QC and SG accountability (17/11/17)
We asked whether it is acceptable for Christians to enjoy works of non-Christian fiction or art - whether movies or books or paintings or performances. ("Justice League" and "Thor: Ragnarok" were in view earlier at dinnertime). We noted how part of what it means to be made in the image of God is that man is able to create. This creativity is flawed and sinful because of the fall, but it does not mean that we do not imperfectly show something of God's beauty, goodness and truth in their creations. So God reveals Himself not only in the general revelation of nature, but also in the creativity of those made in His image. It is worth remembering that fallen man has taken the glories of creation the wrong way to worship the sun and moon and stars, so we ought not to be surprised that general revelation through unredeemed human work can also lead others astray.
Daniel mentioned the helpful point that many of the things we do with our leisure hours are not moral or immoral - they are neutral, and this includes much of the literary fiction and movies we enjoy. We recall that the principles we mentioned way back in August last year from 1 Cor 6 and 1 Cor 10 (http://queensroadcell.blogspot.sg/2016/08/jesus-lord-of-my-personal-life-study-51.html) still apply in this matter.
Amelia mentioned an event at her children's home's choir with regard to the gift of tongues. We affirmed that tongues is a gift of God for today (c.f. http://queensroadcell.blogspot.sg/2016/09/qc-session-2916.html), that tongues can be angelic (1 Co 13:1) is primarily for us to speak to God and not one another (1 Co 14:2). We addressed the issue of whether spiritual gifts can be 'practiced' until we become more proficient in practicing them. My feeling was that 2 Ti 1:6 suggests that gifts can indeed be dormant unless we intentionally do something to make them active, and that both personal experience and the general way God deals with us (we work out our salvation, a spiritual gift of God, Phil 2:12) support the idea that effort is required on our part to gain proficiency in our gifts. In this process we must avoid the temptation to find glory for ourselves and to fail to look to God as the source of all the gifts.
Finally, we talked about the issue of the Wesleyan idea of Christian perfection. Methodist pastors are asked during their ordination if they "are going on to perfection" and ''expect to be made perfect in love in this life". This is synonymous with sanctification. Based on 1 Jn 4:17, 1 Thes 5:23 the idea is that we are restored to the original righteous state of man before the fall through the work of the Holy Spirit.The imputed righteousness we have in Christ must in the believer become the imparted righteousness that at some stage results in a distinct experience of "entire sanctification" characterized by love for God an one's neighbour, humility of heart, a Christian mind and abstinence from all appearance of evil, walking in God's commandments, contentment in every state and doing all to the glory of God. Part of this belief is rooted in the idea that God will enable what He commands. So if he asks us to be holy (Lev 11:44, 1 Pe 1:15), He will consequently enable us to perfectly fulfill that which He commands. I think this assumption is fallacious, since God does issue commands that we cannot ever perfectly fulfill (e.g. Eph 5:25, the Great Commandment).
Nevertheless, we should take the call to sanctification seriously and to pursue holiness (Heb 12:14). We should certainly be aiming to be without conscious sin, but I don't think we can reach a stage of original righteousness.
Daniel mentioned the helpful point that many of the things we do with our leisure hours are not moral or immoral - they are neutral, and this includes much of the literary fiction and movies we enjoy. We recall that the principles we mentioned way back in August last year from 1 Cor 6 and 1 Cor 10 (http://queensroadcell.blogspot.sg/2016/08/jesus-lord-of-my-personal-life-study-51.html) still apply in this matter.
Amelia mentioned an event at her children's home's choir with regard to the gift of tongues. We affirmed that tongues is a gift of God for today (c.f. http://queensroadcell.blogspot.sg/2016/09/qc-session-2916.html), that tongues can be angelic (1 Co 13:1) is primarily for us to speak to God and not one another (1 Co 14:2). We addressed the issue of whether spiritual gifts can be 'practiced' until we become more proficient in practicing them. My feeling was that 2 Ti 1:6 suggests that gifts can indeed be dormant unless we intentionally do something to make them active, and that both personal experience and the general way God deals with us (we work out our salvation, a spiritual gift of God, Phil 2:12) support the idea that effort is required on our part to gain proficiency in our gifts. In this process we must avoid the temptation to find glory for ourselves and to fail to look to God as the source of all the gifts.
Finally, we talked about the issue of the Wesleyan idea of Christian perfection. Methodist pastors are asked during their ordination if they "are going on to perfection" and ''expect to be made perfect in love in this life". This is synonymous with sanctification. Based on 1 Jn 4:17, 1 Thes 5:23 the idea is that we are restored to the original righteous state of man before the fall through the work of the Holy Spirit.The imputed righteousness we have in Christ must in the believer become the imparted righteousness that at some stage results in a distinct experience of "entire sanctification" characterized by love for God an one's neighbour, humility of heart, a Christian mind and abstinence from all appearance of evil, walking in God's commandments, contentment in every state and doing all to the glory of God. Part of this belief is rooted in the idea that God will enable what He commands. So if he asks us to be holy (Lev 11:44, 1 Pe 1:15), He will consequently enable us to perfectly fulfill that which He commands. I think this assumption is fallacious, since God does issue commands that we cannot ever perfectly fulfill (e.g. Eph 5:25, the Great Commandment).
Nevertheless, we should take the call to sanctification seriously and to pursue holiness (Heb 12:14). We should certainly be aiming to be without conscious sin, but I don't think we can reach a stage of original righteousness.
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