Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Dialogues of Nato (proving Matt Richey's statement about corniness)

I appreciate Austin Surls' question about spirituality - and I am incredibly annoyed by it at the same time, because it's so hard to clarify its definition. It seems, however, that "spiritual growth" as we use the term means growing in taking the good things God has put into our regenerated spirits and expressing them in very practical physical and emotional ways. There is also a certain tension involved in remembering that our spirits will last forever while our bodies and physical surroundings are destined to end before we receive new bodies and are placed on a new earth. Perhaps being spiritual means acting with our current physical bodies in htis temporary and broken physical world in light of the things that will be remembered, valued and rewarded when our spirits are brought into the newly perfected physical reality that is part of our future hope. Suggestions, postulations and thoughts...am I responding well to the question?
Matt Richey's question about God's love and hell also gives me some confusion. I like the worship song about the depth and breadth of God's love, but is it accurate when it says that God's love reaches to "the lowest hell"? It's easy to see how hell demonstrates God's justice, holiness and glory, but...oh, snap, I'm just repeating Matt's question. I have other questions on how "sheol," "gehenna" and "hades" are related, and how theology developed from the OT focus on the land and military judgment as the consequence of sin to the church's focus on the eternal state and helfire - it seems to be assumed by Jesus' culture, while it's not mentioned much in the OT.

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