A question about Christian practice

Carl Emerson said:

Peter was sinking into unbelief - that is quite different than a pagan 'peace'

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Either way, our true identity is lost, I would say.

Tone said:

I believe I caught a glimpse into what you said.

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That’s amazing!

Tone said:

Either way, our true identity is lost, I would say.

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I’d have to strongly disagree with that. True identity is found and lies are lost. Or off centre is the opposite effect. One influences the other.

~Cassia~ said:

I’d have to strongly disagree with that. True identity is found and lies are lost. Or off centre is the opposite effect. One influences the other.

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In unbelief?

Tone said:

In unbelief?

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In unbelief yes, but also unknowing. It’s easier to know Christ than it is to know you in relation to Him. Maybe no one ever really does.

~Cassia~ said:

I’d have to strongly disagree with that. True identity is found and lies are lost. Or off centre is the opposite effect. One influences the other.

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Oh, I think I see what you're saying. When sinking, we know that we are but creatures in need of the Savior, therefore our identity.

But, we have to know we're sinking.

~Cassia~ said:

In unbelief yes, but also unknowing. It’s easier to know Christ than it is to know you in relation to Him. Maybe no one ever really does.

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Unbelief is not an end...

Taodeching said:

I was thinking and wondering about centering or maybe balance. Is there such a thing as balance or finding one's center in Christianity? I know in some religions there are those things and I got to wonder if Christianity has something similar or if Christianity is different all together

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Perhaps there is something in Christianity to the notion that we are not even complete beings until we are one with Christ. Not to be seen as fulfilled until we see God himself as he is, will the Sons of God be revealed. Christ is our center.

Tone said:

Oh, I think I see what you're saying. When sinking, we know that we are but creatures in need of the Savior, therefore our identity.

But, we have to know we're sinking.

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Or not sinking. The Lord is also the confidence and the conscience, either can be seared. Anyway, enough of the philosophy ...

Maybe I should have said "Either way, our true identity is in danger of being lost."?

~Cassia~ said:

Or not sinking.

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I'll have to chew on this for a bit...

~Cassia~ said:

I’d have to strongly disagree with that. True identity is found and lies are lost. Or off centre is the opposite effect. One influences the other.

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I tend to agree. That is to say, I think our identity is in Christ, without whom we are nothing. I like to say we are not even complete beings, or at least not seen as complete beings, until we "see him as he is", and "the sons of God are revealed."

Taodeching said:

I was thinking and wondering about centering or maybe balance. Is there such a thing as balance or finding one's center in Christianity? I know in some religions there are those things and I got to wonder if Christianity has something similar or if Christianity is different all together

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Peter denied Christ before he was born again. Once that happened, Christ Told him to strengthen his Brethren. Your question is important so please consider this; your eternity is based on your relationship with Christ. There is a very specific time in all of God’s elect when Christ opens their eyes and ears and changes them. The Word promises that if we seek we will find. Christ Says;
[URL='https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV2&byte=4739174']Luke.22

1. [32] But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

[/URL]
Rev.3

1. [16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Taodeching said:

First thank you all for your answers.




Thank you. Seems that this type of thing is forbidden in Protestantism or just not understood very well

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The truth is that Christianity has quite a variety of practice. Mystical practice has been there since early, but so has practice with other emphases, and in fact suspicion of mysticism. And mysticism doesn't always use centering, though it may do similar things by different names.

The Protestant tradition is not a mystical one. The original Reformers were in effect academics. They felt (with some reason) that popular practice had gotten out of hand, and needed to stay within limits defined by the careful interpretation of Scripture. However no tradition can remain just academic for long, so various types of experiential Christianity showed up. But they didn't tend to look like Eastern mysticism. Currently the strongest experiential emphasis among conservative Protestants is Pentecostalism. However liberal Protestants are sometimes interested in a wider range of spiritual practices. In the mainline churches you'll find people using centering. I believe you'll also find this in more traditional churches, though it may be called something else.

The Non-Christian or Natural Man

Why are many Christians not filled with the Holy Spirit?

In the following diagram, this circle represents the life of the person who has never received Christ as Savior and Lord. Christ stands outside the door of the life, seeking entrance. (Revelation 3:20)

1. What adjective do you think best describes the man who does not understand the things of the Spirit of God? (I Corinthians 2:14)
2. What terms describe self in the following verses? (Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:16-17)
3. List at least three characteristics of the man without Christ, as described in Ephesians 2:1-3.
4. What is the condition of the heart of the natural man? (Jeremiah 17:9)
5. List the thirteen sins that Jesus said come from the heart of man. (Mark 7:20-23)
6. Summarize the relationship between God and the non-Christian. (John 3:36)
7. How, then, does one become a Christian? (John 1:12, Revelation 3:20)

The Spiritual or Christ-Controlled Christian
This circle represents the life of the person who has invited Jesus Christ to come into his life and who is allowing Him to control and empower his life. Christ is occupying His rightful place on the throne of the life. Self has been dethroned.

