Train Wreck Conversion

I am currently reading through Rosaria Butterfield's, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.  I will list key thoughts here, which I will update regularly until I am finished, and at which point I will present a brief review of the book.  I am 40% of the way through--reading during my leisure.  Thus far, for me the book is raw, real, refreshing and reminds me of why I am in minstry, both church and academic.  Unless something changes, I will likely view this as the most compelling autobiography I have read, or at least the best of the last 50 books I have read.

Thoughts:

The Christian must transcend the twin values of our culture: to acquire and to achieve, in order to live fixedly on the one enduring pursuit--glorifying God.  Ironically, however, the feelings, the experiential change in values tends to follow obedience rather than precede it, i.e. it is not until actual obedience that that the Christian accomplishes this exchange.  Cf. 1 John 2:16

Quotes:

[Added 4/15/13]

 "Indeed, adoption is not only a powerful mission, but is also a central Christian doctrine. I think about this everyday. Russell D. Moore penned a book entitled Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches. This is a book that I would buy by the case and send to every Christian pastor I know, if I could afford to do this. I especially love how he deals head-on with the accusation that adoptive parents are not “real” parents. Borrowing from J. Gresham Machen’s book, The Virgin Birth of Christ, Moore says this: “if Joseph is not “really” the father of Jesus, you and I are going to hell” (p. 67). He goes on to explain: Jesus’ identity as the Christ… is tied to his identity as the descendent of David, the legitimate heir to David’s throne. Jesus saves us as David’s son, the offspring of Abraham, the Christ. That human identity came to Jesus through adoption, Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’ roots in Abraham and David through the line of Joseph (Moore, 67)."

     Butterfield, Rosaria (2012-09-06). The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert (Kindle Locations 2642-2647). Crown & Covenant Publications. Kindle Edition.

 Note: Another way of putting it, if it wasn't for adoption we would all be going to Hell.  Why? If Christ had a biological father, He would not be the Son of God.  If he had not had an adoptive father, He would not have been paternally in the line of the Messiah.