To Do in Order to Be
Yes, I'm still reading "God in Search of Man" by Heschel. Afterall, it's 430 pages and the last half has taken more concentration on my part than the first half. But still a great read nevertheless! I want to share a couple more quotes that I've read the past couple of days.
"Man is not for the sake of good deeds; the good deeds are for the sake of man. Christianity asks for more than works. The goal is not that a ceremony be performed; the goal is that man be transformed; to worship the Holy in order to be holy. The purpose of good deeds is to sanctify man. The more we do for His sake, the more we receive for our sake. What ultimately counds most is not the scope of one's deeds but their impact upon the life of the soul. Man is more than what he does. What he does is spiritually a minimum of what he is. Deeds are outpourings, not the essence of the self. They may reflect or refine the self, but they remain the functions, not the substance of inner life. "
"The reason God commands right action is b/c purity of heart is of no account unless practice is in agreement with it."
"Not the confession of belief, but the active acceptance of the kingship of God and its order is the central demand of Christianity. Asserting "I believe in..." will not make a person a Christian, just as asserting "I believe in the USA" will not make a person an American. A citizen is he who accepts the allegiance to the Constitution, its rights and obligations. Thus our relation to God cannot be expressed in a belief but rather in the accepting of an order that determines all of life."
This has sure made me take a long hard look at my life and ask if I'm practicing what I say I believe. The road of sanctification can be long and painful at times ... but it is an act of worshipping the Holy in order to be holy. May my life be holy in all I say and do.
1Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
"Man is not for the sake of good deeds; the good deeds are for the sake of man. Christianity asks for more than works. The goal is not that a ceremony be performed; the goal is that man be transformed; to worship the Holy in order to be holy. The purpose of good deeds is to sanctify man. The more we do for His sake, the more we receive for our sake. What ultimately counds most is not the scope of one's deeds but their impact upon the life of the soul. Man is more than what he does. What he does is spiritually a minimum of what he is. Deeds are outpourings, not the essence of the self. They may reflect or refine the self, but they remain the functions, not the substance of inner life. "
"The reason God commands right action is b/c purity of heart is of no account unless practice is in agreement with it."
"Not the confession of belief, but the active acceptance of the kingship of God and its order is the central demand of Christianity. Asserting "I believe in..." will not make a person a Christian, just as asserting "I believe in the USA" will not make a person an American. A citizen is he who accepts the allegiance to the Constitution, its rights and obligations. Thus our relation to God cannot be expressed in a belief but rather in the accepting of an order that determines all of life."
This has sure made me take a long hard look at my life and ask if I'm practicing what I say I believe. The road of sanctification can be long and painful at times ... but it is an act of worshipping the Holy in order to be holy. May my life be holy in all I say and do.
1Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
posted by Lisa Stucky at 1:22 PM
2 Comments:
those are all so good. I'm having a hard time getting going on the book, but I always love the quotes you have. So thanks for weeding through that for me. :-)
It is a bit to trudge through. But there are some jewels in there ... gotta dig.
Post a Comment
<< Home