tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960211300672291948.post3328895558752493627..comments2023-08-21T11:21:55.665-04:00Comments on John's Grace Walk (Mysterium Tremendum): Righteousness Rules?John Fincherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05458897526460534434noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960211300672291948.post-14921327969098796312008-09-06T09:30:00.000-04:002008-09-06T09:30:00.000-04:00Alison,I am not trying to be dogmatic here, and be...Alison,<BR/>I am not trying to be dogmatic here, and believe me when I say I am NOT trying to limit the ways God can work - that's something I've done for too long.<BR/><BR/>ALL I am saying is that ANYTHING done apart from Him is from the flesh. Anything done in the flesh leads us to "lest any man should boast".<BR/><BR/>Paul said ANYTHING not done in faith is SIN!<BR/><BR/>Jesus said "I am the Vine, you are the branches. Apart from Me you can do nothing."<BR/><BR/>I do not doubt that you have grown closer to God by your attitude change. But if you did that in faith, I would STILL argue that the relationship part came first - you just didn't realize it.John Fincherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05458897526460534434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1960211300672291948.post-13408569180276658762008-09-05T13:42:00.000-04:002008-09-05T13:42:00.000-04:00The idea that "relationship produces righteousness...The idea that "relationship produces righteousness" is right, but I'm not sure "righteousness produces relationship" is entirely wrong. I spent my whole Christian life trying to will myself into a relationship with good, knowing that salvation is by grace and not by works. But I never loved God any more and I never got any better as a human being.<BR/><BR/>I finally got fed up and started trying to treat others with charity and stopped worrying about trying to have a "relationship with God." I think I had failed to understand what that meant--my heart was far too focused on myself to understand. It was finally through trying to show charity to others that I learned a little about love and could focus outside of myself. It was only after I learned about loving others besides myself that began to earnestly seek a relationship with God.<BR/><BR/>Don't you think ideas like the one in the excerpt limit the ways in which God can reach us?...and Enidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04449087288715306947noreply@blogger.com