Quote of the Day June 20, 2009
Posted by James in Christianity, Church of Christ, Quotes.trackback
While the practices of the church are necessary for the people of God to keep the story straight, they are never to be thought of as ends in themselves. When the practices of the church become greater than the story they serve, the church loses its way. Moreover, when one practice becomes the exclusive way the church seeks to keep the story straight, the church can also lose its way. Finally, when one “recipe” of the church is seen as the “complete” or final expression of what it means to live as the people of God, the church loses its way.
Mark Love, Douglas Foster, and Randall Harris. The Heart of the Restoration Series, Vol. 4: Seeking A Lasting City. Abilene: ACU Press, 2005. 92. Print.
in other words, when we as Christians choose to believe that God is a God of wrath, but not believe Him to also be the God of love, we can make ourselves embittered towards those that see God as both the God of wrath and the God of love. this is what happens when we attribute to God the things we want to attribute to Him, but not attribute to God the other side of who He is. There are those Christians that only want to focus on the old testament God, for instance, and focus all their efforts on keeping the ten commandments according to their “works”, and all that ends up happening is they NEVER learn that God is the God of love, and that ALL they had to do was walk in the love that God has for them and they would have NO problem what so ever keeping the ten commandments. in other words, all those that cling to the old testament would have to do is walk according to the Spirit, and they WILL NOT fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Seeking A Lasting City is an excellent resource, an excellent book. Thank you for reminding us of what we’re to be about. God bless. See you at Camp.