I THINK I'm with you right up to the paragraph beginning "So then, ..."
Since faith is what brings us into kinship with the 2nd Adam the question naturally arises as to how we can one be assured that ones faith truly puts us in the family.Formally, I'll dispute the "naturally". (That's almost a joke, okay?)
What I mean is the question of "assurance" or even of "getting into heaven" or of "avoiding going to hell" has NOT been on my mind for, lo, these many decades. And, especially, I don't go to confession or rattle my bedes or pray before the Tabernacle or engage in all the other bizarre cultic calflick practices to "get into heaven" but because I'm in love. Excuse the sappiness, but I don't know how else to say it.
as with most works-righteousness Christians
You've done a survey? ;-)
But overall I agree. As long a one thinks one's relationship with Christ depends on one's deeds and experiences, one runs the risk of the kind of restless unease which in the past has prompted Rusty to pull up his stakes and sojourn in yet another congregation. ("That last act of charity was not really pure enough, that last ecstasy was not enough of a transport ...) Good Lord, deliver us from such assessments!
Now I get the impression that you'd think that Rusty was in the wrong place now, while I'd think he was in the right place, but for the wrong reason. What you and I can do together is hold Rusty up to the Lord and ask for healing and balm for his writhing and unquiet soul. And then let the chips fall where they may.
My own experience is that I do everything badly and for the wrong reason and I rarely have any kind of "experience" -- and as for tongues, maybe a little English -- Southern, Yankee, and England English? I'm working on Valley-speak, but it's SEW, like, y'know, banal, omyGAWD!
Um, uh, seriously, What can I say? A long time ago in another life I heard someone say,"The Lord has put away all your sins," and I realized those words were spoken to ME and about MY sins, and my life has been different for the subsequent 36 years. And "through many dangers, toils, and snares," ... well, here I am.
“Now I get the impression that you’d think that Rusty was in the wrong place now, while I’d think he was in the right place, but for the wrong reason.”
The wrong reason is certainly correct but can we blame Rusty since the experience of time travel associated with the re-presentation is so highly acclaimed in that place. No, I don’t believe we can blame Rusty but the place is certainly accountable for feeding Rusty’s seemingly insatiable need for adequate experience.
So yes, the place is important. If the place has a misconception of revelation and uses experience as the ground of faith then the communicant will have a difficult time resting upon Christ, although not impossible,