Getting serious with the faith

A commentor said...
Witch.. heretic.. blah blah blah. Damn you, etc.

August 16, 2005 5:26 PM

(This commentor is impersonating me.) Mr. Commentor, people start dying all around me and it DOES focus my mind...but it doesn't focus my mind towards bad doctrine. It focuses my mind towards practical doing of the faith. Practical meditating upon God and the promises of God. Practical awakening in the Old Testament formula "I am here"/"Here I am" way. Practical fasting which is not just controlling promiscuity of physical desires but also promiscuity of emotional and intellectual behaviour. Basically, becoming more contained and filling myself up with the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The two great commandments done at the practical level. Daily. Visualizing glorification and heaven and living as if death were a moment away.

If you're not developing in (to use Augustine's terminology) memory (i.e. consciousness, awakening), will (i.e. real will, or, God's will as opposed to self-will), and understanding (which derives from both engaging and acting from the Word of God) then sanctification in you is stagnant if not non-existent.

People know no better than to turn the above kind of statements into moralizing and accusing of others; or self-flagellating nonsense. Read the Bible in a real, dedicated way (complete readings) and you'll become serious in the faith. You'll be led by the Spirit to come into understanding of the practical level. It requires effort. Not always (but also not never) effort that comes from yourself (in the way we usually think of effort), but the more subtle effort that is acting from what is above us...from God's will rather than from self-will...