"The opposite of conversion is aversion. The other side of metanoia is paranoia. Paranoia is usually understood in psychological terms. It is characterized by fear, suspicion, and flight from reality. Paranoia usually results in elaborate illusions and self-deception. In the biblical context paranoia implies more than emotional or mental imbalance. It refers to an attitude of being, a stance of the heart. Spiritual paranoia is a flight from God and our true selves. It is an attempt to escape from personal responsibility. It is the tendency to avoid the cost of discipleship and to seek an escape route from the demands of the gospel. Paranoia of the spirit is an attempt to deny the reality of Jesus in such a way that we rationalize our behavior and choose our own way.'"
"Each of us lives in the tension between metanoia and paranoia. We walk a narrow ridge between fidelity and betrayal. None of us is immune to the seduction of counterfeit discipleship. A watered-down gospel would allow us to have the best of both worlds, a life of gilded mediocrity where we carefully distribute ourselves between the flesh and spirit with a watchful eye on both. The gospel of cheap grace dilutes faith into a lukewarm mix of the Bible, nationalism, and compromise—a spirituality that bears no resemblance to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus."
"Conversion opens us to a new agenda, new priorities... from professing Jesus as Savior to confessing him as Lord. From being lead by the flesh to being led by the Spirit."
Brennan Manning, The Signature of Jesus
