tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193910827847323491.post6740552731860102363..comments2023-08-19T17:46:59.017-04:00Comments on RE: Think: The Discipline of DyingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05389903464638309338noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193910827847323491.post-32316908722584475532009-09-11T07:46:26.151-04:002009-09-11T07:46:26.151-04:00Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your thoughts...Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your thoughts. But, on this topic, I couldn't disagree more ;-)<br /><br />You stated we are totally dependent on His sovereignty in our lives in order to be perfect... which is of course my point. And then you ask this question "If so, what does man contribute?"<br /><br />Ponder that question for a moment. What do we contribute? What do we contribute to God's work in the world? What do we contribute to His glory, even when He is being glorified in and through us? Nothing. We bring nothing to the table.<br /><br />So, how do we as Christians glorify God? I want to zero-in on this statement of yours: "So while the potential for perfection is present with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit..." Does the Holy Spirit assist us in our efforts to be holy? That's not the picture I get from Scripture. Who is regenerating us? God is... not us with some assistance from the Spirit. Who will He regenerate us to be like? Himself (i.e. Christ), not a better version of ourselves. The Christian life is not about becoming a better you. It's about no longer being you and letting God completely regenerate (re-create, re-do, start over and rebuild) us into a new creation made in the image of His Son. <br /><br />"I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:19)<br /><br />My proposition is that "dying" in this way is a spiritual discipline just as prayer, meditation, Bible study, worship, etc.<br /><br />I think we have the picture of creation being all good, man coming in and muddying it up badly, and then God coming back to "restore" it. But, in fact, Scripture doesn't speak of God "restoring" creation. (He'll restore David's throne, Israel's glory, and a few other items, but it never speaks of creation as a whole this way). It speaks of God making a new creation. God created everything good, man didn't muddy it up, we totally destroyed it beyond a simple patch or fix. God added the Law so the trespass would increase, demanding a death penalty from all mankind. He then sent His Son to be that death penalty. And when His Son returns, He is going to destroy totally and start over with a new Heavens, new Earth, new Jerusalem, etc. All who by faith have already died and been made new are citizens in that new creation. All who have not died and been made new, will be swept away with the rest of the destroyed creation.<br /><br />So, if we take that macro-idea of all of creation and apply it to ourselves, God is not wiping off some dust, fixing a few broken parts, and then saying, "there, good as new!" He asks us to die, put aside our own selves, and He will make us into mini-Christs (literal translation of "Christian"). <br /><br />Is that a puppet? You tell me. In the new creation, you won't sin. Why not? Are you a puppet there? Don't you have choice?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05389903464638309338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193910827847323491.post-58307070429824246162009-09-11T07:42:03.922-04:002009-09-11T07:42:03.922-04:00I appreciate your thoughts as usual! But one plac...I appreciate your thoughts as usual! But one place I always have trouble is man's part in God's sovereignty. I don't see where we can resort to being puppets on a string as being God's image bearers. In our weakness, I agree that we are totally dependent on God's power and His absolute sovereignty in our lives in order to be holy, perfect. But are you saying that that sovereignty comes when we are willing to die daily - continually? If so, what does man contribute? <br /><br />While the spirit has been made new the flesh is still fallen and prone to destruction. So while the potential for perfection is present with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it isn't going to happen here and now because restoration is not complete. But one day when ALL things are made new, we will do what we were created to do in bearing God's image with perfection. "Doing" is what's needed now and "being" is what's coming?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com