Elliott's Muses

I had a recent exchange with one of my students based on a class teaching, and some conversations in the area of God, creation of humans, free will, and the Fall.  I wrote a response back, and thought it might be good to post the whole exchange on the blog site...so here we go. Hi DeeDee, I'm answering this, and posting it on the class web site because it highlights some really good tensions that pertain to understanding free will and our sin nature. FIRST though, let me answer your inquiry about Dallas Willard by pointing you back to the book and Chapter 2, which is entitled "The Gospel of Sin Management".  I think I used the word "problem" when I was referring to the issue that Willard brings up in that chapter - namely, that if we teach that the gospel is nothing more than our sins being forgiven, and leaves out the possibilities of transformation, growth, discipleship in Christ, then all we have is a gospel of sin management...keep our sins in chec...

I was reading this morning in a new journal and the author referred to the latter part of Ephesians 3, and I was struck by the words Paul: Ephesians 3:16-17 (NIV) 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  There is in these beautiful words something that struck me.  The first part is clear - we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our day to day life.  We need to be strengthened - growing stronger in terms of the work of the Spirit in our inner soul.  Our heart, motives, attitudes; Our will, desires, passions; all fall under the domain of our inner being.  It is Our Soul that Paul is saying needs this empowering. It is in vs 17 that I am struck:  "that Christ may dwell in (y)our hearts through faith". Linda and I have lots of different ways of hosting peop...