Faith not Sympathetic Magic.
adapted from Dr. Myron Taylor's Communion Meditation “According to Your Faith” Not Magic
We must not think of the Lord's Supper in terms of magic. Sacramental symbolism can easily become literalistic magic. All of us can be guilty of having such magical ideas. The power of a sacrament is allied to the faith which the participant brings to it. There is a sense in which we get from the supper in proportion as the faith we bring to it. "According to your faith, so be it unto you." (Matt 9:29).
The Lord's Supper is not so much a magical shot of faith as it is a nourishment of our faith. We are strengthened when we participate in honoring Him in faith.
Be sure you partake in faith and not in belief in magic.
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We must not think of the Lord's Supper in terms of magic. Sacramental symbolism can easily become literalistic magic. All of us can be guilty of having such magical ideas. The power of a sacrament is allied to the faith which the participant brings to it. There is a sense in which we get from the supper in proportion as the faith we bring to it. "According to your faith, so be it unto you." (Matt 9:29).
The Lord's Supper is not so much a magical shot of faith as it is a nourishment of our faith. We are strengthened when we participate in honoring Him in faith.
Be sure you partake in faith and not in belief in magic.
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Doug's Notes:
Sympathetic Magic is a term coined by James G. Frazer, The Golden Bough (1890).
It is the idea that we can control things by our actions… similar to karma … I do good things, think good thoughts, good things will happen to me. It is a believe in a non-personal force.
We have to be spiritually disciplined to make sure our faith is true faith and does not become just sympathetic magic.
"It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists
and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him."– Hebrews 11:6 NLT
The Christian faith is personal. It a personal belief in a personal GOD.
It not superstition nor a ‘Christianized’ version of karma.
We have the privilege to approach the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16).
Peter instructs us to pray to our Living God "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
Sympathetic Magic is a term coined by James G. Frazer, The Golden Bough (1890).
It is the idea that we can control things by our actions… similar to karma … I do good things, think good thoughts, good things will happen to me. It is a believe in a non-personal force.
We have to be spiritually disciplined to make sure our faith is true faith and does not become just sympathetic magic.
"It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists
and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him."– Hebrews 11:6 NLT
The Christian faith is personal. It a personal belief in a personal GOD.
It not superstition nor a ‘Christianized’ version of karma.
We have the privilege to approach the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16).
Peter instructs us to pray to our Living God "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)