Scratching My Noodle

I'm reading a book for class by Bishop N.T. Wright called "After You Believe." I'm into chapter two, and some things from chapter one are still swishing around in my brain. Wright makes a point about people in Western cultures being stuck between two extremes. On the one hand there are those who want to know what the rules are so they can follow them and get their heavenly reward. On the other hand there are those who only want to follow their own heart, and trust that God is in their hearts guiding their actions. Both directions are incorrect, and both Paul and James speak directly to these points in the New Testament. The better way to think of it is like a long distance runner. Have you ever watched the long distance runners in the Olympics? They have to have tremendous mental strength. When Christians talk about that kind of toughness we don't call it strength. We call it character. It's that kind of character which enables a paramedic to use exactly the right treatment when the heat is on. Character is what gets the marine through tough combat situations when bullets are flying past their heads. On the cross it was the strength of Jesus' character and His love for the Father which got Him through the crucifixion. The point of character is to show our love for God through our character in life. When Abraham had this belief God accounted it to him as righteousness. I would like to be righteous. How about you?