“We evangelicals are less interested in appealing not to everyone’s God-shaped vacuum but to our yearning for self-improvement. Their reason for existence is not to glorify God and enjoy him forever, but to fix the self. There’s lots of talk about being “transformed by God,” but there is a lot more interest in transformation than in God. The psychology of the appeal often works like this: “You don’t like the way you are? Come to God; he’s pretty good at making you into the person you always wanted to be.” God as personal coach.”
This [extract] article originally appeared in the ["Choosing Grace" Jan./Feb. 2012 Vol. 21 No. 1 Page number(s): 46-49] edition of Modern Reformation and is reprinted with permission. For more information about Modern Reformation, visit www.modernreformation.org or call (800) 890-7556. All rights reserved.
As sinner we should be thankful to the Lord that He doesn’t make us into the person we always wanted to be!
amen
Wow. I need to read more of this. Such truth that I am so guilty of. The person I want to be should be a reflection of Christ but I am consumed w/ “fixing myself” so I can be that. Oh the irony.
Maybe the person we always wanted to be isn’t the person we are supposed to be. I’ve learnt this…the hard way!
Deborah – i think what Keith is saying is that if you or I are given the choice to be who we want – we will ultimately and always choose our own way with our own selfish ends…….sure, we might have a ‘bit” of God thrown in but really, we need and depend on his grace to guide us and lead us – through the spirit – otherwise we end up missing Him and chasing something else…..
So, id say the person you and i always wanted to be is never the person we are supposed to be………
make sense?
Yup! Thanks