I was just reading over some of my past posts on legalism/grace and have found that I already disagree with much of what I've written. It's not that I wasn't on the right track, but that my understanding of grace now is already so much more than even a few months ago. That's one of the things I love about writing--being able to see clearly what God's been up to in my life. If I were to trust things to my memory I'd never get to see the true extent of how good he really is!
I've had a bit of a writer's block lately, nothing that concerns me too much since I write purely spontaneously for the joy of it. But I do have something about confessing our sins over and over and the morbid tendency to keep putting Christ back on the cross kicking around in my brain. Aaron and I have been talking about a much used verse from 1 John that I recently got revelation on. He was asking me where I'd heard the interpretation I was talking about and I said "nowhere". To my knowledge, I never have heard it the way I see it now. Of course, there are surely others who have been teaching it that way...anyway I'm babbling weirdly now...had a long day should go to bed...
3 comments:
Writing has been one of the major ways in which I've worked through a lot of this as well. I have "grace" notes dating back to 1995/96, and I cringe when I look back on some of them. :) But it was all part of the process, and the process continues.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on 1 John 1:9. :D I can barely stand hearing the 'common' interpretation (although I at least have grace to understand why people think like that). One thing I know for sure, based upon a ton of other scriptures: Those who have believed on the name of Jesus have already been forgiven! As you say, we can't keep putting Christ back on the cross - which is what people are really trying to do when they try to get forgiven over and over again, especially through "confession." :(
You wrote: "I was just reading over some of my past posts on legalism/grace and have found that I already disagree with much of what I've written."
Come on Julie, I am dying to know in what way your thinking has developed. Please don't keep us in suspense...
Andrew, I think maybe disagree was a bit strong. I've been looking back again and I have to go back more than a year to find something I almost can't stand to read (such as this one which I may as well have titled 'condemned again' http://julnbde.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-hate-my-pride-i-love-my-saviour.html).
I think mainly I can see that my thoughts on grace were still very foggy and confused. I didn't state things as clearly and boldly as I would now. Perhaps I even allowed for a hint of law... I think getting to the place where I recognized the doctrine of indwelling sin as wrong (for believers) was a major turning point in my thinking.
Understanding grace is opening up so many possibilities in realms I never expected, such as ministry, healing, and miracles, etc...
I think we've already had more success in ministry to people in the past couple of months than the previous 10 years. It seems that at each new revelation the Spirit brings of the riches of grace in the gospel our level of faith and confidence rises. And we are only just beginning to live in the bit of grace we know!
So when are you coming out with a full story of your experience at TOAM? Your blog gives just enough testimony to make me terribly curious...
Post a Comment