The scandalous gospel...
...but [Jesus] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in {your} weakness."
Wow...what a concept. In this world that seeks perfection (see those ads on TV?), how scandalous of God to tell us that He is strongest when we are weak. And why? Because when we're strong and "in control," there is no room for His strength.
Even in the church...many seek perfection. Cornerstone is far from that. And yet I believe that is one of our greatest strengths...we are real, and we value that "realness." We value it because we know that is how God's strength can be seen best.
Lord, allow me to be as strong and capable as you desire me to be. May I never be as strong as I and others desire me to be, so that you may be seen.
12 comments:
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn . . . take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.
Good post.
Dependence. Thats what the Lord requires. Nothing short of dependence on Him.
Didn't we take a sacred vow before God to seek perfection? Why so opposed?
I don't see this as an opposition to seeking God's perfection in us rather it's opposing seeking our own or the world's standard of perfection (which is so short of true perfection). Perhaps that is what's so freeing about this concept... we don't have to try of our own "power" anymore! Praise God, He wants to display HIS perfection in our weakness!
Yes, Jan. Yes.
Keith,
Whatever.
Love,
Brett
that reminds me of a song by Jennifer Knapp called "His Grace is Sufficient". i'm teaching myself how to play it on guitar. it's a really good song and a really good reminder.
Brett...I didn't mean to be coarse. My point was only that the whole "emerging culture" thing - as I've shared with you - runs the risk of abandoning doctrine as one seeks the "lowest common denominator". It's true that we need to be authentically ourselves and speak the language of the culture, but, at the same time, we ought not leave them where they are; love demands that we take them on the journey with us...in Wesleyan language, that journey is the journey toward perfection.
A professor of mine once said...correctly, I think...that the Presbyterians started dying when they stopped talking about predestination, and the Methodists starting dying when they stopped talking about perfection.
Granted, "perfection" as the world defines it is not synonomous with the theological meaning, but I think we should give a little more respect...respectfully...to words like "perfect" and "perfection", which are such important parts of our Wesleyan heritage and concerning which we DID take vows.
I say all this in love and recognizing that of every Christian I know, I am BY FAR the FURTHEST AWAY from perfection.
Brett...thanx for the inspiration. Isn't part of moving on to perfection the continuing acknowledgement of our weakness and inability to do anything apart from God?
"Cease striving and know that I am God; " Ps. 46:10 . There is a lot of striving in the flesh in the organized church, a lot of head worship not a lot of heart. I took your post to refer to opening up to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and cutting off the willfullness of the flesh that has a form of righteousness but denies the power and relies on self fulfillment instead.
"Cease striving and know that I am God; " Ps. 46:10 . There is a lot of striving in the flesh in the organized church, a lot of head worship not a lot of heart. I took your post to refer to opening up to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and cutting off the willfullness of the flesh that has a form of righteousness but denies the power and relies on self fulfillment instead.
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