Dallas Willard gave us the VIM model for change: vision, intention and means. I think the New Testament’s greatest contribution to our spirituality is in giving us vision. From Jesus we hear about what it is to live the in the Kingdom. The epistles flesh out how to live this life. The various apocalyptic visions give us our blessed and most beautiful hope for the future.
If the Old Testament gives us examples of our struggle with God and his struggle with us, if it shows us the wonder and the demands of the covenant relationship, the New Testament shows us how to live a new transformed life now that Jesus has made the covenant relationship complete. We are faced with the sermon on the mount’s lofty ideals, and the way of love demonstrated by God by giving his Son while we were yet sinners. We hear the command to love and take on the life of Love itself. We are given the promise of marriage and await with bated breath its consummation.
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