Living with God's grace in one's life as the controlling force is much superior socially. Social rules here on earth exist to help people manage relationships when interests conflict. With grace, a person understands that God is taking care of them even when they aren't perfect, and even when they don't get their way when in conflict with others.
So, the rule is God writes the rule on your heart, and shows God's love for you in it's application in all situations.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
These no longer apply
With the Holy Spirit in our lives, the following do not apply:
tithing.
Water baptism.
Going to Church.
Asking for forgiveness from God.
More later.
tithing.
Water baptism.
Going to Church.
Asking for forgiveness from God.
More later.
How churches get by financially
Most Christian churches imply financial obligation on the part of the member/attenders. Some churches/ministries directly ask for money. And not like Pepsi does. Advertising in the corporate world is a cultural menace, but at least it is honest. Their message is "Buy out product because we want to be rich and look. . . it tastes really good." Kind of a win-win.
Churches ask for money (Generally a percentage of total income that should make the almond growers' "a can a week" request look very small) with very little in return. Some Christians "sense" that there is a social obligation to support the educational aspects of the church programs. Some live with the message that God follows our lead: if a person gives, God will give; if a person buys a nice tv instead, God/life will let it break the day after the warranty runs out.
God has said that He will work out our lives. Either He is taking care of us, or He isn't. I believe that He is taking care of us, irrespective of what I do or who we are. Feel free to consider all the scripture references that come to mind about God rejecting us, or spitting us out of his mouth, or our working out of out our own salvation. If you read them as God spurning you, I believe you are mistaken. I do not think that the last few decades, perhaps back to the third great awakening of the 1880's here in America, Christians have really believed that God taking care of them unless they were "really good". Thus the message that if someone is wealthy, God must want it that way. Get a clue: God doesn't care if we are wealthy, ugly, blind, native american, or if we speak tagalog.
Churches will be fine even if they stop asking for money. By churches, I don't mean corporate-like entities. I mean Christians. They may need to re-think their lives, but God is the active agent, not we ourselves.
Churches ask for money (Generally a percentage of total income that should make the almond growers' "a can a week" request look very small) with very little in return. Some Christians "sense" that there is a social obligation to support the educational aspects of the church programs. Some live with the message that God follows our lead: if a person gives, God will give; if a person buys a nice tv instead, God/life will let it break the day after the warranty runs out.
God has said that He will work out our lives. Either He is taking care of us, or He isn't. I believe that He is taking care of us, irrespective of what I do or who we are. Feel free to consider all the scripture references that come to mind about God rejecting us, or spitting us out of his mouth, or our working out of out our own salvation. If you read them as God spurning you, I believe you are mistaken. I do not think that the last few decades, perhaps back to the third great awakening of the 1880's here in America, Christians have really believed that God taking care of them unless they were "really good". Thus the message that if someone is wealthy, God must want it that way. Get a clue: God doesn't care if we are wealthy, ugly, blind, native american, or if we speak tagalog.
Churches will be fine even if they stop asking for money. By churches, I don't mean corporate-like entities. I mean Christians. They may need to re-think their lives, but God is the active agent, not we ourselves.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Where is my sense of Responsiblity?
If God is living through me, then I should never sense nervousness or guilt (or shame from the past) about what I should or need to do. My sense of responsibility was taken away at the moment of salvation when God said, "Now it is my turn."
Ephesians 2:6 "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"
First, notice, we are sitting down. Other of Paul's writings say we should stand. To me, these are similarly passive positions.
Second, if the core of who we really are is already in heaven, then what big change should we expect when we are fully moved there? I don't think we will be surprised, except by the intensity of the joy (C.S. Lewis( Link to Amazon)). This life is a shadow of things to come, just as life in the Old Covenant (up to Pentecost) was a shadow of what was to come now that the Holy Spirit abides in us. I am quite sure of several things that will NOT be a part of the heaven experience ever:
Rememberance of our sin here on Earth (link)
Crying, any at all (link)
Condemnation for anything we have ever done (link)
Finally, if the core of who we really are is seated in Heaven, then Satan can't touch us.
Let go, Let God.
Ephesians 2:6 "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"
First, notice, we are sitting down. Other of Paul's writings say we should stand. To me, these are similarly passive positions.
Second, if the core of who we really are is already in heaven, then what big change should we expect when we are fully moved there? I don't think we will be surprised, except by the intensity of the joy (C.S. Lewis( Link to Amazon)). This life is a shadow of things to come, just as life in the Old Covenant (up to Pentecost) was a shadow of what was to come now that the Holy Spirit abides in us. I am quite sure of several things that will NOT be a part of the heaven experience ever:
Rememberance of our sin here on Earth (link)
Crying, any at all (link)
Condemnation for anything we have ever done (link)
Finally, if the core of who we really are is seated in Heaven, then Satan can't touch us.
