Thursday, October 25, 2007

real life

As believers in Jesus we begin to experience real life. Jesus said he is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). But all too easily we can seem bereft of or weak in this life. We seem too often to lapse into the pseudo life of the world.

I like Eugene Peterson's reference to "the replacement Trinity" and "the new Holy Trinity".
Here's how it works. It is important to observe that in the formulation of the new Trinity that defines the self as the sovereign text for living, the Bible is neither ignored nor banned; it holds, in fact, an honored place. But the three-personal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is replaced by a very individualized personal Trinity of my Holy Wants, my Holy Needs, and my Holy Feelings.
The real life in Jesus is snuffed out by this false complement, and really altogether false life and substitute. It's no longer about our unity and community in the Triune God, but instead, it's all about us and whether we're happy and doing well. And this popular false trinity has surely impacted and been a part of each of us, more or less at certain times in our lives.

Real life in Jesus means leaving behind the old and embracing the new. This is ongoing, but should in Jesus, become more and more a part of what we do, forming who we are. And who we are, forming what we do.

And Peterson points out that this new, real life in the Word: Jesus, is formed in us as we go to the text the Spirit has given us, Scripture itself, the word of God. Only thus can we be saved from the onslaught of this popular replacement that can be as much home among and in us as believers in Jesus as it is in the world.

5 comments:

John Frye said...

Ted,
This is a very thought-provoking. What a sorry displacement Trinity it is, oer against the loving Father, Son and Spirit. Thanks for the good words.

Anonymous said...

these words are good that you suggest that through the Spirit and the Word that we are able to follow Jesus. it is easy to start every day in our own mind and feelings and the world around us. after all, it is so easy to think that our life is all about us. so easy to forget the decision that we made and stick to it. the battle is not of flesh and blood and we have so much coming at us in our physical life that we are distracted from the battle that is going on with us. easly tangled in the web of deception.

the Word
part of the armor
that we are given
to
actually
put on...
not ment to be put on the shelf
it is no good to us on the shelf

thank you for the uplifting
words, brother!

God's love to you
and your family

Ted M. Gossard said...

John,
Amen, and thanks!

Nancy,
Thanks for your additional thoughts and the same to you and yours.

Martin Stickland said...

Keep up the good work Ted and have a great weekend!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Martin,
I'm mentioning your blog on my next post, so watch out for the barrage of commentors. Hopefully my two or three readers a day will come over and take a look!