Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Gospel Pipeline--The Waltz--Texas-Two Steppers

As we consider paradigms of Christian growth and life-change in the Church, Texas Two-Steppers are folk who seem to reduce the Christian life down to a couple emphases. The most typical Texas Two Step is Confess and Recommit, or Repent and Try Harder. When we are going through our day and we fail, fall into sin, blow it, then confess it and double your efforts to avoid such a failure in the future. Obviously there is some truth to this perspective, but think of this: what is distinctively Christian about such a Two-Step? Where is Christ and the power of the Spirit in such a paradigm? How is that Two-Step any different from other religion's approaches? Other Texas Two-Steppers reduce the Christian life to Repent and Believe or Confess your sin and trust God for change. Now, in some ways, of all the "dances" we've considered, this is closest to the Biblical paradigm...yet it is still incomplete. There is no question we are called to confess our sin and to repent of our sin. There is also no question that we are to look to Christ in full faith to transform us. But there are many commands in Scripture and many encouragements to work out our salvation and to strive for holiness and put off vices and put on virtue. So, the Texas Two-Step is also an inadequate view of Christian life change. We need to learn how to WALTZ!

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