By the “obedience of faith” (cf. Rom. 1:5; 16:26) we
remain receptive to His activity; submitted to whatever God
is committed to in us; blooming where we are planted by
bearing the fruit of His character (cf. John 15:5; Gal.
5:22,23). Nothing is so contrary to our natural human
tendencies, even as Christians, as the acceptance of such
powerlessness, weakness, inability and inadequacy that
must rely on God’s action of grace in all behavior and
action. Every tenet of the fallen humanistic perspective
posits human productivity and activity as the causal
element of the betterment of mankind, so for the Christian
to accept the radical modus operandi of faithful receptivity
of divine activity in what by all appearances seems to be
inutility and uselessness 8 is diametrically different than the
way the world operates. Jesus was so right when He said,
“My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
In explaining The Presence of the Kingdom, Jacques
Ellul writes:
“Our world is entirely directed towards action. Everything is
interpreted in terms of action. People are always looking for
slogans, programmes, ways of action; action for action’s sake. Our
world is so obsessed by activity that it is in danger of losing its life.
A man who spends all his time in action, by that very fact ceases to
live.
The world only desires action, and has no desire for life at all.
...What matters is to live, and not to act. ...What we need to do is to