There are many great books written by Christian authors that can assist us in understanding how to live the Christian life. One of my favorite teachers is Francis Schaeffer who lived in the twentieth century and had a great impact in the evangelical church. Schaeffer was described as a philosopher, theologian, lecturer, and evangelist. He was known particularly for starting a Christian study center in the Swiss Alps named L'Abri, where for several decades young people have gone in search for answers to life and understanding Christianity.
Perhaps one of the best books Schaeffer wrote and that has impacted my life was True Spirituality. In this book he describes the essence of spirituality in the life of the Christian, which can often become cold after the initial conversion experience. This spirituality is much more than an academic pursuit of knowledge or an external obedience to the commandments of God. But rather it is a joyful relationship that is based upon a true repentance with God by accepting his Word in our hearts. Particularly Schaeffer focuses on a Spirituality that is inward and causes us to grow in sanctification.
As Schaeffer describes in his preface, "In going further, I saw something else which made a profound difference in my life. I searched through what the Bible said concerning reality as a Christian. Gradually I saw that the problem was that with all the teaching I had received after I was a Christian, I had heard little about what the Bible says about the meaning of the finished work of Christ in our present lives."
Schaeffer had experienced a spiritual crisis of sorts in that he had lost his initial joy in his faith and wondered if Christianity was true at all. It was in his reevaluation of the teachings of Scripture that he discovered the true spirituality that we live by. In his first chapter he describes living out the Christian faith as he compares natural birth and life to spiritual birth and life, pages four and five.
"After we are born, the important thing is the living of our lives in all their relationships, possibilities, and capabilities. It is exactly the same with the new birth. In one way, the new birth is the most important thing in our spiritual lives, because we are not Christians until we have come this way. In another way, however, after one has become a Christian, it must be minimized, in that we should not always have our minds only on our new birth. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live. There is the new birth, and then there is the Christian life to be lived. This is the area of sanctification, from the time of new birth, through this present life, until Jesus comes or until we die."
Here Schaeffer emphasizes the importance of living out our faith and growing up in the faith just like a child after he is born begins to grow and mature in his natural life. This spiritual growth takes Spiritual food and nourishment, exercise, and practice. It takes living out our faith in fear and trembling, in humility and in boldness, in prayer and in obedience. But to say one believes without action in faith is not true faith or true spirituality. And we will be the ones left with anemic growth and malnutrition if we choose not to respond in our lives to the teachings of Scripture.
All of the Christian life can be attributed to grace as even the gift of life is given to us by God. But what we do with the gifts we have been given is the life of faith, realizing that we all are limited in our gifts and callings, but we all are empowered when we live by the Holy Spirit. Life in the Spirit is a pursuit of the godliness of Christ as we grow into his likeness in all things. Some of the first traits that can be identified in true spirituality are humility, teachability, contentment, and thankfulness. We must also be honest with ourselves to confess our sins and forgive other people.
I believe this true spirituality is difficult in our modern world to be sure, but it is by far the most rewarding and joyful life that could possibly be lived. It is the life of sanctification and maturing in the faith of Christ and his truth.
FATIH TODAY: Colossians 1:11, "May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light."
Perhaps one of the best books Schaeffer wrote and that has impacted my life was True Spirituality. In this book he describes the essence of spirituality in the life of the Christian, which can often become cold after the initial conversion experience. This spirituality is much more than an academic pursuit of knowledge or an external obedience to the commandments of God. But rather it is a joyful relationship that is based upon a true repentance with God by accepting his Word in our hearts. Particularly Schaeffer focuses on a Spirituality that is inward and causes us to grow in sanctification.
As Schaeffer describes in his preface, "In going further, I saw something else which made a profound difference in my life. I searched through what the Bible said concerning reality as a Christian. Gradually I saw that the problem was that with all the teaching I had received after I was a Christian, I had heard little about what the Bible says about the meaning of the finished work of Christ in our present lives."
Schaeffer had experienced a spiritual crisis of sorts in that he had lost his initial joy in his faith and wondered if Christianity was true at all. It was in his reevaluation of the teachings of Scripture that he discovered the true spirituality that we live by. In his first chapter he describes living out the Christian faith as he compares natural birth and life to spiritual birth and life, pages four and five.
"After we are born, the important thing is the living of our lives in all their relationships, possibilities, and capabilities. It is exactly the same with the new birth. In one way, the new birth is the most important thing in our spiritual lives, because we are not Christians until we have come this way. In another way, however, after one has become a Christian, it must be minimized, in that we should not always have our minds only on our new birth. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live. There is the new birth, and then there is the Christian life to be lived. This is the area of sanctification, from the time of new birth, through this present life, until Jesus comes or until we die."
Here Schaeffer emphasizes the importance of living out our faith and growing up in the faith just like a child after he is born begins to grow and mature in his natural life. This spiritual growth takes Spiritual food and nourishment, exercise, and practice. It takes living out our faith in fear and trembling, in humility and in boldness, in prayer and in obedience. But to say one believes without action in faith is not true faith or true spirituality. And we will be the ones left with anemic growth and malnutrition if we choose not to respond in our lives to the teachings of Scripture.
All of the Christian life can be attributed to grace as even the gift of life is given to us by God. But what we do with the gifts we have been given is the life of faith, realizing that we all are limited in our gifts and callings, but we all are empowered when we live by the Holy Spirit. Life in the Spirit is a pursuit of the godliness of Christ as we grow into his likeness in all things. Some of the first traits that can be identified in true spirituality are humility, teachability, contentment, and thankfulness. We must also be honest with ourselves to confess our sins and forgive other people.
I believe this true spirituality is difficult in our modern world to be sure, but it is by far the most rewarding and joyful life that could possibly be lived. It is the life of sanctification and maturing in the faith of Christ and his truth.
FATIH TODAY: Colossians 1:11, "May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light."
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