Theosis
Submitted by F.O.D. on January 19 2000 at 23:07:30
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At last, I've finally had a chance to get back to Dirk's study of theosis. I find it an incredible exciting study. All about the great work that God is doing in us, exploring the depths of our salvation, becoming Christ-like! I wonder if there is more we can understand in what it means when we say God poured out his Spirit on us. That question reminds me of the one I had many months ago about the relationship between a person's soul and his body. The soul (or spirit) becomes part of the body, if I can put it that way, so it is that soul that defines the person, not the accompanying molecules and tissues. But the spirit of man is dead, if I read the Bible correctly. And the work of Jesus, in bringing salvation, is not so much to make that dead spirit alive as to bring God's Living Spirit onto that man. I'm suggesting that the fact of God having given us his Spirit is the driving force (or whatever) behind the process of theosis, becoming like Him. Without God's Spirit, we could never be made perfect. Perhaps that is what the Tree of Life means? Receiving God's Spirit. Jules, you made some excellent comments in your reply to Dirk. I particularly liked the way you underlined that salvation is not a mechanism of legalism, but is God removing sin rather than God removing punishment for sin. I believe that to be an extremely important thought. And Jules, I believe you mentioned you had something else to say on this subject... :) peace to all, Fod |