Some snippets from an ongoing email conversation with a friend:
I am a trinitarian through and through. Frankly, I never really understood Unitarian theology very clearly. It is something about God choosing a guy named Jesus and elevating him to semi-deity status.
To me, that is just not scriptural. John clearly states that the Word was God, was with God, was made flesh and dwelt among us. And that the Word existed before the beginning of time. Also, I don't think there is a place in Unitarian theology for the Holy Spirit. Being something of a charismatic, that just doesn't work for me.
I really don't understand the theology well. And I realize that Jesus himself did not refer to himself on equal par with the Father. But the trinity has been a joyful discovery for me. When I finally became a Christian and began to realize that God himself walked among us, it
changed things for me. I just love the incarnation thing, I guess. I love the spirit thing and the creator thing, too, come to think of it.
To model oneself on the life of Jesus is a fine thing to do, but isn't actually possible to achieve without a supernatural sanctification process going on too. To me, wanting to be a good person isn't enough to overcome our natural tendency to be assholes. I am not sure whether we are born with original sin... or are just subject to inevitable sin, but either way, it seems like there is something in our natures that draws us into separation from God. And while we can do things to try and mitigate that, I think that without God's help, we are incapable of true 'goodness'.
Whether one believes in a supernatural sanctification process is almost beside the point. A life lived in Christ is a life lived in Christ. It is the result of Christ's action in the world even if you don't necessarily recognize it as such.
I believe that where goodness exists, it is necessarily an action of Christ, whether it is recognized or not.
How about you, dear readers.... any thoughts on the trinity? Post them in the comments!
2 comments:
Guess who came to Friends meeting yesterday for the first time ever.
A woman from the UU church up the road! We had a nice chat about the Racovian catechism.
There must be something in the air :-)
"To model oneself on the life of Jesus is a fine thing to do, but isn't actually possible to achieve without a supernatural sanctification process going on too."
amen- And ou hit my favorite verse too-- John 1.
Without Christ, we could not approach God-- God cannot stand our sin without propitiation of our sin. We need the Holy Spirit to intercede for us "in our weakness" with groans that words cannot express.
God is too perfect for us to come near. Thankfully He provides the means - through Christ and the Spirit- that allows us that privilege. Without the trinity in its totality we wouldn't have a prayer.
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