Read on Twitter
If someone says "I have become a Christian, what now?" how do you answer?
For many the answer will be something like: get involved in a church, start to read the Bible, go to a small group, etc
All good things. I doubt that a first century apostle would answer the same way
For many the answer will be something like: get involved in a church, start to read the Bible, go to a small group, etc
All good things. I doubt that a first century apostle would answer the same way
They say things like:
* learn to live a life worthy of the calling you received
* grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit
* learn to pray
* set your hearts and minds on things above
* receive the Holy Spirit and new obligations to him
* eagerly desire spiritual gifts
* learn to live a life worthy of the calling you received
* grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit
* learn to pray
* set your hearts and minds on things above
* receive the Holy Spirit and new obligations to him
* eagerly desire spiritual gifts
* learn, by God's grace, to say no to ungodliness and put sin to death
* delight yourself in the Lord
* get involved in Jesus' work
* offer your bodies as sacrifices, this is worship
We could go on
* delight yourself in the Lord
* get involved in Jesus' work
* offer your bodies as sacrifices, this is worship
We could go on
Why are these things so often not our default go-tos? I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that programmes, activities and knowledge-transference are more measureable and reportable. Whereas these things aren't
Ask yourself whether your church deliberately teaches these things to new believers. Is there, for example, some instruction on how to pray? That's pretty basic, but weird for new Christians
Too often we don't act as if Christians (especially new ones) need to reorient our entire life & worldview to a completely new paradigm
We are therefore tempted to bolt Christianity on to a life lived under the previous paradigm & hope there is some transformation at some point
We are therefore tempted to bolt Christianity on to a life lived under the previous paradigm & hope there is some transformation at some point
