Today's bible study and link to my other blog
1st--for anybody who would like to see my non-theological natterings, feel free to peruse my LJ at your leisure.
2nd--If I'm going to return to christianity, it'd probably be a good idea to get better acquainted with the source material. to that end, I started one of those "bible in a year plans" a few weeks back. I'm journaling my thoughts, but I thought I'd use this new spot to post particular things I'd like feedback on as well as to create a certain amount of accountability. Today's reading is: Romans 5-6.
to simplify vastly, Ch. 5 is a summary of the docrine of Justification by grace. (I don't want to bore everyone here with long paraphrases, and I'm taking a wild guess that if you read this blog you own a bible, and can look up the text.) However, the corollary of this is answered in the next chapter-if everyone already has an a priori relationship with God via grace, then what's to stop us from sinning? (And why, as one fellow student in my inquirer's class this morning put it, did Jesus need to die if we're all "saved" anyway?)
Well, Paul then argues that those who fully understand Jesus's life, message, death, and rebirth have been presented with a road map to/ role model of godliness--to enlightenment if you will. Those who reach that level of understanding of the story will naturally want to live their lives in as much conformity to the two commandments as possible, which means they will naturally strive to commit fewer sins and become more christ-like in their natures. By learning of and accepting both the "sacrifice" of the cricifixion and the "making-sacred" of the resurrection, you will also understand that you are called to seek wisdom, do justice, love mercy, and speak truth to power--whether or not the legalistic mucketymucks particularly like you calling them on their hypocritical dogmas.
2nd--If I'm going to return to christianity, it'd probably be a good idea to get better acquainted with the source material. to that end, I started one of those "bible in a year plans" a few weeks back. I'm journaling my thoughts, but I thought I'd use this new spot to post particular things I'd like feedback on as well as to create a certain amount of accountability. Today's reading is: Romans 5-6.
to simplify vastly, Ch. 5 is a summary of the docrine of Justification by grace. (I don't want to bore everyone here with long paraphrases, and I'm taking a wild guess that if you read this blog you own a bible, and can look up the text.) However, the corollary of this is answered in the next chapter-if everyone already has an a priori relationship with God via grace, then what's to stop us from sinning? (And why, as one fellow student in my inquirer's class this morning put it, did Jesus need to die if we're all "saved" anyway?)
Well, Paul then argues that those who fully understand Jesus's life, message, death, and rebirth have been presented with a road map to/ role model of godliness--to enlightenment if you will. Those who reach that level of understanding of the story will naturally want to live their lives in as much conformity to the two commandments as possible, which means they will naturally strive to commit fewer sins and become more christ-like in their natures. By learning of and accepting both the "sacrifice" of the cricifixion and the "making-sacred" of the resurrection, you will also understand that you are called to seek wisdom, do justice, love mercy, and speak truth to power--whether or not the legalistic mucketymucks particularly like you calling them on their hypocritical dogmas.
posted by Sarah Clark at 2:42 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home