1. What are some other characteristics of a life controlled by God's Spirit? (Romans 6:6)
2. In what sense could the Spirit-controlled life be called the exchanged life? (Galatians 2:20 )
3. Where does the Christian receive the power to live this otherwise impossible life? (Philippians 4:13 )
4. What does the spiritual Christian have that will enable him to understand the things of God? (I Corinthians 2:14-16) {The above is just an excerpt from: Step 1: The Christian Adventure | Cru

When I posted the bottom half of the above I had in mind the top half but I should have posted it, too. The contrast of the two is the answer to the OP's question according to Bill Bright, the Founder and past leader of Campus Crusade for Christ, as I see it.

Mark Quayle said:

I tend to agree. That is to say, I think our identity is in Christ, without whom we are nothing. I like to say we are not even complete beings, or at least not seen as complete beings, until we "see him as he is", and "the sons of God are revealed."

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Yes but I think that is on a personal level at the time one ‘believes’ they are saved and can move forward, not backward into the lies again, lies being idols that have been built up by the enemy of the soul to distort the image of God that God has built as His counterpart, the church.

Taodeching said:

I was thinking and wondering about centering or maybe balance. Is there such a thing as balance or finding one's center in Christianity? I know in some religions there are those things and I got to wonder if Christianity has something similar or if Christianity is different all together

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The terms you are using are most commonly applied to new age teachings. As a Christian we use " walk with the Spirit". This is an important distinction as one is flesh driven and the other is Holy Spirit guilded. Be blessed.

Taodeching said:

I was thinking and wondering about centering or maybe balance. Is there such a thing as balance or finding one's center in Christianity? I know in some religions there are those things and I got to wonder if Christianity has something similar or if Christianity is different all together

Click to expand...

There is a practice in Eastern Orthodoxy of mysticism where one focuses on becoming one with God. I'm not sure if I'm describing it correctly but in western Christianity, there is a prevailing belief that we cannot physically experience the presence of God until we die. I have read that through Orthodox mysticism if one can go deep enough mystically, one can experience the presence of God here on Earth. I have never met anyone who has done this but the mystical meditative process of reaching out to God I believe would bring a person to oneness with the universe, God, and self.

Orthodox philosophers tend to lean more toward an eastern way of thinking. You have to really dig deep into the writings of the theologians to find out about eastern mysticism. I have only scratched the surface in my studies.

rturner76 said:

There is a practice in Eastern Orthodoxy of mysticism where one focuses on becoming one with God.

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What you are referring to is called theosis in the East and deification or divinization in the West.

Taodeching said:

I was thinking and wondering about centering or maybe balance. Is there such a thing as balance or finding one's center in Christianity? I know in some religions there are those things and I got to wonder if Christianity has something similar or if Christianity is different all together

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The Christian's "manual" for their spiritual belief and practice is the Bible. See 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalms 1, Psalms 119:97-105, etc. In the Bible, you will not read of "centering" or "finding balance," but you will read often of the crucified life:

Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

John 12:23-25
23 And Jesus *answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

Romans 6:6-11
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 2:20
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Colossians 3:3
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

And so on. Rather than centering yourself, the call of God upon His children is for them to die to themselves that the Person of Christ might be manifested more in them. (Romans 8:29)

Scripture says that the believer finds peace, stability, contentment, joy and so on, not in a mystical meditative practice, but in the Person of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Romans 8:14-15
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

A full experience of the life of the Spirit is obtained by submission to the will and way of the Spirit, moment-by-moment, throughout each day. Self-centering is not necessary. In fact, anything that prompts the believer to focus upon him/herself is detrimental to their walk with God. It is by being fully occupied with Him, by fixing one's attention constantly and persistently upon Him, that they become what God made them to be.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Hebrews 12:2-3
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

No man (or woman) ever became more like Jesus by staring inward upon himself (or herself). Our greatest problem is that we are congenitally and pathologically self-absorbed - potentially to our eternal destruction. This is the Great Battle every Christian fights: The battle between Self-centeredness or God-centeredness. This battle cannot ever be won by looking inward, by incessant self-consideration and evaluation, however quietly meditative, but by "looking unto Jesus" in humility and persistent submission and dependence.