Quote:
Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!
This morning I read a wonderful passage in Major Ian Thomas' book -- "They're taught everything except to repent and to recognize that you and I were created to be inhabited by our Maker. They're taught in prayer to beg and say 'Please' instead of saying 'Thank You' as they relax and rest in Christ."
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I'm not impressed. There's a big hole there, like those found in the Nee and Lee "mystical" schools. They contrast the "earnest Christian" trying to be good, with the "enjoying Christians" who relax and rest in the "good land" of Christ.
But missing in the middle is the person of Christ himself. On both hands, the focus is on "you and I". Look at the first sentence from the quote: it's "you and I" that Major Ian Thomas is concerned with. The subject is self, not Christ. This focus on self is the set-up to self-delusion. That's why I call it the "mystical" school. It's all about your experience, so-called. And in the LC they violate common sense, violate scripture, violate basic human morality, if they can only follow the "sense of life" or the "flavor" that Lee left them with. What deception.
Now, not to judge your experience, or Major Thomas', but the teaching isn't for me. The entire NT up to Paul's epistles makes the unremitting case that the OT scripture was about the experiences of the Christ - Jesus the Nazarene. It's focused on a singular person, a singular title, a singular experience. Jesus is "the" Christ. It's not about the "earnest Christian" trying to do good, nor the "relaxing Christian" enjoying Christ, so-called. No, it's rather about the obedient, suffering, crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended and glorified Christ. If you don't see that, what's then your experience? What's your enjoyment?
Maybe you assume all that, but it's not stated, which I find dangerous. Look at what happened in the LC: a shell game. Follow the pea. Eventually the dupe is sure that they're looking at "Christ" but it's nothing of the sort.
Jesus taught, "Even as I obey the Father, so you should obey me" and "Even as the Father sent me, so do I send you" and "Even as I live because of the Father, so you live because of me." The "even as" part is so important - if you can't appreciate the first part of the equation, how can you possibly keep the second? The "even as" connects two equalities, two equivalents. If you don't focus on Jesus on earth, in full relation with the Father in heaven, how can you follow with any meaningful, reality-based relationship?
Instead, I continually see vain and imaginary 'Christs' being promoted. The LSM is poster child for this, but it's unfortunately not the only one. The error is common, the pit of self is wide and deep. Avoid it at all costs.