We are all up for the inner - inside out transforming work of the Spirit
yet none of us would probably be up for anyone not coming to church, not taking communion, not service etc...
there is an external dimension to the gospel
The external dimension can i argue is the church - the corporate nature of the gospel
that means it is not the personal rituals
but the things i do corporately
I need to be transformed internally by the gospel through the Spirit
but how I receive the gospel through the Spirit is external (or alien) through the hands/words/actions of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ
the new man that we put on is as corporate as the old man (even more so)
that means as much as I am looking for internal transformation - i should get more involved in the external corporate activities of a gospel church - like corporate worship service, helping one another, teaching sunday school etc.. despite the fact that my internal heart may not WANT to do it
because it is through the prescribed acts of the corporate body - that I will see my sinfulness, and be more open to receiving the gospel - and all these are acts of the Spirit who only works in the BODY of Christ
this is also true biologically
what i need to do is to change my DNA
how I do that is by contact with other extra-cellular influences - coming from other cells
that is how DNA is altered in fact in biological growth and development
of course other things can also influence my DNA - like retroviruses
i.e. repetitive external actions of sin that ultimately re-wire my heart towards hardness
it is so interesting that we can actually 'turn on' enzymes that can fix this.. but only when meeting with certain types of healthy cells
anyway..
thus it not by the repetitive act of going to church or performing virtues i transform myself
but rather by meeting with other Christians administering grace to me in various ways that I am able to see myself clearly as they mirror Christ to me... and that causes perforations within my hard heart allowing the gospel (delivered by them) to penetrate
pls comment!?
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