christ we are now fully alive to God.
<idle musing>
Yes! What good is forgiveness if you still have to live in sin? We sell the grace of God short when we preach a decapitated gospel that doesn't include deliverance from sin.
There is a marvelous little book that came out of the 19th century entitled The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life. No, not a self-help book, and not a Your Best Life Now kind of happy life. What she talks about is the freedom we have from sin in Christ. The first chapter is worth your time, if you can't read the whole thing. It is freely available on the Internet, search for the title and author—Hannah Whitehall Smith.
Maybe I'll post some excerpts from the book, but I don't have an electronic version available to me at the moment...
</idle musing>
1 comment:
George was having a hard time getting his comment to post, so I am posting it for him:
I think that a great deal of the blame for a superficial view of being "saved" (not a particularly good rendering for today's world) is that there is a failure to understand the concept of repentance. Repentance is not simply regretting what one has done (nor is it even primarily such). Repentance is rather a change of mind, a readjustment of one's view of life. I would refer to the Heilige Zehn Gebote. These are not simply decrees which are for the purpose of controlling man's action much as one might do if he were to say, "You shall not wear brown shoes on Tuesday." "Why not?" "Because I say so." There is rather a purpose behind each of the Words.
If one "has other gods", he fails to acknowledge the source from which all things come and places another entity on an equal footing with equal authority. If, however, God is the creator of the universe and has established the boundaries for all things establishing the laws by which all things occur, there cannot be another authority since the world would then be dysfunctional.
If one makes an image of God, whether actual or mental, one then limits God's freedom to surprise us. "I will be what I will be." Worship is not simply what one does in church when he sings hymns or prays. Worship is the ascription of "worth-ship" to anyone or anything. Do you remember the ad that used to run with kids singing "I want to be like Mike [Jordon]." When one ascribes worth to something one tends to become like that which is considered worthwhile.
If one uses the name of God for a worthless purpose, he then distorts the conception of the being of God. God is not a god of evil.
If one lives simply for work, he neglects the nature of God's purpose in creation. It becomes more like that of the creation of the world in Enuma Elish where man was created to serve the gods. In the Bible man's first full day of life was literally a stroll in the park. Stop to smell the roses.
A dishonoring of ones parents is a disregard for the past.
6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the older men who had attended his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 They answered him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he disregarded the advice that the older men gave him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and now attended him. 9 He said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus you should say to this people who spoke to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must lighten it for us’; thus you should say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. 11 Now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”
The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (1 Ki 12:6-11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Murder is a depreciation of the life of others and brings with it discord in society -- the hand of each man against his neighbor.
Adultery destroys the structure of the family.
Theft destroys the financial basis of society.
Perjury destroys the legal system.
etc.
By truly repenting, i.e. changing one's outlook, he aligns himself with the laws of the universe and its creator. It is the recipe for a successful life in society.
george
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