by jimwalton » Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:11 am
Many things in the Bible are both simple and complex. We denigrate the Bible and Christianity when we insist on simplicity, but we also too easily make our faith a system of works when we make it too complex.
We all know what sin is. That's easy. But there are entire chapters in systematic theologies devoted to the subject, trying to sort it all out.
We know that our salvation in Christ is simply to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, repenting from sins, confessing Jesus as Lord, and following Him. But we also know that it will take us our whole lives to plumb the depths of what all that means.
We know that all we need is the faith of a child—a mustard-seed's worth—to enter the kingdom. The kingdom of God is near us. But we also know from the other parables of Jesus that the kingdom of God is a large kingdom to be explored, and there are many truths that will be brought to bear regarding it.
Christianity can be very easy: Receive Jesus into your heart, and live by the Spirit he puts there. That's all that needs to be said. We also know that Christianity can be very difficult: To deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him requires all of me—all of my energies, my passions, my values, my goals, and my entire being.
Does pleasing God have to be so complicated? No, not at all. Yes, of course. Am I speaking out of both sides of my mouth? Nes. Yo.
Is it possible to sin while obeying God's commandment? It depends what you mean by that. In the OT, people were rebuked by the prophets because even in their obedience to the actions their hearts were not in it. We are not to think that all God wants are our works. Mt. 7.21-23.
Many things in the Bible are both simple and complex. We denigrate the Bible and Christianity when we insist on simplicity, but we also too easily make our faith a system of works when we make it too complex.
We all know what sin is. That's easy. But there are entire chapters in systematic theologies devoted to the subject, trying to sort it all out.
We know that our salvation in Christ is simply to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, repenting from sins, confessing Jesus as Lord, and following Him. But we also know that it will take us our whole lives to plumb the depths of what all that means.
We know that all we need is the faith of a child—a mustard-seed's worth—to enter the kingdom. The kingdom of God is near us. But we also know from the other parables of Jesus that the kingdom of God is a large kingdom to be explored, and there are many truths that will be brought to bear regarding it.
Christianity can be very easy: Receive Jesus into your heart, and live by the Spirit he puts there. That's all that needs to be said. We also know that Christianity can be very difficult: To deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him requires all of me—all of my energies, my passions, my values, my goals, and my entire being.
Does pleasing God have to be so complicated? No, not at all. Yes, of course. Am I speaking out of both sides of my mouth? Nes. Yo.
Is it possible to sin while obeying God's commandment? It depends what you mean by that. In the OT, people were rebuked by the prophets because even in their obedience to the actions their hearts were not in it. We are not to think that all God wants are our works. Mt. 7.21-23.