RQ: Chapter 3, Grace Amazing, by Steve McVey
Chapter 3: Much of what we thought we knew is wrong
Many Christians have systematized their spiritual beliefs into orderly compartments that they feel are neatly arranged and easily managed. Anytime they hear something that is new to them, they attempt to fit it into one of those self-designed compartments. If it won't fit, they reject the new concept without giving it any further consideration.
This fact presents a real problem when it comes to the matter of moving people from the wilderness of religion into God's grace-land. Why? Because there is no place where legalistic religion and grace can intersect. Law and grace can never coexist together; consequently, a Christian whose lifestyle is primarily religious in essence may have great difficulty crossing over into the new land.
Hence the teacher's problem: if he leaves in his teaching a single significant scrap of the old system, they, by their very effort to understand, will go to that scrap rather than to the point he is making and, having done that, will understand the new only insofar as it can be made to agree with the old -- which is, not at all.
While we have seen the "big R" REALITY, we perceive it as "small r" reality. Our perception is always subjective, focused, limited, and partial. Though we cannot understand absolutely, we need t learn as much as possible about REALITY and to adjust our perception of reality accordingly. To do this we must learn to be open to understandings that lie beyond those we now have. We need to keep searching for new insights in REALITY and adjusting our perceptions to those new insights. This involves constant comparison between our present views and those we become aware of through other people, new experiences, including books.
If Jesus Christ wants to be number one in your life, who holds second place? For the Christian there is no number two. Jesus Christ will not be denigrated by being on anybody's list. He the whole list because He is our whole Life. For the Christian there is no life apart from Jesus. For us to live is Christ (see Acts 17:28; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:4). Jesus didn't come to take a place in our lives, even first place. He came to become our Life. He is number one, number two, and number 3. He's the whole list, the source of everything.
Our flesh so wants to do something to contribute to our holiness.
When then do so many people, having become Christians, now think that the life of Jesus becomes a model for them to imitate? Jesus Christ has place His life into us so that He can live His life through us. It has nothing to do with imitation but everything to do with participation. "For we have become partakers of Christ" (Hebrews 3:14, emphasis added).
WWJD...One friend said that the letter should represent "Watch What Jesus Does!"
Many Christians have systematized their spiritual beliefs into orderly compartments that they feel are neatly arranged and easily managed. Anytime they hear something that is new to them, they attempt to fit it into one of those self-designed compartments. If it won't fit, they reject the new concept without giving it any further consideration.
This fact presents a real problem when it comes to the matter of moving people from the wilderness of religion into God's grace-land. Why? Because there is no place where legalistic religion and grace can intersect. Law and grace can never coexist together; consequently, a Christian whose lifestyle is primarily religious in essence may have great difficulty crossing over into the new land.
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Hence the teacher's problem: if he leaves in his teaching a single significant scrap of the old system, they, by their very effort to understand, will go to that scrap rather than to the point he is making and, having done that, will understand the new only insofar as it can be made to agree with the old -- which is, not at all.
----------------
While we have seen the "big R" REALITY, we perceive it as "small r" reality. Our perception is always subjective, focused, limited, and partial. Though we cannot understand absolutely, we need t learn as much as possible about REALITY and to adjust our perception of reality accordingly. To do this we must learn to be open to understandings that lie beyond those we now have. We need to keep searching for new insights in REALITY and adjusting our perceptions to those new insights. This involves constant comparison between our present views and those we become aware of through other people, new experiences, including books.
----------------
If Jesus Christ wants to be number one in your life, who holds second place? For the Christian there is no number two. Jesus Christ will not be denigrated by being on anybody's list. He the whole list because He is our whole Life. For the Christian there is no life apart from Jesus. For us to live is Christ (see Acts 17:28; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:4). Jesus didn't come to take a place in our lives, even first place. He came to become our Life. He is number one, number two, and number 3. He's the whole list, the source of everything.
----------------
Our flesh so wants to do something to contribute to our holiness.
----------------
When then do so many people, having become Christians, now think that the life of Jesus becomes a model for them to imitate? Jesus Christ has place His life into us so that He can live His life through us. It has nothing to do with imitation but everything to do with participation. "For we have become partakers of Christ" (Hebrews 3:14, emphasis added).
----------------
WWJD...One friend said that the letter should represent "Watch What Jesus Does!"
posted by GBT at
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
