Only By the Ways Taught in the Gospel OBCSC Deeper Life Campfire 7.29.2024 BtP

IT WAS NOT UNTIL A FEW DAYS after the death of Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) that a helper in his Paris home discovered in the

lining of the deceased’s doublet a folded parchment that included the following words:

FIRE!

God of Abraham,

God of Isaac,

God of Jacob,

not of the philosophers and scholars.

Certitude.

Certitude.

Feeling.

Joy.

Peace.

God of Jesus Christ.

Deum meum et Deum vestrum.

Thy faithfulness of the world and of everything, except God.

He is to be found

only by the ways taught in the Gospel.

Pascal’s Memorial, as this is called teaches us at least two lessons.

The importance of Spiritual Experience.

The importance of Scripture.

Many of us found Jesus right here. Many of us have deepened our relationship with Him, right here. Many of us committed to a life of ministry right here.

Spiritual experience is important. It is a good thing. But it’s not everything.

By definition every experience ends…when you stop having it. Hopefully the experience is an introduction to a full life of obedient service. A life of Discipleship.

Matthew 17:1–5 (ESV)

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

When we become too dependent on experience when we try to make permanent what is transitory we end up like Peter suggesting a building project on the Mount of Transfiguration. It kind of misses the point.

What Pascal was getting at is that the nature of the journey will determine what you find and what kind of experience you have. His conclusion is very simple. Our personal, individual experience is good and productive when we find Jesus in Scripture, in the Gospel , for it is there that what He said and did are revealed—it is in the Gospel that we find Christ.

Discipleship is not about having more experiences. Discipleship is about following closely, listening diligently, and submitting unconditionally to Jesus.

John 17:1–3 ESV

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

The best life you can have is knowing Jesus. We know Jesus only by what is taught in the Gospel.