Reflections of a convert: John 4
I've had the privilege of meeting and slowly getting to know a wonderful family who recently joined the Orthodox Church. Art is the husband and father of the family, who has got a zeal for Christ and Orthodoxy. He read a few of my posts and liked what he saw. I told him he's more than welcome to write something and I'll post it. SInce he comes from a Protestant background, and now has a zeal for Orthodoxy, I'm excited to see what he comes up with. For now, this is the first post by Art:
This is a meditation on John Chapter 4. I wrote this about a year ago. (The truth in love).
Gods law is where His spirit resides and how we come to know Him. To worship in spirit and truth- they are both the same. This is a poetic hebrew double emphasis of Truth. The focus is not a building, or a religion, but a way of life. Worship is active service, of keeping the law through love, which is Christ (His yoke is easy and His burden light). We are still under the law, it has not been abolished, but through the yoke of love we are zealous for it. It is no longer a curse, but a fountain of life, keeping us on the narrow path of love which is absolute truth. The law is now written on our hearts, no longer of stone. This is not a grievous thing but an act of love, and a marriage covenant. The yoke or yoke fellow, also symbolizes works, we are laborers of love, working the fields for harvest. Bearing fruit. Gods law will always be. A burden to the rebellious and hard hearted, just as hell has no gates except those that reject Gods love. They are held there by there own will, and his love and passion for them becomes the sting of death where the worm dieth not. How do we worship in spirit? By walking in the truth, the universal law of love, selfless living, taking up our cross. Enoch walked with God, and God took him, to worship God is to walk with him in constant communion, abiding in the Vine of faith, hope , and love. Bearing fruit for others to enjoy, and them to taste of Gods sweet love.
New thought, Christ is tearing down religion. The law produced religion, because of the lack of love. Christ is the fullness of love Who has come. The narrow way, and being set free is the escape of religion. All of these different schools of thought are attempts to know and find Christ, but they lack the fullness of love and the maturity of faith. Fulfilling a system of religious rites and laws does not please God, and their path leads to destruction. Though they may bear good fruit, and at very best are an attempt to know God through stained glass windows of our heart, they lack fullness and only allow us to see God in part. This is not true undefiled religion. The stained glass window allows the light in but not in fullness, nor can we see out of it in clarity. For it is seen through the haze of our constrained religion and ideas, and not truly free.
-Art
This is a meditation on John Chapter 4. I wrote this about a year ago. (The truth in love). Gods law is where His spirit resides and how we come to know Him. To worship in spirit and truth- they are both the same. This is a poetic hebrew double emphasis of Truth. The focus is not a building, or a religion, but a way of life. Worship is active service, of keeping the law through love, which is Christ (His yoke is easy and His burden light). We are still under the law, it has not been abolished, but through the yoke of love we are zealous for it. It is no longer a curse, but a fountain of life, keeping us on the narrow path of love which is absolute truth. The law is now written on our hearts, no longer of stone. This is not a grievous thing but an act of love, and a marriage covenant. The yoke or yoke fellow, also symbolizes works, we are laborers of love, working the fields for harvest. Bearing fruit. Gods law will always be. A burden to the rebellious and hard hearted, just as hell has no gates except those that reject Gods love. They are held there by there own will, and his love and passion for them becomes the sting of death where the worm dieth not. How do we worship in spirit? By walking in the truth, the universal law of love, selfless living, taking up our cross. Enoch walked with God, and God took him, to worship God is to walk with him in constant communion, abiding in the Vine of faith, hope , and love. Bearing fruit for others to enjoy, and them to taste of Gods sweet love.
New thought, Christ is tearing down religion. The law produced religion, because of the lack of love. Christ is the fullness of love Who has come. The narrow way, and being set free is the escape of religion. All of these different schools of thought are attempts to know and find Christ, but they lack the fullness of love and the maturity of faith. Fulfilling a system of religious rites and laws does not please God, and their path leads to destruction. Though they may bear good fruit, and at very best are an attempt to know God through stained glass windows of our heart, they lack fullness and only allow us to see God in part. This is not true undefiled religion. The stained glass window allows the light in but not in fullness, nor can we see out of it in clarity. For it is seen through the haze of our constrained religion and ideas, and not truly free.
-Art
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