"Ways and means are going to occur to you, be suggested to you, be recommended to you by some of the other prophets in town, that are going to be convincing and tempting, ways and means that set aside The Holy for something much more understandable and accessible. The fact is that men and women have no love or taste for The Holy - they want a God who serves them on their terms, not a God they can serve on his terms. Don't be misled: the task of preaching the truth of salvation is not helped by clear communication - clear communication requires using the words and syntax that people are familiar with, that is part of their dailiness. But The Holy is not part of what they are used to. It is obscured by sin, it is a faded memory of the image in which they were created. The preaching of The Holy is not furthered by techniques or strategies. The Holy is not a problem to be solved. And if you compromise in the slightest you will betray me. You will also betray these people. No matter how much they might respond to you, no matter how much they might applaud your preaching, you will end up cheating them of a holy life, a life from Above, a life healed, restored, ransomed, forgiven - by The Holy."
- Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way
Wow!!!! This is deep. "They want a God who serves them on their terms" I have to go check that book out.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ryan