So, to recap from the previous post – God’s standard is not a list of rules. It’s LOVE. Human beings are totally messed up and unable to love very well. So we need someone to bring justice into the pain we’ve caused, and… Do something for us so we can belong in God’s Circle of [...]
Archive for the ‘Works-based Christianity’ Category
More on, “What do we still have to do??”
Posted in Abusive church leadership, Devotional, Grace, Higher life, Justification, Performance-based Christianity, Sanctification, spiritual abuse, Spiritual abuse devotion, Works-based Christianity, tagged Devotional, Grace, growth, Justification, legalism versus grace, love of God, Performance vs grace, Sanctification on December 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
So what do we still have to do??
Posted in Justification, Legalism vs grace, Love God, Sanctification, Works-based Christianity, tagged Justification, legalism versus grace, Love God, Sanctification on November 18, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Those of us coming out of performance-based Christian systems are happy to have escaped the pressure of all the stuff you had to do to be “spiritual”. So glad that’s behind us. But there is still a depressing anxiety – “I feel that I was a better Christian when I was doing all that stuff. [...]
“You’re with Me….”
Posted in Devotional, Grace, Intensity addiction, Performance-based Christianity, Stress, The Assembly experience, The Geftakys Assembly, The love of God, Works-based Christianity, tagged "Higher Life" teaching, Devotional, Geftakys Assembly, Intensity, love of God, Performance vs grace, Stress on August 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There’s a scene in The Shack where Mack and Jesus are out on the dock in the evening, enjoying the stars. Mack imagines he could reach out and pluck diamonds off a velvet black sky: “Wow!” he whispered. “Incredible!” Whispered Jesus…”I never get tired of this…” They’re doing nothing, Jesus and Mack. Just lying on [...]
“Just carry on”….
Posted in Higher life, Spiritual abuse devotion, The Assembly experience, Works-based Christianity, tagged "Higher Life" teaching, growth, Performance vs grace, spiritual abuse on June 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Just carry on” is one of the cards in The Oblique Strategies by Peter Schmidt and Brian Eno. Haven’t seen the set of cards, but I ran across this quote just now, and was surprised how a load suddenly felt lifted. Hmmm, wonder what that could be about….Even though I’ve consciously rejected the performance-based life, [...]
We cannot fail….
Posted in Devotional, Higher life, Joe Sperling devotional, Legalism vs grace, Spiritual abuse devotion, Works-based Christianity, tagged "Higher Life" teaching, Devotional, Joe Sperling, Spiritual abuse devotion on April 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Joe Sperling shared a couple of encouraging posts this month on the Assembly board that are especially good for those of us who still have the lovely combo of BG and GG’s messages in our subconscious: GG – “Strive harder or you’re going to lose out eternally “, (we are going to make it, George, [...]
“We shall see Him as He is!”
Posted in Assembly kids, Devotional, Grace, Legalism vs grace, spiritual abuse, Spiritual abuse devotion, The Assembly experience, The love of God, Works-based Christianity, tagged children of bible-based cults, Devotional, Geftakys Assembly, growth, legalism versus grace, spiritual abuse, Spiritual abuse devotion on February 15, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The Internet Monk describes pretty well the prevailing concern of legalistic pastors over the dangers of ‘cheap grace’ (here, here and here). Betty G. once said to me, “If there weren’t the possibility of losing out on the inheritance, what would be the motivation for sanctification?” This was a rhetorical question – the obvious answer [...]
It’s not about me….
Posted in Devotional, Faith, Grace, Legalism vs grace, Spiritual abuse devotion, The love of God, Works-based Christianity, tagged Devotional, Faith, growth, Legalism vs grace, love of God, Spiritual abuse devotion on February 2, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Michael Spencer’s posts on grace (here, here and here) gave me an “aha!” moment about what was off-base, spiritually speaking, in the Geftakys Assembly, and other legalistic groups. That kind of perfectionistic performance-based teaching invokes a schema that is all about the individual. Do I have the right attitude – “Are you rejoicing, sister?” Am [...]
It’s not because we’ve run fast enough….
Posted in Devotional, Grace, Higher life, Performance-based Christianity, Spiritual abuse devotion, The love of God, Works-based Christianity, tagged Joe Sperling, Legalism vs grace, Performance vs grace, Spiritual abuse devotion on December 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Joe Sperling posted this on the Assemblyboard: “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy”. (Rom. 9:16) I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have to stop and remember the day that I was saved. I have to ask myself, “Was I [...]
A different concept of God….
Posted in Devotional, Faith, Grace, Spiritual abuse devotion, The love of God, Wisdom, Works-based Christianity, tagged Faith, legalism versus grace, love of God, Spiritual abuse devotion on January 26, 2008 | 2 Comments »
No, I’m not back yet, but I want to pass on this quote from Michael Spencer: Why are Christians the most incomplete, frantic, “wretchedly urgent” and religiously imbalanced of human beings? Could it be that our conception of God is, “What can he do for me? What must I do for him?” rather than, “The God I [...]
