Intentions vs Actions

My friend, Blair Warren, is stirring the pot up again. And he's making a very intriguing point with all kinds of implications. Check it out here.

Here are some of the fascinating implications that come to mind for me in reference to Christianity, if Blair's point here is true.

- We get to heaven by what Christ did for us. But we are rewarded in heaven for what we do. Not for our intentions, but for our actions. Like in the parable that Jesus tells of the two sons whose father told them to do something. One said yes and didn't do it. One said no but then did it. Which one was obedient? The one who didn't intend to do it but did.

- If that's the case, then our intentions are meaningless (which may be (or not) what Blair asserts).

- So, what did Jesus die for? The Bible says that at least one reason He died was to cleanse our conscience. But it never says we are rewarded for having a clean conscience. It says having a clean conscience (via Christ's sacrifice) allows us to be in open relationship with God. But then we are further rewarded for our actions. The pure conscience (good intentions) is good (did the Pharisees have good intentions?), but the actions are what define us as people, as Christians. They shall not know us by our clean consciences or by our good intentions. They shall know us by our love.

I'm not sure what the full implications are of thus for my worldview and theology, but I think it's worth chewing on.

After all, I want to be a Berean (I want to study to find out whether any thing I hear is true. I don't want to accept it based on anyone's intentions.).

- John