Active Passivity and Growth
As I continue my study of 1 Corinthians 3 and how God brings growth and how we build the church from the foundation of Christ, I am struck by the tension of our labor and God's gift of growth. Francis Schaeffer called the work we do "active passivity." We press on, believing the promise of God to give growth. This is the way for the individual and for the church as a body. One college professor summarizes Schaeffer's perspective given in his book True Spirituality: "If we are to bring forth fruit in the Christian life, or rather, if Christ is to bring forth this fruit through us by the agency of the Holy Spirit, there must be a constant act of faith, of thinking: “Upon the basis of Your promises I am looking for You to fulfill them, Lord Jesus – bring forth Your fruit through me into this poor world to Your praise” (note carefully that it is the presence of God in your life that is making your actions efficacious and fruitful – you are called to obey believing,