William Still!

There's so much good stuff to read-books and sermons and articles keep filling our shelves and ipods. But it's good to make sure not to miss brilliant material from the past.  One author/preacher  you may not have heard of is William Still who was the minister of Gilcomston South Church of Scotland in Aberdeen from 1945 till 1997!!

I've just been reading a series of talks he gave in 1977 under the title The Christian in the home, church and the world. It's vintage Still and very original.

He takes Watchman Nee to task for some of the teaching given in the book Love not the world. In which Nee teaches that because the whole of human culture results form the fall, the Christian is obliged to live in separation form it. Still comments

Consequently, the Christian may view his work as a mission field, or a s a means of making money for Christian work, but not value it for it's own sake or seek to exert a redeeming influence over secular culture (my emphasis).

Still goes on to say

But God looked on His creation and saw that it was very good, and although the Fall has marred God's work, His purpose-which has been achieved in Christ-is not to destroy but to restore. Full restoration comes only at the end of the present age, but in the meantime the Christian may not contract out. His duty is to bring all of creation and culture into confiormity with God's will, believeing that, 'everything created by God is good...if it is received with thanksgiving (1 Tim 1.4). All things were created for Christ; were reconciled through him and in all things he has the pre-eminence (Col 1.15-20). In the present time Christ expresses his Lordship and redemption of creation as His people serve Him in the world by the power of His Spirit.'

This is what we passionately believe at Grace. This is the gospel lived in all of life.