a life-giving way
I have often thought about the seven deadly sins. I think I have probably tasted them all in full or in part - and felt the full impact of their promise for more but instead leaving me drained, wanting and miserable. Too often I have been tripped up by trying to avoid lust and greed, etc. only to find my life going down a black hole of managing my sin rather than living a full life. I think it is a by-product of the attempt to live the Christian life - we can find ourselves focusing on all the wrong things; avoiding mistakes; sin management and keeping up appearances.
This provides the backdrop to a wonderful and encouraging charge from someone who knew how to live. He didn’t live perfectly (in fact he failed big time) but, he charged into life and it seems he learned from his mistakes and focused on falling in love with Jesus. He left us in the form of a letter, a better way. A way that doesn’t avoid the topic of sin - but doesn’t make it the focus of life. He writes to us about what I call a life-giving way. A way to find life to the full! I stumbled across this passage yesterday and it filled me with hope, brought a smile to my face and redirected my thoughts which again had come to rest on former things.
I hope you find encouragement and hope and life as you reflect on the writings of Peter.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. [2 Peter 1.1-7]
Excellent and timely post for me.
Thanks for comment Todd - may we attempt to focus on the feeding of our faith rather than the sole focus of fighting and fending off our foibles.
I love the idea that we can actually make the effort and it will matter.
“managing my sin rather than living a full life”
Well said, sir. I know that feeling well.
Thanks for this.
Larry - the idea is borrowed from thoughts presented by Dallas Willard in his book, The Divine Conspiracy. He states that far too many Christians are only focused on Sin Management and that the Christian life has been diluted down to that only - the management of my sin (If I am sinning less, I must be doing well). From the theological side then, according to Dallas, God becomes only (or solely) the Sin Bearer and we become Vampires - only interested in the blood of Jesus.
Where is the transformation? Where is the purpose? Where is the return to how we were created to be? Why be forgiven? For what? If it is only sin management - then it is a stunted life - a life of deprivation… that is not what we see when we open our eyes to the grand narrative of God’s epic contained in the older and newer testaments.
It is a very intriguing, startling and I would say accurate observation.
btw - I have wanted to preach a sermon entitled, “Vampire Christians, Suck.”