A modern proverb says, A...
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A modern proverb says, "A mind is like a parachute. It will only work when it's open." If we are all skydivers, and if life is like a free fall from thousands of feet in the air, then the difference in our outlook on life is whether or not the parachute works.
The same is true of the Christian life. What keeps the parachute from working is fear. If I'm so paralyzed by fear that I cannot even pull the ripcord, then the entire free fall will be terrifying and can only end in destruction.
When Paul refers to "the reading of the old covenant," and "whenever Moses is read," he's talking about the Law. When we read, hear and reflect only on the Law, the result is that our minds are veiled with fear. Having only the law without the gospel gives us a terrifying perspective on life and freezes us into inaction. We are not only unable to pull the ripcord, but we're also blind to the situation of fellow skydivers, and oblivious to the awesome wonder and beauty that one is able to see from such a vantage point.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a whole lot more than a parachute. And our tendency is not to pull the ripcord, but to tear holes in the parachute. God is not dependent on our decision to save ourselves, but is himself active, alive, and rescuing us. The gospel of Jesus Christ removes the veil of fear and allows us to go through the free fall of life with hope and boldness.
--Kaul
The same is true of the Christian life. What keeps the parachute from working is fear. If I'm so paralyzed by fear that I cannot even pull the ripcord, then the entire free fall will be terrifying and can only end in destruction.
When Paul refers to "the reading of the old covenant," and "whenever Moses is read," he's talking about the Law. When we read, hear and reflect only on the Law, the result is that our minds are veiled with fear. Having only the law without the gospel gives us a terrifying perspective on life and freezes us into inaction. We are not only unable to pull the ripcord, but we're also blind to the situation of fellow skydivers, and oblivious to the awesome wonder and beauty that one is able to see from such a vantage point.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a whole lot more than a parachute. And our tendency is not to pull the ripcord, but to tear holes in the parachute. God is not dependent on our decision to save ourselves, but is himself active, alive, and rescuing us. The gospel of Jesus Christ removes the veil of fear and allows us to go through the free fall of life with hope and boldness.
--Kaul
