There is a common trend in American Evangelical thought
that emphasizes that Christianity is simply a set of propositions to which a
person gives assent. I call this the “Pass the Sunday School test and you are in
heaven” view of the Christian faith. My reading of the Hebrew roots of the
Christian faith makes a lie out of this perspective. Read these words from the
Psalmist:
I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. –
Psalm 18:1-2
Did you count the number of times the personal pronoun “my”
appears in these few lines? I count nine of them. Could it be that the reason
the Christian faith is so anemic in our culture is that we hold to some truths
about God but we do not really have a transforming relationship with God? It is
one thing to have a wedding ceremony; it is another to be married. Many
Americans mark “Christian” on the census; they have yet to be united with their
God in an intimate relationship. – Ron Friesen
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