Who is your spouse? The text sees us as wed to either law or Christ. It is an intriguing perspective. Marriage produces changed behavior, traditions, and a lifestyle. Living married to legality and living married to grace both produce changed behavior. I think the hard part is that we are so accustomed to rules in life that we are comfortable with a spiritual life of rules. I don't know if we are comfortable with a spiritual life of relationship only.
The book UnChristian claims that statistically there is no difference in most Christian behavior and that of unchristians. Similarly this text says that "sinful passions" are "aroused by the law". It seems that by teaching the "thou shalt nots" too vehemently, the church has actually gone down the wrong path. The passions inflamed by restrictions work against the end goal of legal teaching. I know that if I focus on "don't, don't, don't" then all I think of is "do, do, do".
Yet my marriage is not based on a list of restrictions my wife gives me. It is based upon a deep concern to live out life to the fullest with her in ways that bless and encourage her. It is about living in a way that brings out the best in both of us. Neither tells the other to fulfill a list of restrictions each day; both of us want to live in ways that bring the other joy.
So the key is truly being in love with your spouse. Hence the key to spiritual life is being in love with Jesus. How sad that church arguments, questions about sin and issues of dogma rarely ask the question of what would bring joy to my spiritual spouse?
May I live under that question and no legal restrictions today.
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