1.0Bible Lessons from Jeff Gullesonhttps://www.jeffgulleson.com/bible-studiesJeff Gullesonhttps://www.jeffgulleson.com/bible-studies/author/jgulleson/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ygepyTPyWL"><a href="https://www.jeffgulleson.com/bible-studies/the-christian-mystic/evangelical-spirituality-03/">EVANGELICAL SPIRITUALITY – 03</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.jeffgulleson.com/bible-studies/the-christian-mystic/evangelical-spirituality-03/embed/#?secret=ygepyTPyWL" width="600" height="338" title="“EVANGELICAL SPIRITUALITY – 03” — Bible Lessons from Jeff Gulleson" data-secret="ygepyTPyWL" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); </script> EVANGELICAL SPIRITUALITY – GUIDANCE – # 03   (Oct. 7, 2012) REVIEW: QUESTION:  Why can a person who experiences the new birth be defined as a “Christian Mystic?” . . . Jesus declared, “. . . no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”  . . . .  “. . . no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).   Definition of a Christian Mystic:  “A [Christian] mystic is one who experiences God in trans-rational and  non-empirical ways”  (The God of Intimacy and Action, Tony Campolo and Mary Albert Darling).   “I cannot really be a Christian without being a mystic.  A person becomes a Christian by entering into a personal, intimate, transforming relationship with Jesus Christ who is ever-present, living in us – now that’s mystical!” . . .  “Intimacy is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian mystic” (Campolo and Darling).   QUESTION: Beyond conversion, what other non-empirical experiences would reinforce the designation of Christian’s as “Mystics?”   We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (I Cor. 2:12-14). THE “CHRISTIAN MYSTIC” AND GUIDANCE   Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe # 1   There exists an inch-by-inch detailed blueprint for my life that is elusive and mysterious, but I somehow [must] discover it to know God’s will for my life (Chad Moore, Sept 23 Sermon).   QUESTION: What propositions in the above statement can you embrace?   God has a blueprint for my life.  I need to discover that blueprint to know God’s will for my life.  I can discover God’s will for my life.  Some aspects of God’s will are elusive and mysterious.   QUESTION: What propositions in the above statement would you challenge?   God does not have an “inch-by-inch detailed” blueprint for my life.  God’s will, in general, is not elusive or mysterious. It is not too difficult to discover God’s will.   QUESTION: What false propositions do you think Chad meant to challenge in the above statement?   Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe # 2   God knows everything about me and has a game plan for my life.   QUESTION: […]