Friday, November 17, 2006

I Used to Be Perfect

I've been reading lately, and writing.

The book I've been working on is a book loaned to me by my pastor, "I Used To Be Perfect," by George Knight.

I saw a video sermon once where someone shared a concept from this book, but to put it bluntly, they did it in such a horrible way that it made the concept hideous to me. I told the pastor about it and he agreed that this guy wasn't getting the thought across, but that it wasn't a bad concept, just presented badly. That's why he loaned me the book, because it presents the concepts of grace in a much more understandable way.

I must admit, the book has shock titles for its chapters. It seems Mr. Knight wants to get your dander up before you read each chapter. I'm not so fond of this ploy, but the material is still good, despite Mr. Knight's attempts (or his editors) to shock you with titles such as chapter one's: Sin is love.

But once you read the chapter, you agree that sin is love. Sin is love of self. Sin is love of self, self seeking, selfishness, pride and ego. It's taking the love for God that we were created to experience and enjoy, and substituting instead a love of self. The point is well made and right on. Sometimes we tend to think of sin as individual actions, like whether or not someone steals, lies, murders and so forth.

It's definitely a book worth taking a look at. It's nice to have someone put in book form that it's all about the relationship. This is something Karl and I have tried to share with some former church friends, to no avail. Maybe, someday, we'll all understand that God wants our hearts and He wants to share His withus.

When I'm not reading "I Used to Be Perfect," I'm working on my first novel. My oldest son saw me typing away last night. He asked what I was working on, and I said a project. He had seen my typing at the computer several times this week and said, are you writing a book. I guess not much gets by an 11 year old boy that reads for the sheer joy of reading.

I honestly had no intention of writing a novel, of all things, but I've had no peace until I started writing it down. I did the first draft of one chapter yesterday afternoon and I nearly cried when I was done. It is amazing how much of yourself you share when you write a book. How much of your own relationship with God you are revealing to others, and how God fills your heart and mind. He is amazing!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome, Awesome book that I very much enjoyed. 10 years ago, I never would have given it a chance, but Mr. Knight hits a grand slam with this book.

Justin

Trailady said...

Great book! Jay & I very much enjoyed it. George Knight isn't afraid to shake people up a little and get thier attention.

David said...

Sharon,
I haven't read it, but I have read another of Elder Knight's books. I guess I'm a little leary of theologies (Adventist or Evangelical, it can be all the same) that seem perfectly right in freeing us from the bondage of legalism, which I assume is Mr. Knight's aim, but don't capitalize on Jesus and His great love as He revealed to us in both Old and New Testament. Without describing His divine love, we are moving onto dangerous ground when talking about "liberty." Without spelling out for me God's love, so that I grasp His love by a faith it created in me, I am left unbalanced and incapable of understanding the liberty of the sons of God, regardless of the reasonableness of the theology. Jesus was big on the Law, and He could be because He also demonstrated His love for His listeners and disciples every waking moment. We need to be big on faith and love, and also big on the Law and duty and obedience and subjection. Without the experience of surrender to love, no amount of theological reasoning will bring us to the truth that God desires we learn.
Take care, sister, and beware of the leaven of the scribes and Pharisees. Thanks for the post.

Roseuvsharon said...

Surrender to love brings freedom from legalism. I like it.

So, we look to 1 Corinthians 13. Surrender to patience, kindness, not seeking our own way, not behaving rudely.

Anonymous said...

The entire theology of righteousness by faith is both true and built completely upon Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

Some will resist this if it isn't shared just exactly as they think it should be, but that does not lessen it's truth or the power of it. Others resist it because they so desparately wish to cling to the Old Covenant.

M.Samuel said...

The presentation by Knight is very skillful and appealing to our minds. I would, however be careful to accept all that is stated as there are basic concepts of sin and salvation left out. The clearest definition in the Bible for sin is found in 1 John 3:4 "whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law for sin is the transgression of the law. (Newer versions use the word "lawlessness." In either case sin is always something that involves our will and power of choice. When we move away from this fundamental principle we are bound to cause confusion in our understanding of sin.
Also, the Bible never really talks about two entities, SIN and sins. This is a new concept. Knight refers to the sermon on the mount where Jesus said: "What comes out of the mouth proceeds from he heart and this defiles a man. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery . . . and so on."
What he fails to explain is how these thoughts came into the heart (mind) in the first place? Did the individual have a part in feeding his mind by reading, viewing and harboring such information that would, in turn, renew these thoughts and lead to sinful actions? Or is it part of the inherited SIN of Adam that we are born with that springs forth spontaneously and makes us commit sins? We ought to realize that nothing comes out of our mind that some time earlier had not gone in through our five senses. And since we live in a world of sin and since sin is universal, we tend to, knowing or unknowingly take in a lot of injurious information from the time we get to know right and wrong. When this is allowed to flourish and take root in our mind, it becomes a storage/spring of evil thoughts, words and actions. This is what Jesus meant when he said:"what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart." The only person in whose heart sin arose was Lucifer. Eve was enticed by the serpent, the devil. All humanity is enticed and deceived by the devil.