KingdomBuilder wrote:Hmm... Seems as if this person would be more comfortable in a Baptist church?
Eternal security and a flare of worklessness seem to cornerstones of this post. The idea that God's grace is equivalent with salvation, and that nothing we can do (literally.. nothing) can change that, leads to a lot of issues. God's grace is a gift, and he loves all of his creation, but he is still a righteous judge- the fact that he loves us is not what gets us to heaven. Free will has to step in some where.
The citation of the evangelical mission also makes me think this person would be more satisfied in a Protestant church. Winning over souls and then having little to do with them, or not encouraging a holy lifestyle, works out for very few of these "converts".
Also, the part about the degree to which our lives are impacted by the Spirit depending upon the intellectual acknowledgement of it all seems very flawed. To me, that is almost indistinguishable from "Name it and Claim it" Christianity.
Well I do not think that a "flare of worklessness" is what the person was describing or advocating at all, but rather a diagnosis of the Anabaptist life of faith from the point of living by grace through faith in Christ and actively reaching out to the world with the Gospel.
And I think his concern towards a legalistic system that is mostly concerned about "staying saved", keeping the community together, and abiding by a list of rules, is a valid one. It can look righteous on the outside, but if there isn't true grace on the inside, and if it isn't a salting salt or a city on a hill, or a light for the room, what use is it for our Lord to expand His Kingdom?
We should ofcourse not try to "win" souls merely by the raising of hands, as if that is all there is to it. We should always be looking for genuine conversion and true repentance from sin ofcourse. But we need to realise that, if we are born again and have received the Holy Spirit, then we are heirs with Jesus Christ by Gods amazing grace. We cannot lose that grace as much as we didn't earn it, the Bible clearly teaches that, besides the verses below, read Romans 8 or John 10 for example if you are not convinced.
Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
And if you realise what it cost the Eternal God to save us, that Holy and Perfect Christ gave Himself completely for us, that He suffered ridicule and humiliation to bring us into His Kingdom. Then how come we are so slow to obey this Eternal Kings command to go out into the world to preach His Gospel? If we would have such an amazing King that gave everything He owned to save us, rebellious citizens, out of pure love and grace. A King that forgave the debt we owed Him, and could never repay. Then how can we become so forgetful to forget this Kings greatest commandment, look to ourselves again and think we have to work out our own salvation? To forget the Kings plain command to share the news of His love and grace with others, and instead stay at home to try to serve Him by excercising our own moral virtues and work harder than anyone to keep our own garden in tiptop shape - albeit under the cloak of serving after the Kings command and seperating from the unclean. But we were called to do these things, and not leave the others undone.
It might look very virtuous on the outside, but that is not what the King, Who gave His all to rescue you, gave Himself for! He did not give Himself so we could finish the job in our own strength, He gave a full and complete sacrifice to which we need to add nothing of our own, and in which He offers salvation to the world. And yes when Christ lives in us, that salvation always will bear holy fruit accordingly, but the fruit is no requirement for salvation, it is a product of salvation.
The King we serve has His joy in our salvation - that is why He paid the price for it - and in that of many more people in all tongues, nations, tribes etc. And as He has joy in our salvation and will so for eternity, and reckoning the price He paid for it, shouldn't we serve Him by calling more to serve Him and thus increasing His joy and glory of granting mercy and grace to the souls of men and women? Nobody will get to know the King we serve by grace through faith simply by observing the good looking garden we tend every day, or by the beautiful quilt we give to charity, those things are good - don't get me wrong - but they should not be our primary focus. They should simply add credibility to our testimony that we serve a Living King, and by grace have received a new heart with new desires and actions, that we are in the world but not of the world - not just because we dress differently, or live seperately and physically per sé - but because our hearts are transformed by the King we serve. Then we give honour to the King, instead of boasting about our own virtues and righteousness, He gets the glory and the increase for His grace and Righteousness He clothes us with.
Why am I so passionate about this? Well I saw a documentary a while ago, you might know it, The Amish: A secret life. In the documentary an Amish family opened up their home for a documentary by the BBC on their life and faith. The most beautiful thing about it was their reason for cooperating in the documentary was to share the Gospel with the world. The Amish man - David I think - literally said that his motivation to partake in the documentary was because the Lord said "go ye into the world, to the uttermost parts, teaching and preaching in My Name". He also said "Many people think an amish lifestyle will make them happy, some people think a big house will make you happy, but my message is - those things are good - but if that's what your happiness is based upon it's not gonna last - if you receive Jesus Christ, that will be your true happiness." Well I have to say this family was very godly and sincere in their love for the Lord and their desire to share it with the world. And millions have watched the documentary, and I pray the Lord used it to touch hearts. But my point is that in the documentary they were in fear of being shunned by their church for what they were participating in, but they considered the Gospel of Jesus Christ more important. Sadly it turned out later that they were indeed shunned for partaking in the documentary. But I think the sacrifice they made was extremely worthwile, a prime example of serving Jesus Christ more than man. And it seems that - at least in the Amish community, (and in many other communities aswell, anabaptist and other)- rules and regulations can prevent us from obeying the primary call that our Almighty King gave us, to share Him with the world:
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
If I am completely wrong here, and the Anabaptist community is actually thriving with Evangelistic zeal, and converts are thronging your congregations, then I apologise and I take back my unwisely spoken words. But if that is not the case, then what about the commandment in Matthew 28? Less important than Matthew 5-7? I don't think so. God bless you all.