Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Faith Hall of Fame
Labels: Faith
Mercy, Not Sacrifice
Labels: Holy Spirit, Love and Mercy
We Live by the Spirit, Not by Law
Romans 7:6
Galatians 5:18
Spirit
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Law
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Person, God himself
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Written moral rules
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Lives in a person’s heart
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Exists in a document
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Mystical, moves like the wind
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Concrete, rigid, set in stone
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Infinite, expansive
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Limited, narrow
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Experienced
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Read or heard
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Engages whole being –
heart, mind, strength, soul, spirit |
Engages primarily the mind
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Empowered by God
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Enforced by men
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Internally motivating
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Externally restricting
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Illuminates truth
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Captures shadow of truth
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Empowers love and righteousness
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Dictates rules for living
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Powerful
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Weak
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Active
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Passive
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Engenders freedom, creativity and power
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Authoritarian and stifling
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Inspires uniqueness and spontaneous action
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Instills uniformity and centralized, man-made control
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Motto: “Live by faith from the heart - God's commands are not burdensome.”
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Motto: “Do what I say or else”
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Labels: Holy Spirit, Legalism
Cracks in the Foundation
Labels: Faith, Intellectualism, Legalism
Does This Story Sound Like Your Own?
The day came when you believed, and your heart awoke to the presence of God. It was as if a burden fell away – the guilt, fear, despair, hollowness, and confusion. In its place landed a sense of relief, comfort, hope, and happiness. A new and richer life on earth suddenly lay before you. Beyond that, your place in heaven awaited. As the Apostle Paul said, the old has gone and the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Some would say you were born again. Others call it accepting Jesus or putting your faith in him for salvation. Those are mere words to describe what happens when the heart of a man or woman moves from darkness into light, to finding his home in the Lord.
- An exacting focus on keeping moral rules often left you feeling guilty and fearful of doing wrong. Christian preachers and mentors taught you to glean moral rules from the Bible and follow them “religiously”. This way to follow God turned into a burden. Combing the Bible for these rules was tedious, and each one added to the load. It seemed like you were never doing enough or always violating something, even if minor, like going five miles per hour over the speed limit or not spending enough time in prayer. It became paralyzing, psychologically and spiritually. It sapped energy and shrouded your true personality beneath a blanket of anxiety. You felt like you were more fun to be around before you became a Christian!
- You could never quite conquer a particular bad habit, which caused a sense of shame and failure. It was difficult to deal with openly because of the subtle but steady pressure to put on a happy face and keep up appearances of a good Christian at church. If you did open up to people, they became uncomfortable or offered trite advice, which made you feel more alone.
- Certain church beliefs and ways of interpreting the Bible began to make you more, not less, confused. If you were honest with yourself, the Bible was not as clear-cut on many issues as the church suggested. Some explanations and reasoning did not add up in your mind or resonate in your soul. There were paradoxes, verses that seemed to conflict, or beliefs that did not match real-life experience. However, questioning or challenging these issues beyond a point was not welcome, even if done respectfully. It was considered disturbing the peace. Uncertainty and doubt crept in as a result.
- The passion and warmth you originally felt toward God waned. Despite following the spiritual disciplines and activities that the church encouraged – prayer, worship, Bible study, speaking in tongues, reading religious books, participating in ministry – the sense of intimacy diminished. Trying harder did not work. You felt confused and depressed.
- Contradictions developed between your conscience (internal sense of God’s direction) and the rules of the church or expectations of the Christian community. If you ignored this internal compass and abided by peer expectations, you felt hollow and dissatisfied inside. If you had the courage to follow your heart, you suffered rejection or pressure and manipulation by Christian brothers to change.
Labels: Faith