Chapter 1: Entering the Eternal Kind of Life Now
Life in the Dark.
Rumors from the Intellectual Heights. “… there now is no recognized moral knowledge upon which projects of fostering moral development could be based.”
Why Be Surprised? An example of a student who had taken “moral reasoning” courses and then propositioned him while she was cleaning his room.
The Incredible Power of “Mere Ideas”. A quote from John Maynard Keys: “But, soon or late, it is ideas, not vested interests, which are dangerous for good or evil.”
Merely Academic? The effects of academic pronouncements can be far reaching.
Tolstoy’s Journey. “Tolstoy began to recover himself at the point where he realized that “I and a few hundred similar people are not the whole of mankind, and that I did not yet know the life of mankind”. He could observe the mass of persons, the peasants, who in the most miserable of conditions found life deeply meaningful and even sweet. They had not heard about “particles and progress.” But this is no longer possible. The peasants now watch TV and constantly consume media. There are no peasants now.”
Smothered in Slogans. “Now the law is “Be cute or die.” The only sincerity bearable is clever insincerity. That is what the clothing and greeting card graffiti really scream out. The particular “message” doesn’t matter.”
Word from a Different Reality.
The Invitation. Everyone has an open invitation to the heart of God. The message is everywhere, “it is literally blowing in the wind.”
A World Historical Force. The pervasiveness of Jesus in history and culture.
Entering the Ordinary. Jesus lived an ordinary life for most of it. If he came back to day, he would be ordinary.
Habitation of the Eternal. Nobody wants to be just another person. We want to significant. “Our hunger for significance is a signal of who we are and why we are here, and it also is the basis of humanity’s enduring response to Jesus. For he always takes individual human beings as seriously as their shredded dignity demands, and he has the resources to carry through with his high estimate of them.”
God’s Kingdom Opened to All. Jesus was the good news about the kingdom of God.
Proprieties Aside. Jesus turned the standards of the Jews upside down. One example.
A Harlot Crashes the Party. The story of the prostitute who washes Jesus feet and uses expensive perfume on them. “Loved me much!” Simply that, and not the customary proprieties, was now the key of entry into the rule of God.” “When we see Jesus as he is, we must turn away or else shamelessly adore him. That must be kept in mind for any authentic understanding of the power of Christian faith.”
The Presence of God in Action. “Hans Küng has pointed out, “the decision for or against the rule of God hung together with the decision for or against himself”.
God’s Rule Extended Onward Through Us. Our faith is not demonstrated by trying to be like Jesus. It is letting him turn us into the same kind of thing as himself.
Made to Rule
What a “Kingdom” Is. “Our “kingdom” is simply the range of our effective will. Whatever we genuinely have the say over is in our kingdom.” We are made to have a kingdom.
God’s “Creation Covenant” with Human Beings. In Genesis,God gives humans the responsibility of life on earth. Alas, the world has fallen.
Redemption of Our Rule.
Our Rule Extended—into Eternity. “In accord with his original intent, the heavenly Father has in fact prepared an individualized kingdom for every person, from the outset of creation.”
God’s Kingdom. “Within his overarching dominion God has created us and has given each of us, like him, a range of will—beginning from our minds and bodies and extending outward, ultimately to a point not wholly predetermined but open to the measure of our faith. His intent is for us to learn to mesh our kingdom with the kingdoms of others.”
The Kingdom is Now “at Hand.” “The reality of God’s rule, and all of the instrumentalities it involves, is present in action and available with and through the person of Jesus. That is Jesus’ gospel.”
In the Midst of Many Kingdoms
We Become Bearers of God’s Rule “at Hand.” The kingdom of God is at hand, here now.
But Other Kingdoms Remain. But, even though it is already hearer, other kingdoms remain.
Electricity Is “at Hand”. “…. the kingdom of God is also right beside us. It is indeed The Kingdom Among Us. You can reach it from your heart with your mouth—through even a shaky and stumbling confidence and confession that Jesus is the death-conquering Master of all (Rom. 10:9).”
Two Who Called.
Quotes from: Dallas Willard. “The Divine Conspiracy.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-divine-conspiracy/id360632495