God is not a judge who loves us. He is a perfect lover that judges us.
We are not one flesh with Christ because of our righteousness, rather we are declared righteous because of our union (fullness) with Christ.
Your behavior does not change your affections, rather your affections change your behavior (tying this idea to the 'love' of Christ).
"Salvation is sure ground, not an uncertain goal." (Martin Luther) Your trust in God is your assurance of salvation, and having confidence in living out the love of Christ.
The question is not how can we apply the Bible to our lives now, rather the question should ask how do we, or does this fit, within the Bible? Are we putting ourselves "under" the Word of God?
The Word of God is true, whether I choose to believe it or not. My belief does not change what it is.
The kingdom of God is now and not yet. If I go to either extreme I have missed the Biblical teaching. We live between the times... 1 Cor. 7.29-31, Gal. 2.20
"The church is the concrete manifestation of the eschatological kingdom"(Metzger). However, the church is by no means the consummation of this kingdom...
We live now in light of what we will be. Luke 12.32-34
Is the church "bearing witness" of what will be, in light of future consummation?
2 Cor. 4.7-12, 5.2-10. Col. 3.1-14.
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i just saw your blog from facebook... i like your post. in talking about how either way too far is to miss the point, i think you've really hit on something there. often as a teacher i struggle with talking to my kids about morality (in more private settings/not really fit for class discussion usually), it's hard because i know that something of what i say i'll have violated at some point. how do i tell a kid who is 15 and has a child already with another on the way that God says premarital sex is wrong not because of the result but because of the intent - that is, to commit wholeheartedly to someone ahead of God. She obviously is searching desperately for love... and not getting it still.
ReplyDeleteI guess my response in general is to keep loving the kids no matter what their actions. If they ask me what I think, I'll tell them but must keep in mind I can't expect change to come to their lives without Christ.
i would change one of your paragraphs there to:
"The question is not how can we apply the Bible to our lives now, rather how is our life consumed by the Bible and love of God?"