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Originally Posted by Igzy
I agree completely that specifics are often better that generalities. But generalities do serve a purpose. I don't see the sense in banning them.
Besides, in talking about the "stew" we lose track that the LCM was very specific about certain things and they still went off-track. They would talk about "loving the Lord," and "walking in the spirit," "following the new testament ministry," "being a testimony," "being absolute," "being in the Word," "being obedient to the heavenly vision."
In all these things, they had a proprietary meaning, rather than the mainstream meaning. Specificity didn't help them a bit with avoiding error. Because in the end it doesn't matter how specific your words are if you have a warped view of them in the first place.
So if I say, "experience Christ," that's a lot better than an LCMer saying "be obedient to the heavenly vision." Because my "Christ" is more legitimate that their "heavenly vision." They are more specific, but I'm more according to the truth. Or if I'm not, someone is.
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I don't think we want to ban your generalities, but rather to accept them as provisional, as having subjective meaning that isn't necessarily transferable. The specifics of your experience are yours. I might not have the same subjective assessment of the same circumstances. That doesn't mean either of us is wrong or right. So we don't deny your experience, if you don't deny us the right to have a different response to the same experience.
And on that note I'd like to revisit your earlier question:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
"The experience of Christ" is to me just a catch-all phrase. I don't see anything wrong with it as long as when pressed you can describe each experience in a more specific way.
Let me ask a question this way. If I come home and my wife says, "How was your day?" and I say, "Great! I had some amazing experiences of Christ today!" And she says, "Really! Tell me about it!" And I go on to tell her how I had a great quiet time where I felt the Lord speaking to me about Matthew 5:16. And how I was in the line in the grocery store and I felt the Lord nudging me to "let my light shine," and I asked a lady in line if I could pay for her groceries just to show her that Jesus loved her, and felt the Lord's strong confirmation of this act, and I drove home full of joy.
Now, is it okay to start that conversation by saying "I had some amazing experiences of Christ?" Or is that bad, too? Please enlighten me, all you experience of Christ Nazis..
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Suppose you went home and told your wife, "I really felt the Father's love today", or "I felt the presence of an angel near me when this happened", or "I felt the fellowship and guidance of the Holy Spirit" in the same specific circumstance. Now, who would deny you that? But at the same time you have your subjective response and I have mine. I don't think any response should be seen as a denial of any other.
Now, to fruits: I got hailed in the hallway yesterday at work, and it was a former colleague who'd stopped by to visit. Unfortunately when I heard someone calling my name, and turned, and saw her, I couldn't remember her name. Later, the Lord rebuked me by saying, "The reason you couldn't remember her name is that you never prayed for her." God loves her: who's praying for this person? I felt very convicted. Now I worked with her for 3 years and I'm sure I had many experiences of love, joy, and grace during that time. But I never prayed for my colleague. So how much fruits did I bear during that time? I dare not say none, but I dare not say very much, either. So if I don't dare to measure my fruits I don't really hang too much weight on my experiences, either. I forget what is behind and press on.
So the idea that it isn't wise to pay much attention to our experiences as something in and of themselves, while we are yet in the way, seems fitting and valid. Everything still has to be proved, of what sort it is. And that includes me. (Please don't misunderstand me - I'm not questioning my salvation or anyone else's, just that our string of "experiences" is still playing out, so don't judge anything or anyone before its time).