Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Lecture I - The Reality of Spirituality (Dallas Willard)

Colossians 1:9-14 " For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

The Reality of Spiritualily is nothing mysterious. It is indeed, as simple as what have already heard in the years, however often misunderstood and distracked. That knowledge is actually the 'reality', indeed is our "INNER PERSON", an interactive relationship with God.

To "worship God in Spirit and in Truth" means to relate to God in terms of who we really are:

Not 'performance'

Not counting on outward things to please Him

As we come spirit-to-spirit with God, performance drop away. Worship can't be done when we are hiding. Hiding just means that i am not living in the domain of the spirit, therefore, it is important to 'confess'. When we seek honor from other, we don't worship God in spirit and truth. As we drop our own way, then that's the only occassion when God moves in.

Moving into the kingdom of light means that we decided to live without pretending - we abandon our kingdom to God's rule and don't take charge of outcome.

'In His steps' doesn't mean do what Jesus would do, but to be like Jesus, He "keeps entrusting" himself to Him who judges righteously. Not to just follow the rules/laws, but become a person the law intended, i.e. be like Jesus, the Inner Reality practical union with God. Power effortlessly becoming a kind of person when you do something good, you don't even aware you are doing it. Being 'righteous' is NO BIG DEAL! It is the outcome of Spiritual Formation.

Spiritual Disciplines: fasting, praying, confessing, solitude...etc. These practices... are only 'shell', vessels. The reality is "Christ living in me", closer than my breath, more tangible than my own soul. (II Cor. 4:7) If not kept in their place as mere instruments, they will generate a new legalism of 'spirituality'.

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