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Jesus says that if we want to be his disciple we must take up our cross and follow him. The experts say, no, the work of the cross is finished. Jesus tells us to give to everyone but the experts say to not give to everyone. Paul calls it all garbage but the experts, explaining Paul without being Paul, tell us it's a moral choice.
Why? Why does Scripture say one thing and the experts another? Is the work of God finished? Is the word of God impossible to do?
the Black Church and downtown Brașov, from mount Tâmpa, Romania
this is the part you probably will not like
really
I
No amount of reading or studying will get you into the major leagues. It takes years of practice and years of doing it. Then after you make it, it is an endless routine of practice and doing it. It's difficult. Crushingly difficult.
We have our favorite Christian authors and teachers. We are comfortable reading them. We trust them. Someone going against what they say causes a reaction in us and we take the side of our hero.
Sorry. I understand you have heroes and friends. I'm sure they are wonderful people. But they wrote books. They only wrote books. They didn't actually do it.
In fact, it's more serious than that. They wrote instead of doing it. The phrase "publish or perish" is a lie. The truth is: do or perish. If you only publish, you're already done for.
Writing deceives the writer. The writer is the expert: he must know. And so he does, even though he doesn't. Because he doesn't, but must, he invents explanations that allow him to not do it, and allows us to not do it too.
The experts say what they say because they never did it and never will. They say we must soften Christ's words because they want soft lives. They say Christ used hyperbole because they cannot do the radical thing.
And so they say, with confidence, from their chair, without even taking the first step, that Jesus was not serious and we don't have to do it.
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