Let go, Let God.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
There Are No Principles in Salvation
Modern Christianity has been trying to master the "principles" of proper Christian living. Paul's writing in the New Testament suggests that such a pursuit is not only not necessary, but is in fact counter-productive. For Paul (and by extension the post-pentecost Christian church), principles for living worked well when Christ did not live through us. Principles were a nice shadow of Christ. Principles gave guidance in decisionmaking. Now Christ lives through us and doesn't see our sin when we don't let Christ live through us while we try to live by "principles".
This is a big topic for me right now. I am frankly beyond the Christian acts that I grew up with: baptism (shadow of being completely bathed in Christ 24/7), titheing (I think God is big enough to take care of the Church light bill-maybe even through me, if I see joy in such giving), etc. But what is more difficult for me is that God isn't interested in my reliance of general principles, Old Testament, Hammurabi's code, Roman Law, or the Quran. He wants to BE the principle to which I look every second of the day. Every other principle for living is secondary.
Practical applications? Life is very personal, and lacks overarching principles that easily apply to all people. In essence, ethics, morals and other principles for living are fixed and too inflexible for life. The only true principle is that God doesn't change, and our life right now is to see Him express his love for us as we go through life.
Three Examples
ok, a big one.
1. Abortion.
Modernists assume republican democracy is the best governmental structure, and that all others are inferior. God, when the people of Isreal wanted a government like the other people of the world, didn't institute democracy. He gave them a despot. The monarchy lasted through exactly 3 rulers: Saul, David and Solomon. (Interesting that many Christians enjoy following certain Old Testament lifestyle guidelines, but no one is talking about asking for a Monarchy here in the States. Maybe Idi Amin was right - just kidding!!)
Where does that leave us on the governance question? God tells individuals how best to live every second in the world around them. The principle of governmental forms is not all that significant. It isn't immaterial, is just pales compared with the much bigger issue of Christ's living through us or not.
3. Slavery.
This is a big topic for me right now. I am frankly beyond the Christian acts that I grew up with: baptism (shadow of being completely bathed in Christ 24/7), titheing (I think God is big enough to take care of the Church light bill-maybe even through me, if I see joy in such giving), etc. But what is more difficult for me is that God isn't interested in my reliance of general principles, Old Testament, Hammurabi's code, Roman Law, or the Quran. He wants to BE the principle to which I look every second of the day. Every other principle for living is secondary.
Practical applications? Life is very personal, and lacks overarching principles that easily apply to all people. In essence, ethics, morals and other principles for living are fixed and too inflexible for life. The only true principle is that God doesn't change, and our life right now is to see Him express his love for us as we go through life.
Three Examples
ok, a big one.
1. Abortion.
First, just like any other part of life, if I am not letting God live through me, THAT is the sin, not the abortion as such. Is it possible to make a bad earthly decision? Of course, but the concequences are only here on earth, and nothing we do can deter His love for us. We can fall into too much principle/legalism and not realize God's moments of caring, but the truth stands that we already have (and can't ever lose) every blessing God had for us. Is abortion always a bad decision? Well, that is a principle question and God wants to live through people to answer these questions individually, so I can't say if it is always bad or not.
2. Best Governmental system
2. Best Governmental system
Modernists assume republican democracy is the best governmental structure, and that all others are inferior. God, when the people of Isreal wanted a government like the other people of the world, didn't institute democracy. He gave them a despot. The monarchy lasted through exactly 3 rulers: Saul, David and Solomon. (Interesting that many Christians enjoy following certain Old Testament lifestyle guidelines, but no one is talking about asking for a Monarchy here in the States. Maybe Idi Amin was right - just kidding!!)
Where does that leave us on the governance question? God tells individuals how best to live every second in the world around them. The principle of governmental forms is not all that significant. It isn't immaterial, is just pales compared with the much bigger issue of Christ's living through us or not.
3. Slavery.
I believe that in "Principle" slavery is more bad than good. Realize that my biggest concern with slavery is the lack of recourse for an abused Slave, and not the concept of "Slavery" as such. Concepts don't harm people, individuals and circumstances do. Paul never spoke against slavery. Does that mean he was for it? No, it means that a Christian slave can still have her/his life completely worked out by Christ. A Christian slave does not need the institution of slavery to change for his/her joy to increase. Joy comes from seeing Christ work in our lives. I dare say that EVERY life has difficulties which give Christ opportunity to speak to us by His working out of our lives. Every life can be joyful in Christ.
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