One of our major problems as Christians is that we attempt to
spiritualise the flesh instead of killing it.
Almost every character defect we had before we were saved can be
safely brought into the Church if we just give it the right
name. We are taught, after all, to be tolerant.
Just as a weed is simply a plant in the wrong place, every
virtue can become a vice, and most vices are simply virtues
misapplied.
For those who are unfamiliar with the language, the 'Old Man'
in the examples below is simply the Christian jargon I grew up
with - it refers to the person we were before coming to Christ.
Details
Selfish
If the Old Man was self centred, the tendency is to develop a
self centred spirituality where you judge everything against how
it will help you to grow as a Christian. The Church
is good or bad depending on how it helps me
grow. I will take part in activities only if I see
how they will enable me to grow.
Of course, there is nothing wrong in wanting to grow as a
Christian, but if my growth is more important than loving and
serving Jesus and the people around me, there is something
dreadfully wrong.
Obstinate
If the Old Man was obstinate, then little needs to change. Most
Christians quickly learn the irregular verbs of Christian jargon:
I am consistent;
You are obstinate;
He or she is bloody-minded (not that we ever say it to their
face, of course).
Critical
If the Old Man was critical and always picking holes in
things, the Christian can continue unchanged as long as a
little self discipline is used and he isn't too
critical of our
Church, our Minister, or our way of doing things.
After all, we know that Christians who do things differently
to us are a bit unspiritual, don't we?
Hedonist
If the Old Man was a hedonist, the Christian tends to major on
Christian or spiritual experience, and services are judged
according to whether 'I really felt the Lord was present'.
Perfectionist
If the Old Man was a perfectionist, nothing really needs to
change at all. Perfectionism carries across to spiritual matters
so easily it could have been designed for them!
It doesn't help that the word 'perfect' meant something
quite different when the good old King James was written.
Legalist
If the Old Man was a legalist, the Christian is highly
disciplined, and applies the same 'high standards' to everyone
around. After all, 'only the best is good enough for
Our Lord'.