My Legal Mindset vs Love and Grace

Sunday, December 20, 2009
My Legal Mindset vs Love and Grace

• Taking God to Court or Taking Him at His Word?
• Loving God as a Father or Holding Him Accountable to His Own Law?
• Acting Like God's Adopted Son, or Acting Like His Creditor?

To my own surprise, shock, and astonishment, I have once again become "spiritually converted". The last time I experienced this was about 28-years ago when the decisively Catholic upbringing my loving parents gave to me was re-directed by Protestant theology which opened my eyes to my own rebellion to God and my very real need for a Savior. Erroneously thinking that this was a stark contrast to the Catholic position, I have spent the last 28-years pursuing Christ in Protestant and Reformed circles.

However, by God's grace, I have now come to understand more fully what it means to be part of the family of God, and this is not expressed better anywhere than it is in the Catholic Church, which I now believe to be God's own expression of grace on earth, as it is in heaven.

Though new to me, I have initial thoughts that I express here. I understand these thoughts are simple and need much more study and contemplation, but they are real enough to me to tune my ears to Catholic history, doctrine, and theologins, over and above what I have been listening to over the past 28 years from my Protestant teachers, whom I owe a certain debt of gratitude for their knowledge.

That said, the following is what I have been seeing is at the heart of the difference between the protestant position and the Catholic position which I have recently taken very, very, seriously:

As a Reformer, although I could rationalize my salvation with 'legal-ease' and I could intellectually concede that I was justified in Christ, I was never sure that I was actually ... IN, CHRIST.

Whereas, as a Catholic, I now embrace my salvation as a precious gift, and I humbly concede the worthiness of Jesus Christ by my faithful obedience to Him, and as I DO, I am more and more assured that He is my brother, and that His Father and mine are the same.

Does this make me a legalist? Does this mean I am 'working' FOR salvation? No, quite the opposite. This means I have not taken my Father to court demanding my inheritence, but have instead, accepted His terms and have placed my trust in His love for me through His Son Jesus Christ. I no longer need the letter of the law to justify my inheritence, but now, I trust the love of my Father and have no desire to hold my holy and perfect Father accountable to me in any way whatsoever. I am free now in my relationship with Him...and so is He.

By the above rationale, it is not a stretch to say that it is the Protestant mind set that has reduced family, love, salvation, and covenant, to mere business transaction, law, guarantee, and contract. The scenario that expresses grace the most is obvious.

Check it out...I'm turning 'Catholic'

Yeah, I didn't believe it either. Turns out, my son-in-law, Eric, has been really looking into the claims and the theology of the Roman Catholic Church for the sake of his father who has been doing the same. I talk to Eric frequently and he has been sharing his findings with me. Needless to say, I have been pleasantly surprised!

Eric, being my 'subordinate', (haha), would do well to mind his place in these matters, but the sheer veracity of what he is communicating to me from the Catholic faith, I am finding, is not what I have any desire to claim superior wisdom over. He is convincing me easily with the facts, and I eagerly accept these facts as they are, one-by-one, extinguishing all the anxieties I have had with the Reformed faith.

Details on what I mean will be following for sure because I am currently very much excited about the Catholic faith and its consistency to Christian doctrine and ethics. In the mean time, check out Eric's latest blog posts to follow this fantastic discovery of true Christian faith... http://castleman711.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/going-home/

Playing Catch With Andrew!

http://sermonwritervideo.blogspot.com/2009/07/playing-catch-with-andrew.html

Andrew's Prophecies

Original Post by Anna

2/2 Andrew's prophesies come true
Yes, w/in 5 days of each other. Sunday, just me and him on the drive to church, he says from back in his carseat: "I think Paula and Eric will come to church today." I've seen them once in the past year there, of course, last summer I went not at all, then they stopped coming when I started back up. "Now, " I say, "Last night was Eric's birthday party". Explaining that it was least of any morning we would see those two at church. He said twice more on the way that maybe they would come this moring too.

I was lazy, excuses, excuses, got off late the night before, etc. So basically Andrew and I were driving there to return and get more books from the library. So, sitting there in the foyer, (late as can be), we see doors swing open, see people filing out. By now I am usually at the library door, but I sit to yack w/a 95 year old lady. Wow! Out of those doors come Paula and Eric. What a feeling it was to see family at URC besides us.

Posted by Anna at 8:26 PM 0 comments

2nd of Andrew's Prophecies
So, our African desert tortoise has been missing for 12 weeks or so. The same one that God brought back to life after I left him in a large pan of water over one freezing night a few years back. Anyone remember me pouring lukewarm water over him for hours all day when I found him frozen? On top of the skakeboard ramp Paula made in my old backyard?

Summer before, I had fried two tortoises. Left them in a large plastic bucket of water, so cool and comfy after a long summer day I spent at work. Only I left them for 2 days, and forgot about them, the water and turtles were gone when I went to check on them in the horror of realizing what I did. The dead turtles were there, but the water was not.

The gate flies open from the wind, sometimes the gardeners forget to close it. I tell Andrew that the turtle must have left by the gate. Funny, when we first moved here, I was always bringing that thing back before he hit the gutter at the end of the driveway. Probably the last time I laughed, remembering. I said, "Even the turtle wants to get away."

LLoongg story short! Yesterday, on the way to school at 7:55 am Andrew says "I think the turtle dug a hole and went next door. He's said that before. We had been talking on the way to school how we missed him, and how he has been gone for so long. There is cement all around the fencing in the backyard. So I just agreed.

This morning, Mitch is answering the call from the neighbor, hitting on his window. He calls Mitch to his driveway and asks if that turtle is ours.

Wow.

Posted by Anna at 8:39 PM 1 comments

Psalm 1 & 2: Audio, Video, and Commentary

"Psalms 1 and 2 are together the introduction to the Psalter. Right away we get music that takes us from creation to redemption, from Adam to Christ, from our struggle under the common curse to the promises of the new heavens and the new earth someday."

This is posted to open up a dialogue, either amongst myselves, (is that a word?), haha, or, with any other interested individuals. There seems to be a controversy inherent within this sermon, and it has to do with the motivation for, and the possibility of, living a joyful and victorious Christian life. I'll leave it at that and just let you voice your own opinion here after listening to this otherwise great sermon!

FULL VERSION
Psalms 1&2-The Blessed Man in Whom We Take Refuge

by Rev. Adam Kaloostian June 16, 2009 Psalms 1 & 2
Running time: 00:31:50
Download MP3

CONDENSED VERSION
Psalms 1&2-The Blessed Man in Whom We Take Refuge

by Rev. Adam Kaloostian June 16, 2009 Psalms 1 & 2
Running time: 00:08:23
Download MP3

CONDENSED VIDEO VERSION