Thursday, March 18, 2010

Three Kinds of People

There are three kinds of people:
  1. Those who pursue wrong things
  2. Those who pursue the right thing, but in a wrong way
  3. Those who pursue the right thing, in the right way
Though the first two look very different, both paths are disastrous. A skilled CoJourner must distinguish between the two and helping BUILD appropriate bridges for each.

It is these realities that Paul applies in Romans 9:30-10:13.
  • Group 1: The Gentiles did not pursue righteousness (9:30; compare Rom 1:18-32; 3:10-18).
  • Group 2: The Jews pursued righteousness as if it were based on works, seeking to establish their own righteousness (9:31-10:3; compare 2:1-3:20).
  • Group 3: But righteousness (the right thing) is from God by faith through Christ (9:30, 32-33; 10:3, 4; compare 3:21ff).
[21st Century moralism is a weak sister to 1st Century legalism. But both seek what is right in the wrong way. 21st Century amoralism appears just as strong a sibling as 1st Century immorality.]

How skilled are we at diagnosing a person's condition? At helping them understand their issue? At GUIDING them to faith in Christ?

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:15).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keith,

Your last question about "how skilled are we at guiding them to faith in Christ?" reminds me of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.

Philip needed to be sensitive to the Spirit's leading and willing to go somewhere, but he also needed to be skilled when he got there.

We need both.

Great post.
-eric

من وحي الكلمات said...

When I read your topic ،
I found u talking about the Word of God in the Holy Quran
In a brief words
In which he says ( Lo! man is in a state of loss - Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance)

Peace be abon you