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Wisdom Quote
Truly, she [Mary] alone is said to be full of grace, who alone obtained the grace which no one else had gained; that of being filled with the Author of grace.
*St. Ambrose (4th Century)
Today's Scripture
1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,...
*Philippians 3.1-3, NLT
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
*John 3.6, NLT
Wisdom Story
Several years ago, a barbers' supply company held a large convention in a metropolitan city. To show the world how good their products were they organized a publicity stunt. They went to the worst section of town and brought back the dirtiest and most helpless drunk they could find. They presented him on the stage. Everyone saw how dirty and unkempt his hair and beard were. Then they took him out and cleaned him up. They shaved him. They shampooed and styled his hair. They sprayed him with cologne. They washed him with a new kind of soap they were trying to sell. They bought him a new suit, a new shirt, new tie, and shoes. He looked great. He looked and felt like a new man. They brought him back to the stage to show him off, saying to all the world, "This is what our barber supplies can do for you." The audience could hardly believe that this was the same man they had seen earlier that day. Looking at the man on stage no one would ever have guessed that he was living in the streets just a few hours before. He was completely changed.
The very next day the organizers of the convention went looking for this man again. Would you like to guess where they found him? That's right ~ lying in some gutter, filthy and drunk! They changed him on the outside, but....
*James W. Moore. Yes Lord, I Have Sinned.
Comments
Paul adheres to Jesus' emphasis on the fact that only inner change, often called conversion or conversion of the heart, will reproduce the Spirit's life in and through us. All other change will be surface and fail to last, as well as potentially be misleading to others and oneself.
Yes, outer change can be a fruit of inner change, but outer change can as well be the self seeking to bypass inner conversion and, thereby, producing a likeness to the fruit of conversion of the heart. Time will, however, prove whether the outer change is a manifestation of the Spirit's work or the determination of the human personality. Likewise, persons spiritually sensitive will often discern the true from apparent conversion, while other persons confuse the two.
Commenting on this, in his exposition of Philippians 3.1-3, Robert R. Wicks, wrote:
The ... word [circumcision] ... symbolizes all external performances and rites which cannot be trusted as proof of a right inner life. Over against all forms of outward behavior, no matter how important they may be, Paul insists, as Jesus did, that a change in the heart and affections is all that satisfies God, and man by his own efforts cannot render this satisfaction. What is done to us to change our hearts is always something more than we can do ourselves. Such a psychological fact any modern man can recognize when he tries to force himself to love. Love is not man-made. All legalistic religion and all moralism, which emphasize external regulations and observances, are finally impotent by themselves to transform selfishness into unselfishness.
*Exposition. "Philippians." In The Interpreter's Bible.
The start of the Christian life is Spirit born. The same principle of Spirit birthing spirit continues through our whole spiritual evolution. Also, the perennial temptation to see in Means of Grace, including spiritual practices of meditation and contemplation, an end to ongoing conversion, rather than aids in that process, continues. Means of Grace are only effective by putting us in a posture of openness and full dependence on God's transforming Energy.
We are, then, called to be full of Grace. St. Ambrose speaks of Mary, the Mother of Christ, being full of Grace, and that Grace being the Author of Grace. Likewise, the Spirit is the Author of Grace, and every true, spiritual Christian is given rebirth by that Spirit and that same Author continues, through our humble openness and participation, to work Grace in and out of us: again, this Grace is God Godself, and only God Godself and no beliefs, rights, or exercises, regardless of how religious or spiritual, in and of themselves reproduce Christ's life.
Spiritual Exercise
Breath Prayer
Breathing in: Blessed Lord Jesus
Breathing out: give me grace
Breathing in: give me Yourself
Breathing out: Thank You (smile)
See any major on-line bookseller for his book An Ache for Union.
For replies and biographical information, and submission to "The Light Shines" daily devotionals ~ a ministry of Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL, see next page:
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