“Eternal life” was being packaged as a token for exploitation?
The way we are spreading the Gospel nowadays may sometimes be a bit cultish - being exaggerated on purely verbal admitting trusting the Lord Jesus carrying our sins so audience can have eternal lives but being mellowed out the necessity huge-steps of personal transformation towards the will of God by actions to follow spontaneously. As we can refer to John 8:1-11 and Luke 19:1-10, a complete reconciliation with God has to follow by transformed actions as testimony. “Eternal life” was being packaged as a token for exploitation?!
Jesus never just bluntly asked any people regardless if they know where they will be heading after death, and why they were allowed to enter where they thought they were heading; instead he started with matters from heart, not from brain, of their earthly lives regarding sins and talked to those were aware - separation from God, and offer a way of reconciling this big gap through repentance by grace (not ourselves), in order to allow people to restore peace with our creator of purity. He was telling people their choices; to follow Him by their own will (John 14:6 ). Although eternity life was the subject of matter, he never despised the subject on repentance and personal transformation of the earthly life. Jesus just offered acceptance, forgiveness and grace, and His only request for our response was repentance, transformation, and spreading of the good news resembling Him by dealing with individual person rather then methods (please refer to a blog posted earlier: Jesus’ Dealing).
After the characters in the Bible choose to follow Jesus’ teaching by forgiving, Jesus didn't say anything to them right away dump a pile of items that they need to do - follow Sabbaths, attend Bible class, join fellowships... etc, but to ask the woman to leave the life of sin and the man (Zacchaeus) proclaimed his repentance by actions. I am not saying that attending Sunday service, Bible class or fellowship group is not necessary; in fact, they are helpful tools (being used appropriately with a correct attitude) for us to know more about God and spreading the good news, in order to live out more like Jesus.
However, the essence is personal repentance and transformation towards the will of God after accepting salvation, then letting others (who are aware of own sins) know about the good news of salvation of accepting Christ as personal saviour; therefore, allow others to experience personal transformation and peace being set free from sins, which I think that is the complete package of the gift (grace) of salvation.
Jesus never just bluntly asked any people regardless if they know where they will be heading after death, and why they were allowed to enter where they thought they were heading; instead he started with matters from heart, not from brain, of their earthly lives regarding sins and talked to those were aware - separation from God, and offer a way of reconciling this big gap through repentance by grace (not ourselves), in order to allow people to restore peace with our creator of purity. He was telling people their choices; to follow Him by their own will (John 14:6 ). Although eternity life was the subject of matter, he never despised the subject on repentance and personal transformation of the earthly life. Jesus just offered acceptance, forgiveness and grace, and His only request for our response was repentance, transformation, and spreading of the good news resembling Him by dealing with individual person rather then methods (please refer to a blog posted earlier: Jesus’ Dealing).
After the characters in the Bible choose to follow Jesus’ teaching by forgiving, Jesus didn't say anything to them right away dump a pile of items that they need to do - follow Sabbaths, attend Bible class, join fellowships... etc, but to ask the woman to leave the life of sin and the man (Zacchaeus) proclaimed his repentance by actions. I am not saying that attending Sunday service, Bible class or fellowship group is not necessary; in fact, they are helpful tools (being used appropriately with a correct attitude) for us to know more about God and spreading the good news, in order to live out more like Jesus.
However, the essence is personal repentance and transformation towards the will of God after accepting salvation, then letting others (who are aware of own sins) know about the good news of salvation of accepting Christ as personal saviour; therefore, allow others to experience personal transformation and peace being set free from sins, which I think that is the complete package of the gift (grace) of salvation.
posted by Clara Yeung at
9:40 AM
