Not Christianity, but Christ! |
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Skrevet af Jørn Nielsen
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Onsdag, 15. maj 2019 08:51 |
The two words, "in Christ" are the most dynamic words in my spiritual vocabulary which I´m still learning empirically. His Spirit is still applying their truth to my soul.
I recall my quiet talk with a Christian fellow soldier ages ago during a break at our military training . I always had my New Testament with me in my breast pocket, and I looked up with him the words, "... blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places..." (Eph. 1:3). Here we were as young rookies on military ground, and I was a little confused about the practical application of "every spiritual blessing".
He reminded me of the fact that we possess the spiritual blessings in Christ and in Him only. That I knew already, but that morning that truth was revived, and it still must be revived. As the Spirit applies it to my soul I invariably become Christ conscious rather than "blessings conscious".
Now this is not the result of a sophisticated theological study with all that goes with it, oh no, it is, no matter how you look at it, the faithful ministry of the Holy Spirit who aims at glorifying Christ in our spiritual need.
I remember in the States that some liked to talk about "the second blessing". Ironside smiled forbearingly and would say, "Why only the second blessing? What about all the other blessings?" And he quoted Eph. 1:3. A healthy way of putting it I think with his focus on Christ.
A journalist said to Billy Graham in his old days (I watched it on a video), "So after all you´ve found Christianity to be the best for you?" Billy replied, "No, not Christianity, but Christ!" How I loved him for saying that. But I´m grieved to find that there´s too little Christ and too much talk about all sorts of dead subjects among Christians.
I once tried to convince a friend at our training camp in PA about a certain "important" doctrine. I talked and talked and talked, but suddenly he said, "Where is Christ?" I never forget it, got his point and felt ashamed.
May 15, 2019 - jn
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