Monthly Archives: January 2011
‘a cross voluntarily carried ‘
Interesting quote found in Is God a Moral Monster by Paul Copan
Theologian Vernon Ground’s wise words are insightful and widely applicable:
An individual, quite completely free from tension, anxiety, and conflict may be only a well-adjusted sinner who is dangerously maladjusted to God; and it is infinitely better to be a neurotic saint than healthy-minded sinner…Healthy-mindedness may be a spiritual hazard that keeps an individual from turning to God precisely because he has no acute sense of God…Tension, conflict, and anxiety, even to the point of mental illness, may be a cross voluntarily carried in God’s service.
A break from our regular programing
For your listening enjoyment:
Loved the homage to Spinal Tap towards the end…
OK, one more…
Seriously, the is the last (perhaps he best) one…
What type of legalist are you?
I have not had much time for writing recently, so I have primarily been posting the content of others to share with you. Following is an interesting quote from an article at Reformation Theology:
Prof. Doriani writes:
“Class-one legalists are auto-soterists; they declare what one must do in order to obtain God’s favor or salvation. The rich young ruler was a class-one legalist.
Class-two legalists declare what good deeds or spiritual disciplines one must perform to retain God’s favor and salvation.
Class-three legalists love the law so much they create new laws, laws not found in Scripture, and require submission to them. The Pharisees, who build fences around the law, were class-three legalists.
Class-four legalists avoid these gross errors, but they so accentuate obedience to the law of God that other ideas shrivel up. They reason, ‘God has redeemed us at the cost of his Son’s life. Now he demands our service in return. He has given us his Spirit and a new nature and has stated his will. With these resources, we obey his law in gratitude for our redemption. This is our duty to God.’ In an important way this is true, but class-four legalists dwell on the law of God until they forget the love of God. Worshiping, delighting in, communing with, and conforming to God are forgotten.
Class-four legalists can preach sermons in which every sentence is true, while the whole is oppressive. It is oppressive to proclaim Christ as the Lawgiver to whom we owe a vast debt, as if we must somehow repay him- – repay God! — for his gifts to us.
I Believe in Limited Atonement
HT: James White – Alpha and Omega Ministries
A bit long for some to watch on YouTube, but worth the time.
Westminster Bookstore
