Greetings All,
This week's 'thought' comes from James S. Stewart former professor at the University of Edinburgh in
Scotland. His name should sound familiar by now since I have quoted him in the past. It is taken from his superb book, "A Man in Christ."
I cited a condensed version of this selection in my sermon on Sunday,
but thought I would send it out in its near complete form for your
further examination and
contemplation. It contrasts two approaches to Christianity: one
that sees Jesus primarily as our example, and the other which sees Him
as the Lord with whom, or to whom, God has joined us, by grace, through
faith.
As I mentioned in my message Sunday, I embraced
(in my early years as a Christian) the concept that the goal of the
Christian life was to
imitate Jesus example of love, devotion and holiness. No problem there
-- as long as the impossibility of the task is understood from
the start. Yet, with the need to follow Jesus example I had also mixed
in the idea that the more one did, or the closer one came to doing so,
the more God accepted, approved of or loved them (or me) which can only
lead to self-righteous pride when one feels they've succeeded, or utter
despair when they realize they always fall short of the ideal. I wish I
had read these words of Stewart before I ever did so. It would have
saved me alot of needless pain and emotional turmoil and despair!
Therefore
I offer them to you in the hope that if anyone has embraced the same
ideas, it will save you from the pain I went through at that time (due
to my distorted view of New Testament Christainity and
what it is that gains
us God's acceptance). Enjoy.
"Paul's
mysticism... constitutes a very decisive challange to that type of
modern religion which is content to regard Jesus merely as example...
Now it is
perfectly true that the noble ethic Jesus preached, and His own
fulfillment of
it in life and deed, have laid down the lines for all His friends to
follow. Nor can there be any doubt that
this was a real part of the divine plan by which the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us -- as indeed the New Testament apostle recognized
when he wrote, "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we
should follow in His steps." But what Paul's mysticism [that is, his focus on our spiritual union with Christ] does, is to remind us that the
example of Christ is only a part, and not even the greatest part, of the redeeming
Gospel. Were there no more than this,
the contemplation of the perfect holiness of Jesus could only breed despair.
For no shining example... can cleanse the conscience that has been defiled, or break
the octopus grip sin has upon the soul.
The evangel of an ethical example is a devastating
thing. It makes religion the most grievous of burdens. Perhaps this is the real
reason why, even among professing Christians, there are so many strained faces
and weary hearts and captive, unreleased spirits. They have listened to Jesus
teaching; they have meditated upon Jesus character; and then they have risen up
and tried to drive their own lives to follow the royal way. Yet disappointment
upon disappointment has been the bitter result. The great example of Jesus
[like the law] has been a dead-weight beating them down, bearing them to the ground, bowing their hopeless souls in the dust. If Harnack's Christ
(as ethical teacher and noble example) is all we have, we are left without a
Redeemer. 
Yet
ever since Isaiah [46:1-4], men
have been aware that one of the vital distinctions between true and
false
religion, is that, whereas the latter is a dead burden for the soul to
carry,
the former is a living power to carry the soul... "Christ in me"
means something quite different from the weight of an impossible ideal,
something far more glorious than the oppression of a pattern forever
beyond our imitation. "Christ in me" means Christ bearing me
along
from within, Christ as the motive-power that carries me on, Christ
giving my whole life a wonderful poise and lift, and turning every
burden into wings. All this is included when the apostle speaks of
"Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Compared
with this, the religion which bases everything on example is pitifully
rudimentary. This, and this alone, is the true Christian religion.
Call it mysticism or not -- the name matters little -- the thing, the
experience, matters everything. To be "in Christ," to have Christ
within, to realise your creed not as something you have to bear, but as
something by which you are borne, this is Christianity. It is more: it
is release and
liberty, life
with an endless song at its heart. It means feeling within you, as long
as life lasts, the carrying power of Love Almighty; and underneath you,
when you come to die, the touch of everlasting arms."
