Timely and well written, Joe. It touches upon many of the same points my weekly sermons have been circling. Faith is not mere assent - it isn't just some acknowledgement that God exists and His word is life and truth. Faith is much, much more. Working out our salvation is a lot of things - besides being a life-long process of sanctification.
How would anyone, much less a Christian, view a body of people who swear allegiance to an organization, but at the moment of conflict with a bigger group, they're now found in the opposing camp?
Professing Christ is not the same as living for Christ.
I agree that professing Christ is not the same as living for him. Christ did not say "Blessed are those who say the right things," but "Blessed are the pure in heart, the poor in spirit, the merciful" and so on. I would like to write more on our abbreviated gospel, a sort of instant Christianity - "Just add doctrines and stir."
Someone told me recently that the Gospel is "Jesus Christ died and rose again." Really? Who was Jesus? What does his death have to do with me? Why did he have to die? What did he teach? What did we say about how we should live?
Woman at the well comes to mind - like her, when we come to meet Jesus we first must recognize who we are. She admits her sin, but then tries to divert the discussion elsewhere. Then, again like us, she had to come to an understanding of who Jesus is. It's only when we recognize who were are and then who Jesus is, that we can be in a relationship with Christ. Had she lied, it would've been the shortest meeting ever. But she faced the truth about herself and as a result, was instrumental to many finding Christ.
That it is why conviction of sin is a ministry of the Holy Spirit - it is a necessary step to finding out just what we are. I think that is a big problem in the churches - superficial repentance. People repent and want forgiveness for ordinary human guilt - everyone knows we have done things we shouldn't - but along with that human psychological guilt a great deal of pride and complacency still remains beneath the surface. There must be a divine conviction which only God can accomplish - but he can do this through human agents.
Timely and well written, Joe. It touches upon many of the same points my weekly sermons have been circling. Faith is not mere assent - it isn't just some acknowledgement that God exists and His word is life and truth. Faith is much, much more. Working out our salvation is a lot of things - besides being a life-long process of sanctification.
How would anyone, much less a Christian, view a body of people who swear allegiance to an organization, but at the moment of conflict with a bigger group, they're now found in the opposing camp?
Professing Christ is not the same as living for Christ.
I agree that professing Christ is not the same as living for him. Christ did not say "Blessed are those who say the right things," but "Blessed are the pure in heart, the poor in spirit, the merciful" and so on. I would like to write more on our abbreviated gospel, a sort of instant Christianity - "Just add doctrines and stir."
Someone told me recently that the Gospel is "Jesus Christ died and rose again." Really? Who was Jesus? What does his death have to do with me? Why did he have to die? What did he teach? What did we say about how we should live?
Woman at the well comes to mind - like her, when we come to meet Jesus we first must recognize who we are. She admits her sin, but then tries to divert the discussion elsewhere. Then, again like us, she had to come to an understanding of who Jesus is. It's only when we recognize who were are and then who Jesus is, that we can be in a relationship with Christ. Had she lied, it would've been the shortest meeting ever. But she faced the truth about herself and as a result, was instrumental to many finding Christ.
That it is why conviction of sin is a ministry of the Holy Spirit - it is a necessary step to finding out just what we are. I think that is a big problem in the churches - superficial repentance. People repent and want forgiveness for ordinary human guilt - everyone knows we have done things we shouldn't - but along with that human psychological guilt a great deal of pride and complacency still remains beneath the surface. There must be a divine conviction which only God can accomplish - but he can do this through human agents.