I might say here that I do not know why we were created, and that would be a misrepresentation of the doctrine of Christ presented to us in the bible. I am not a theologian, but I am a fan of one great such, the great N.T. Wright. His telos or goal for the truly human being is new creation. When you become a christian, a whole new world opens up to you. You find that you desire new things, "the old has gone the new has come" says the scriptures. We like to call it being born again. The goal of human existence is new creation, not any creation but a creation of the renewed human being reflecting the truly human character, that reflects the glory of God back to creation. Sounds confusing? Read on.
Some of us have made personal goals in our own minds, which should stay there for now. But keep in mind that you had to create a conscious thought to formulate that goal. Whether you were aware of it or not we are all thinking beings, we have the capacity to to accept one thought or the freedom to reject a thought. I am not talking about mind sets, they change as quickly as I change my shirt every morning. I'm talking about the goal, life after life after death. This is the telos. We were created for Heaven, and if you die a believer in Jesus Christ this is your home. But we loose sight of the goal if we think that the telos is simple a disembodied state of existence, after we die. Forgive my morbidity for just one moment.
We all have a spirit, and Christ said we must be born again, but born again into what? The kingdom of God is the answer, and the goal or telos is new creation, or another way to say it is resurrection. Yes resurrection life, but the telos is resurrection from the dead. And how do we get there? Yes you must repent, yes you must turn from your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but after you believe the telos can be defined as new creation and virtue or character is the means to that goal.
When you think about what you are going to wear to work tomorrow morning, we have to think or put on christian virtue, keeping the telos in sight. I am not a self promoter, but a fan. Here are some links to one of the greatest authors on christian character, I believe. I could write my opinion, but this subject is best explained here.
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_4?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=nt+wright&sprefix=nt+w%2Cstripbooks%2C195
Some of us have made personal goals in our own minds, which should stay there for now. But keep in mind that you had to create a conscious thought to formulate that goal. Whether you were aware of it or not we are all thinking beings, we have the capacity to to accept one thought or the freedom to reject a thought. I am not talking about mind sets, they change as quickly as I change my shirt every morning. I'm talking about the goal, life after life after death. This is the telos. We were created for Heaven, and if you die a believer in Jesus Christ this is your home. But we loose sight of the goal if we think that the telos is simple a disembodied state of existence, after we die. Forgive my morbidity for just one moment.
We all have a spirit, and Christ said we must be born again, but born again into what? The kingdom of God is the answer, and the goal or telos is new creation, or another way to say it is resurrection. Yes resurrection life, but the telos is resurrection from the dead. And how do we get there? Yes you must repent, yes you must turn from your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but after you believe the telos can be defined as new creation and virtue or character is the means to that goal.
When you think about what you are going to wear to work tomorrow morning, we have to think or put on christian virtue, keeping the telos in sight. I am not a self promoter, but a fan. Here are some links to one of the greatest authors on christian character, I believe. I could write my opinion, but this subject is best explained here.
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_4?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=nt+wright&sprefix=nt+w%2Cstripbooks%2C195
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