Dead

From this morning's class, used in The Good and Beautiful series.

Colossians 3:3  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 

I often find it arresting and brought up short to be reminded that Christianity is not, at its center, some sort of self-improvement project of gradually coming into our best selves. Michael Card pulls the quote from some recording of his grandfather decades ago (and  grandad does it beautifully) and the old preacher puts huge emphasis on the word dies from the scriptures. The idea is repeated throughout the New Testament, but other than the moment-of-conversion and baptism emphasis of some Christian groups, it is too easily forgotten.

Jesus didn't come to make bad people good.  He came to make dead people alive.

And the George MacDonald quote "We die daily.  Happy are those who come to life as well."