This post is NOT in the spirit of my current random satirical sniping from the bleachers .AND…Given that years ago you and I engaged on the same point/topic of engagement, unto no clear end… I am not seeking to re-engage…But as I have perused to exchange in the version 2.0 exchange largely between you and Brad…I have had a thought. SO…please don’t assume where I am headed with the following question…there is no Gotcha! for which I am setting you up. I just think I may be hearing something in your words I may have missed…So…can you tell me how you see where how the message/reality of The Kingdom of God fitting into or informing your theological world-view??
To some extent…I still feel you may be on the sort of similar track that Dallas Willard was (for many years). His assertion, in different books, was essentially our faith changes our behavior – and Yes, I am aware that sounds incredibly elementary. To that end you are essentially saying the same thing.Although I would argue over what I feel is the unnecessary Jewishness of Messianic Christians – nonetheless I feel broadly and generally you are pressing for a similar functionality of expressed faith. And if people want to serve Jesus and wear yarmulkas, sing three-chord songs in a minor key and clap on 1 and 3 instead of 2 and 4,…..then rock on! I think the biggest danger of an over-appropriated Gospel of the Kingdom is the possibility of some sort of legalism. But the danger of NOT pursuing that is that we would degenerate to a place where grace is seen as frosting for our sin-cupcakes instead of a dynamic force that pushes back and over-bounds against sin!