I wish I could say that I have been too busy to write more. It would not be true. We always have time to do what we really want to do. I have not been too busy, but to preoccupied. I have had plenty of time to think, pray, and be silent.
What have I learned?
I still do not know! I am working on a variety of thoughts and projects. I feel like I am preparing the ground. For what? Here is the question! This has been a time of active passivity. I do not yet know the fruit of the time.
What has been my life and time recently. The following is a thoughtful quote from Francis Schaeffer.
What have I learned?
I still do not know! I am working on a variety of thoughts and projects. I feel like I am preparing the ground. For what? Here is the question! This has been a time of active passivity. I do not yet know the fruit of the time.
What has been my life and time recently. The following is a thoughtful quote from Francis Schaeffer.
"Thus I am to live now by faith, rooted in the things which have been, such as Christ's death and resurrection; what is, such as the second stream of reality in the unseen now; and what will be such as my coming bodily resurrection and return with Christ. And this is not sheer passivity, as we have seen. God will deal with me in the circle in which he made me; that is, in his image- as a man, not as a stick or stone. There are unbiblical forms of "spirituality" which put their emphasis almost entirely upon some sort of "resignation." The Bible rejects this. You are not just a beast in the field. It is not just a case of accepting, there is to be an activeness in our passivity. We have to be creatures because that is what we are- creatures. But in Christ we are presented with an opportunity, a calling, to be a creature by choice, to be creatures glorified. Through an active passivity, we are creatures, not of necessity but by choice, here in this present space-time, historic world. When I come to this point, no matter how many times I preach or write it, it still takes my breath away."
Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality, 82.
What is he saying? First, all of us are living in two-world existence. We are living in the here and now temporal framework of this universe, and we also are living in a very real spiritual realm that is marked by eternity. What we do here touches on the eternal realm. What Christ did in the eternal realm can and should impact our everyday experience in the here and now. Schaeffer argues that living by faith means acknowledging and living as a citizen of both realms.
How does this look in real life?
Schaeffer argues that we must actively, by choice, live as creatures now glorified. Honestly, I do not know exactly what he means here. Let me follow up with another quote from later in the book that might clarify what he said.
Schaeffer argues that we must actively, by choice, live as creatures now glorified. Honestly, I do not know exactly what he means here. Let me follow up with another quote from later in the book that might clarify what he said.
"So we must believe God's promises at this one moment in which we are. Consequently, in believing God's promises, we apply them- the present meaning of the work of Christ for the Christian- for and in this one moment. If you only can see that, everything changes. As we believe God for this moment, the Holy Spirit is not quenched. And through his agency, the risen and glorified Christ, as the bridegroom of the bride, the vine, brings forth his fruit through us, at this moment. This is the practice of active passivity. And it is the only way anybody can live; there is no other way to live but moment by moment."
Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality, 86.
My life of late has felt like freeing labor. It is hard ease. It has been thoughtful letting go. It has felt like active passivity.
In other words, I have felt and lived the tension of living out the gospel by faith. I have been reflecting upon and believing the promises in my life. I have been training/preparing/opening my ears so that I can hear what God is saying about my living in His presence now.
It has been rewarding and humbling. It has been easy but hard. It has also meant talking less so I can hear more. In the case of this blog, this means writing less also!
In other words, I have felt and lived the tension of living out the gospel by faith. I have been reflecting upon and believing the promises in my life. I have been training/preparing/opening my ears so that I can hear what God is saying about my living in His presence now.
It has been rewarding and humbling. It has been easy but hard. It has also meant talking less so I can hear more. In the case of this blog, this means writing less also!
May this week be marked by faith. May we walk in light of Christ's finished work that makes all the difference in eternity and in every day, moment by moment, life.
“So we must believe God's promises at this one moment in which we are.”
ReplyDeleteFor me, this quote by Shaeffer nailed the “how do I do this?” part of God’s truth. This is so important churches should have workshops on how to get on the path of doing it properly. So much less angst, so much more love possible.