Struggling

Wow, listening to Grace Hour on God’s answer to passivity and apathy. Should be good.

Struggling… I finished Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb.  I have mixed feelings about it.  Especially the ending.  I believe his overall goal of the book is very similar to Watchman Nee’s Breaking of the Outer Man to Release the Spirit (I think that’s how the title go).  Also, Nee’s Normal Christian Life deals with some of the same topics.  I guess I got spoiled by Nee because in a simple yet profound way he breaks down the normal Christian life through the book of Romans and based on Galatians 2:20.  It is no longer I, but Christ who lives within me.

Maybe I was missing it, but I didn’t hear the “no longer I” message from Crabb’s book.  Especially when he mentioned Bonhoeffer’s cheap grace.  I just don’t agree.  Grace is free and God paid the price and we never can.  He chooses who receives grace and how much.  We cannot cheapen it if we don’t earn it.  If think we can continue in sin, we deceive ourselves whether we call it God’s grace or not.  We are paying a price with our sin even if we think we are not.  I am speaking from my own experience here. 

As Nee says – Jesus Christ is the ANSWER for EVERY problem!  Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ never the less I live yet not I but Christ lives within me.

I either live in the Spirit or I live in my flesh.  You can’t fix flesh.  We all have it.  Thank God He gives us a not cheap but FREE gift of salvation AND a FREE provision on how to live this life.  WE only RECEIVE!  Wow!  Now that is more than cheap, it’s free!!  Praise God!