A thought by Dallas Willard (2014-02-01) from his
book, Renovation of the Heart: PuttingOn the Character of Christ (p. 59). NavPress. Kindle Edition. (Click on
the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Dallas then says, “One
does not miss heaven by a hair, but by constant effort to avoid and escape God.
‘Outer darkness’ is for one who, everything said, wants it, whose entire
orientation has slowly and firmly set itself against God and therefore against
how the universe actually is. It is for those who are disastrously in error
about their own life and their place before God and man. The ruined soul must be willing to hear of
and recognize its own ruin before it can find how to enter a different path,
the path of eternal life that naturally leads into spiritual formation in
Christlikeness.”
You see, where you
ultimately end is dependent upon your choice.
It all depends upon our want.
What do we really want? Do we
want what God wants or what we want? We
do not miss heaven by a hair but by our constant effort to avoid and escape
God.
We must be honest
about the path we are on and then desire to change our path. We have the power of choice but not the
consequences of our choices. If I am
walking on a path that goes over a cliff then I must change my path in order to
keep from going over the cliff. Now if
there is a sign that says I must change paths or I will go over a cliff then I cannot
blame the sign for my falling. I cannot
say, “Oops” when I catch myself falling.
I chose the path.
Dallas then says, “Spiritual
formation is not something that may, or may not, be added to the gift of
eternal life as an option. Rather, it is the path that the eternal kind of life
‘from above’ naturally takes. It is the path one must be on if his or hers is
to be an eternal kind of life.”
“For God so loved the
world that he gave his only son so that whosoever believes in him would nor
perish but have everlasting life.” He
gave us a choice.
So what will it be for
you?
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