Fall ITERO 2019

[googlelight]

Originally Posted by Trapped

Hi googlelight,

I see a vast difference between what you wrote and what is on the outline. What you wrote is primarily in past tense - God became man. The Word became flesh. That is not what I have a problem with, as to deny that would be to deny a central tenet of the Christian faith.

What I have a problem with, and what is either heresy or grossly irresponsible on the part of the outline writers, is to make the statement in the present tense. "God's intention is to work Himself in Christ into us, making Himself the same as we are and making us the same as He is". God's working Himself in Christ into us (what we would call sanctification) is in NO WAY God making Himself the same as us. His incarnation? Yes. But what is going on now.....2,000 years after His incarnation, death, and resurrection? No. It is not God making Himself the same as we are. The co-workers are starting to reverse the focus of exaltation, and flip what is under to be what is over.

The verse they cite for that statement is Ephesians 3:17a, which says, "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...." Where on earth does that phrase imply that God is making (present tense) Himself the same as us?

Just my thoughts.

Trapped

Oh I apologize! I read so many outlines in my life, that I completely stopped paying attention. Alas! I now realize what I have been; that frog in the fable that is in boiling water. That frog that rests easy in a pot of water that is warmed slowly. Frogs normally won’t go into boiling water. They’ll jump out and keep themselves away from very hot water. But, if placed in a tub of water at normal temperature that is being heated slowly, according to the anecdote, they don’t react and end up getting cooked in the boiling water.
Trapped, when I realize now what you wrote, I do believe the water actually is drawing near to the boiling point. And those stuck in the system, has been lingering there for so long, that they dont even notice how hot the water has become, like you so well point out!