The Confrontational Language of the Cross (Mini-Post)
“In our attempt to win the world by impressing the world, we have abandoned the confrontational language of the cross for the wooing language of power, might, success, and winning. The true power of our faith is power that the world calls weakness, and the victory of our faith is victory that the world calls failure. The Christ we profess to follow was made “perfect through suffering.” [Heb. 2:10] We prefer to be made perfect through success. But grace will not do for us what it did not do for Christ—exempt us from suffering.”
— Ron Dunn, When Heaven Is Silent1
Question: Do you prefer to be made perfect through success … or suffering?
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Tweetables
- What’s missing from our vocabulary in the Church? The confrontational language of the cross.
- “In our attempt to win the world by impressing the world, we’ve abandoned the confrontational language of the cross for the wooing language of power, might, success, and winning.” — Ron Dunn
- “The Christ we profess to follow was made ‘perfect through suffering.’ [Heb. 2:10] We prefer to be made perfect through success. But grace will not do for us what it did not do for Christ—exempt us from suffering.” — Ron Dunn
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RELATED POSTS:
- The Resurrected Life
- The Fellowship of the Cross: The Deepest Secret of Pentecost
- Finding Contentment and Thanksgiving in Suffering, Part 1
- Finding Contentment and Thanksgiving in Suffering, Part 2
- Seesaw Control: How Perspective Draws Victory from Defeat
(Resting in God’s Sovereign Rule, Part 4)
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- Ronald Dunn, When Heaven Is Silent (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 36
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