"[Most Christians seek] a compromise between the Christian creed and the interests and suggestions of worldly life. To the first of these standards he gives his homage; to the other his real allegiance. All Christians believe that the blessed are the poor and humble, and those who are ill-used by the world; that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; that they should judge not, lest they be judged; that they should not swear at all; that they should love their neighbor as themselves; that if one take their cloak, they should give him their coat also; that they should take no thought for the morrow; that if they would be perfect, they should sell all they have and give it to the poor. They are not insincere when they say that they believe these things. They do believe them, as people believe what they have always heard lauded and never discussed. But in the sense of that living belief which regulates conduct, they believe these doctrines just up to the point to which it is usual to act upon them." -from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
"Great faiths can only be preserved by men willing to live by them." -I.F. Stone
3 comments:
They (we) want Jesus to be their Savior, but not their Lord.
"We talk about leading a different kind of life, but we also have ready explanations for not being really different." -- D. Willard
It takes work to live what you believe. It takes daily reminders for me. Sometimes those reminders come from outside, sometimes from within...but I'm often not listening.
This is why Christian community is so important and why it is so tragic when church becomes something less that a challening/encouraging Christian community. We ought to regularly challenge our churches with the question, "Is this community making me more like Christ?"
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