“True Christ-followers, though, face up to and embrace the challenges, realizing that in the struggle comes the growth. There is no denial and there is no abandonment. They realize that walking through the challenges shape us into looking more like Christ. It’s called sanctification.”

This is such a good statement of truth. When you wrote “there is no abandonment”, I’m sure you meant that true Christ followers don’t abandon the challenge, but rather walk through it, correct? But at first reading, that jumped out at me for an entirely different purpose. That IN the challenge, many have forgotten that there is NO abandonment! That Christ has never and will never abandon them!

“It’s not about religion, it’s about relationship” still don’t get it. We say the words, yet remain cloistered in our system of behavioral modifications, falling apart when the system doesn’t seem to be working.”

ooohhhh, system of behavioral modifications….ouch ouch ouch. Perhaps so many have forgotten about that sweet grace they once so treasured? I myself have only recently been re-awakened to Sweet Grace and laid aside the “system of behavioral modifications”

“we are held and upheld in the arms of a loving God who works all things for good because, we who are His, love Him and are called according to His purpose.”

YES, YES and a thousand times YES!!

-cs
http://chrisschellenberg.com/