Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
When I think about all I heard about "living Christ" in the LC, it all once seemed so reasonable, but just look at the outcome. Things are a mess, and that's an understatement. That's not to say that we shouldn't strive for what Paul spoke of in Phil 1:21 "For me to live is Christ". But what does this actually mean? Barnes notes on this verse has a helpful explanation:
It we equate "for me to live is Christ" with a simple desire to glorify Christ and make that our aim, the pieces all fall into place. there is nothing overly complicated or esoteric about that. Let's compare this to what WL says:
When reading this statement, it might sound somewhat reasonable at first, but there's just something not quite right about it. And that is, of course, the fact that WL tries to separate ethics/morality from "living Christ." What he says seems to be intended to minimize the importance of ethics/morality. The flaw in his logic the failure to recognize that these are interdependent if we desire to glorify God.
Speaking of the Christian life, WL says, and I quote "it is not an ethical life." Ummm, yes it is. Very much so. It is impossible to glorify Christ if we're morally deficient or lacking in basic ethics. Jesus himself said: For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Of course, this doesn't mean that righteousness is found in ourselves, but through faith in Christ (Phil 3:9).
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Yeah, and this all relates back to the LCM's erroneous stance of making Good somehow at odds with God. True good is never at odds with God. And if good is at odds with God, then it isn't truly good. But the LCM acted as if a person sincerely trying to be good is somehow actually evil in some way. Certainly our good works can't save us. But the idea that God is not pleased when human beings are, for example, sincerely kind to one another, sacrificing, loving and so forth, is just a weird, twisted reading of things.
This thinking has led LCMers to scoff at all kinds of genuinely good works done by others, while doing none themselves. I'm sure, for example, than many LCMers are unimpressed with Mother Theresa, who may have done more to spread the genuine love and testimony of God than anyone who ever lived.