Three Eternal Truths

Cliff commented on the previous post,

OK, I was right there with ya until the very last phrase... Are you saying that under the "three eternal truths" we are wounded, but under the four spiritual laws we are at fault?

For me, blogs are a place for jotting down thoughts and conversations. So I appreciate Cliff's comment and further dialogue.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we are constantly in search of a "unifying theory" for Christianity. For me, even considering myself both conservative and evangelical (although certainly on the left end of that spectrum), I still look for a unifying theory.

Even as John Eldredge describes in this second chapter of Waking the Dead, Jesus used story, even myth, to make his points, he still breaks it down into three truths.

I told some people yesterday about how Jesus would preach a sermon, say about seeds and different kinds of soil. Then after the crowd left, his leaders would pull him aside and say, "Great sermon! What did it mean?" Then Jesus would explain it. By our standards, Jesus was a horrible preacher.

So I find the Four Spiritual Laws are powerful in explaining our position and our need for Christ.

However the Three Eternal Truths make my journey clearer, such as how I can make my prayer life effective, my personal importance in expanding God's Kingdom.

Cliff immediately nailed my main discomfort with Waking the Dead. Are we at fault? Or is our position not our fault, only due to the wounds we have received? Somewhat the answer is "Yes."

We were created in the image of God. While that image is still there, it is not completely intact. It is damaged. We were born damaged. And then just to be sure we don't find God, Satan tends to wound us in our most tender spot (which can be different for different people, though there are some main themes). I think this is what Eldredge is getting at, though it isn't so completely clear to me.