I responded to Mark's 24 Dec column, perhaps rating it too low, and followed the link to this earlier column. I'm concerned. What is Galli's overall aim? I find this statement almost utterly unacceptable: "We obey God, yes, but only because in willing, joyful obedience do we find ourselves in places where he shows up in wonder and love." Is it descriptive -- this is, in fact, why people do X; or is it hortatory -- this is the right reason we should do X? I believe Galli intends the latter, and that is why my heart deflates: Obedience to God should be motivated entirely subjectively -- we obey in order that we may experience God's showing up in wonder and love. I delight in God's "showing up" with just those qualities evident, but I dare not explicitly obey him on this narrow warrant. God is to be obeyed because he is God. Period. The euphoric effects of such obedience and my desire and ability to obey are important but secondary to God's being God and therefore meriting obedience.

Yes, one can choose to obey or disobey the Prescription by Jesus Chirst for being born-again centered on a point of change (critical mass) at his death on the cross. Nicodemus obeyed and followed up all the way with better than expected results (John 3: 1-21; 19: 30-42). Mark Galli, on the other hand, writes "You can't make yourself be ... born again. This is something that happens to you, over which you have no control whatsoever". What a contradiction!

Waiting for God has always been the hardest struggle for people. Those who don't believe in God usually look at the world around them and conclude that God doesn't exist--otherwise He'd intervene, right? On the other hand, people who claim to follow God often give up waiting and try to obtain salvation on their terms e.g. "I have heard the gospel and decided to make a decision for Jesus. Now he owes me salvation." When it comes to a relationship with God, He is the Initiator at both ends--His and ours. Even the faith to respond to the gospel is a gift from God, not of ourselves! Another big struggle for Christians is to believe that everything necessary for salvation has been done in Christ without any of our help. All we can do is to respond in continual gratitude through lives lived in appreciation and imitation of the life of Christ. Anything else is a works gospel that diminishes the sacrifice and eternal intercession of Christ.

Were we commanded to feel affection (phileo), or to love (agapao)? God does not command us to feel, but to do. Love defined biblically, is not an adjective, but a verb; are you doing love? You love God, by doing what He says, and His instructions are not grievous. "He who believes obeys, and he who obeys believes."

"You can't make yourself be conceived, let alone be born again. This is something that happens to you, over which you have no control whatsoever". Don't buy into this lie. Reformed/Calvinistic monergism has crippled the mind of many, to many believers. Why would a Loving Heavenly Father who calls us to intimacy keep us at bay and in the dark? This contradicts the “Good News” message of Scripture. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you! (Jam 4:8) For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.(1 Thes 2:13) “Draw near” and “believe” are in the active voice. The active voice represents the subject as the doer of the action. You are the subject of these verses. Your response to God’s grace is what makes the difference. Jesus showed up and finished His part on the cross 2000 years ago!