However, I couldn't help but notice that Thomas lacks a basic understanding of salvation through Christ. The tone of his writing is that he hopes to obtain eternal life by weeding out everything ungodly from his life. His strong confidence in the love and mercy of God makes for great devotional reading but he fails to give sufficient credit to what Christ has already done in providing for our salvation. He is trusting to receive mercy from God in response to his own spiritual diligence. Even the journalling sections, written rom the standpoint of Jesus, reveal an inadequate view of salvation through Christ.
Which makes me realize that, to some extent, we are all products of our times and it's not that easy to rise above the thinking of our times. In many respects, we live in an era dominated by strange priorities and ideals. I believe that many of the currently popular ways of thinking will seem highly amusing to future generations.
One example that would be funny if it wasn't so serious is as follows. Since three horses died last week in Warrnambool's May Racing Carnival, there has been great media outrage about jumps racing. In another incident, animal welfare people were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of a person who shot an arrow through the head of a kangaroo. Yet we live in a state that now allows abortions for any reason whatever up to 24 weeks and up to full-term if two doctors are willing to sign that it would be advisable. People are outraged by isolated examples of perceived cruelty to animals but not outraged by the wholesale slaughter of thousands of human babies!
Historically, not many people rise above the thinking of their times but, in Christ, we surely must.
Historically, not many people rise above the thinking of their times but, in Christ, we surely must.
