Thursday, September 28, 2006

Jerry Bridges - the Pursuit of Holiness

This is a good, short, basic book on holiness. I was given it at a convention I went to last year - I can see why they gave it out. Quite challenging, but little I hadn't heard lots of times before.

I'm still thinking through the huge implications of yesterday's post and quite a bit of stuff happening here.

I'd really appreciate your prayers (those of you who pray) for wisdom as to what I'm meant to be doing. I know it's right for me to be here, and for so long so much of what I've been doing has been building up to this, but I really need God's continued guidance for knowing what to do now I'm here.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

it will come to you when you least expect it

Anonymous said...

Having read 'yesterday's post' that you mention, I am not sure that you can become black to appeal to non-Christian Blacks, no matter how much you love other people or wish them to know Jesus. :)

As to why so few Muslims become Christians in the UK, I am sure the threat of apostasy being punishable by death plays a small part. To attempt a cost-benefit analysis of this (including the possibility of death), the cost to Muslims of switching to Christianity is very high, whilst the cost to a non-Muslim to make the switch to becoming a Muslim is much lower.

I think the best strategy for you to help others to become Christian is to study Christianity and to find what there is that you can be sure of in an intellectually honest way and that is still recognisable as distinctively Christian. Then you should identify the benefits that arise from accepting and following these beliefs to anyone who chooses to do so. If the benefits to the non-believer outweigh the associated cost in making the switch then you will make gains.

For the current non-believer (whom form the target audience of the programmes you mention), some will be attracted to Christianity over the competing Islam due to the more flexible nature of modern Christianity's morality, whilst still feeling the assurance of a God that will accept and support them during their life ....................


Having got to this point and despite omitting explanations for my thoughts, I realise to provide a full explanation I would need to spend the next few hours typing, so I shall stop here.

I hope you are enjoying it in your new home and I wish you well.
AC

John said...

On one level, I agree with you - adapting the culture of the church without abandoning the truth does indeed lessen the perceived cost of the change.

On another level, the equation is still the same.

Benefit: you can know the God who made the universe and who gives himself to us in the person of Jesus.

Cost: your whole life, everything.