Righteousness

Our last sermon GOSPEL WITH A FACE was the last in this series.  The series intended to put a face on contemporary Christianity which is purported to be "watered down" and perhaps therefore, ineffective in keeping one "out of the weeds" and on a path of Bible-centered spiritual renewal.  "Our Enslaved Free Will" explored the "law of my mind" working against the human nature of flesh and heart in relation to God's Sovereignty.  Historically, the concept of "free will" evolved from the Greek "Thelema" (longings or feeling for what I want), early theologies translating to  "Autoexousia" (you can choose but you are responsible for it) and then transitioning to Latin "liberatum arbitrium" (free will, a Stoic notion).  Augustine then saw this as really not being free but addicted (Hence, his Confessions) or "liberatum arbitrium captivatum" or "Captive Free Will" requiring post provident grace which seems to be the same idea the Apostle Paul was saying.
Take a breath here.  Now we launch into the WANT-TO CALCULATOR (a form of deceit) which is controlled by the CHOOSER BOX, which is totally free.  The WTC is pictured as a heart balanced on the scale of justice and features a key-hole which is last week's sermon, The HOLY IMPOSITION  where God shoves his Spirit into the key hole, an act of Godly love.  Therefore, our WTC's are not free but harnessed to our human nature, our ENSLAVED FREE WILL.  The point is: current theology tends to waterdown christianity and treat it as a spectator sport or "practice" satisfying the heart while placing the Holy Spirit in a vase on the wall.  Like Job, we must repent of our "righteousness" in order to be restored, an important point to consider as we decide next week what to do under our economic circumstances as a church.