Yeah, just screwing around...
People mostly are just screwing around. Regarding the faith they just screw around. Talk talk. Play church. Most not even yet regenerated by the Word and the Spirit. And resentful of any talk of such a thing.
Day in, day out the same thing.
Here's what's real: reading the Word of God complete. It requires time and dedication. Also valuation for the goal.
Here's also what is real: becoming dead to the law (by the process of being truly broken by the law and turning to Christ). "Those who live by the law, that is, they who still expect to obtain salvation by the works of the law, have never felt the strength of the law. They know nothing of death and condemnation to which they are subject, and therefore they are neither hungry nor thirsty for the righteousness of Christ." - Dathenus
This alienation from the law is the work of the law. It drives you to Christ (or from self-will to God's will acting through you). It gives you real liberty. But you have to die to get there. Hanging inside the Village of Morality with your Village of Morality grin on your face and your Village of Morality back-slapping and group-approved fear/reverence of man doesn't do it.
Then what is real is communing with God (and by degree recovering the image of God) by practicing the faith at the practical level and allowing the influence of God to work in you.
No Jewish ritual involved...
"How does the believer cultivate communion with God? ...[T]he answer is found in spiritual duties. [Puritan John] Flavel affirms that God has appointed 'so many ordinances and duties of religion, on purpose to maintain daily communion betwixt Christ and his people.' Flavel's commitment to these 'duties of religion' arises from his conviction that the Holy Spirit uses them to let forth God's 'influences' upon the soul so that we make suitable 'returns' to Him." - J. Stephen Yuille, from his book The Inner Sanctum of Puritan Piety
These duties, to use Flavel's word, are found in the New Testament, especially the direct teaching of Jesus Christ; and can also be found in languages that elucidate the teaching of the faith at varying degrees of 'practical level.' Ideally you need to find the real thing that presents the teaching at the pure practical level (Flavel cites such things as 'watchfulness' which is a practice of the faith that has a world of meaning - practical meaning - mainstream Christians are just dead asleep to). This is what is called 'school knowledge', and you're really just drifting at sea and screwing around until you make contact with it. I list a source in the right-hand margin of this site, but it means nothing until one comes to value such a thing on one's own. A rare development in and of itself.
You glorify God by recovering the image of God.
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