Sunday, May 4, 2008

Law without Repentance

So I saw looking around on-line a super-duper contemporary Church, which, in advertising its hip service pointed out that amongst it's rock style music you would hear and learn "biblical principals" for living.

Now, I had intellectually understood that your modern, Neo-Evangelical style contemporary place forsook the Gospel to focus on the Law. However, I put something together, which is probably no surprise to many, but I'll put it out here anyway. They end up focusing on a Law without Repentance.

Think it on. Do principals for living deal with repentance, the acknowledgment that you are sinful, that you have sinned, and that you ought to struggle against this? Principals aren't meant to examine the past, they aren't designed for self-reflection, but rather they are focused upon the future - what you'll start doing tomorrow when you put the principals into practice.

It's the classic error redone. How can I find a good guide for living. People like that. But when the preaching of repentance goes out, we stare at the preach like the Pharisees at John the Baptist - what are you doing John? We don't need repentance. We live good lives according to the law.

We don't need principals - we need repentance. We need to repent and receive forgivenesses - and anything else is just. . . well, might as well become a Buddhist if that's the wisdom you want.

The law without repentance really isn't of any religious use. Practical for today - but ultimately vacant and void.

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