Yesterday I read another chapter of Tchividjian. There are a few points to note from the chapter I read. His main point is that we all fall away from the Gospel continually. For the Gospel reminds us of how small we are. It reminds us that we are poor, weak, unable to be perfect. We flee to legalism and mysticism.
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
In the end, our sanctification comes not from what we do, but what the Spirit does. It is our job to concentrate on Christ. Now, at this point lists and wise advice is useful. Hanging around, in real life and on the intertubez, with people who are passionate about Christ and his work is also good. But the lists are but shadows.
Like the Law, they are but the shadow. Behind the veil is God. And that is incredibly difficult. We may not preach this, but it is indeed a fearful thing to be in the hands of the Living God.
You are reminded of your place. You pride is stripped away. Your excuses are removed. Suddenly legalism. mysticism, (and their converse: drunkenness and vice) are shown to be as protective as a sheet of paper. When we see the glory of God, we run for the shadows. The only thing that can hold us there is Christ, and Christ alone.
This is why Paul was so against people using the Law as a set of lists to allow for their justification. He’d been there == he was a Pharasee and a good one before his conversion — and he knew that it did not suffice.
We have to return, continually, as many teachers — from Augustine to Ignatius and Calvin to Spurgeon and Billy Graham and Schaeffer — to the cross and the cross alone.
Note to Will. The cross leads to obedience, by the grace of God. For we are judged by our fruits.
This is a good post.
I think the thing is that many christians don’t know how to live “after the cross” and stay a sinner. Even Jesus said to go and sin no more. I’m a Christian mystic, and that’s what’s missing. I’d take saint Francis of Assisi over any television evangelist today.
Even Paul said to move on to greater things. The church is stuck and can’t deal with a resurrected life, it’s too powerful.
Mmm. I wonder what your response to this bible passage is that seems to contradict that faith alone saves:
Faith and Deeds James 2:14-24
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If
one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but
does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.