Hope in the Cross
I saw this quote from A.W. Tozer on liquidthinking.org. Really powerful:
The Old Cross and the New
"All unannounced, and mostly undetected, there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique - a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching.
The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. The new cross, if understood aright, is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure.
The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. The old cross is a symbol of death. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again into newness of life. God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life he offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross.
Among the plastic saints of our times Jesus has to do all the dying and all we want is to hear another sermon about his dying. So subtle is self that scarcely anyone is conscious of its presence. Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. Our uncrucified flesh will rob us of purity of heart, Christ-likeness of character, spiritual insight, fruitfulness; and more than all, it will hide from us the vision of God's face, that vision which has been the light of earth and will be the completeness of heaven."
The Old Cross and the New
"All unannounced, and mostly undetected, there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique - a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching.
The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. The new cross, if understood aright, is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure.
The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. The old cross is a symbol of death. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again into newness of life. God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life he offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross.
Among the plastic saints of our times Jesus has to do all the dying and all we want is to hear another sermon about his dying. So subtle is self that scarcely anyone is conscious of its presence. Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. Our uncrucified flesh will rob us of purity of heart, Christ-likeness of character, spiritual insight, fruitfulness; and more than all, it will hide from us the vision of God's face, that vision which has been the light of earth and will be the completeness of heaven."
posted by Alan Cross @ 9:43 AM
2 Comments:
At 3:02 PM,
Anonymous said…
Hey Alan--and Chris
I don't get it. There have always been those who believe in the cross and continue to live like selfish brats and those that work hard not to. Or is he referring not to individuals but to the prevalent Christian culture? The church itself neglecting to encourage sacrificing self? Certainly the Catholic church and the Pilgrims were all about sacrificing self for the will of God. Then again, so were the Pharisees.
Beth DeVore
At 8:31 PM,
Anonymous said…
Tozer always has a way with words. Its interesting how he shows such simple things that are so often passed over. good stuff.
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