Not I, but Christ: A Practical Theology of the Abiding Life
by Believing Thomas

Book description:

“With pastoral warmth and theological clarity, this book addresses the questions believers actually carry: How do I fight sin without returning to self-effort? How does assurance relate to holiness? What does it mean to live under grace without drifting into passivity? How do fear, suffering, accusation, confession, renewal, and the shared life of the church fit into abiding in Christ. Written for weary believers, pastors, ministry leaders, and those who care for souls, Not I, but Christ does not offer another method for managing the Christian life. It recovers the center. Christ is the source. The self is not the supply. The verdict is settled in Christ, obedience is fruit rather than payment, and the one who gives life is also the one who keeps his people to the end.”

Here is an excerpt from chapter 4:

Pastoral distortions: the three errors abiding corrects

Abiding is commonly distorted in three ways: legalism, passivity, and self-reliance.

Legalism hears “abide” as “stay good enough.” Abiding becomes the condition for Christ to remain near, and the gospel begins to feel like a probationary arrangement in which nearness must be maintained by performance. John 14 corrects legalism by promising indwelling. John 15 corrects it by defining fruit as the product of connection, not the cause of connection. Philippians 2 corrects it by grounding obedience in God’s working. 

Passivity hears “apart from me you can do nothing” and concludes, “Then maybe I should just stop trying and wait for God to do something.” Inability to self-supply gets mistaken for permission to neglect obedience. John 15 corrects passivity by insisting that abiding bears fruit and that fruit glorifies the Father. Philippians 2 corrects it by commanding “work out” while grounding that command in divine working. 

Self-reliance can use abiding language while remaining self-supplied. Abiding becomes a technique for outcomes: “If I do the right things in the right way, growth will happen.” John 15 corrects self-reliance by declaring that the branch cannot bear fruit “by itself” and that “apart from me you can do nothing.” The emphasis is source, not method. John 14 corrects self-reliance by locating abiding within the Spirit’s indwelling presence. Philippians 2 corrects it by teaching that both willing and working are God’s work within the believer. Practices are not engines. They are means of dependence. Christ has not called his people to create life, but to remain in the life he gives. 

This volume is highly recommended to edify believers and help equip disciplers.

“Believing Thomas” has a M.A. in Discipleship Counseling from Luther Rice Seminary and is a certified Chaplain and Exchanged Life Counselor with Grace Fellowship International.

The Kindle ebook is available at https://a.co/d/0aBSljMf

JBW