page 100. If I had to summarize New Testament ethics in one
sentence, here's how I would put it: be who you are. That may sound
strange, almost heretical, given our culture's emphasis on being true to
yourself. But like so many of the worst errors in the world, this one
represents a truth powerfully perverted. When people say, "Relax,
you were born that way," or "Quit trying to be something you're not
and just be the real you," they are stumbling upon something very
biblical. God does want you to be the real you. He does want you to
be true to yourself. But the "you" he's talking about is the
"you" that you are by grace, not by nature. You may want to
read through that last sentence again because the difference between living in
sin and living in righteousness depends on getting that sentence right.
God doesn't say, "Relax, you were born that way." But he
does say, "Good news, you were reborn another way."
As a believer, you belong to Christ.
More than that, you are joined to Christ. By faith through the Holy
Spirit, we have union with him. Christ lives in you and you in him.
You see one with Christ, so live like Christ. Be who you are.
That's the consistent message of the New Testament.
The Hole in Our Holiness
by Kevin De Young
(Crossway Books 2012)
No comments:
Post a Comment