Well here are yet more of my thoughts on sanctification before I actually do a detailed study on it. Perhaps that's not wise, but the following thoughts are crossing my mind nevertheless. I will write them down.
I've been scanning articles and postings on the net about sanctification trying to get a 'feel' for what is publicly being said on the subject. The overall focus I found did not surprise me, but it made me both sad and angry at the same time. It seems that the Church is thoroughly self absorbed, even when contemplating something as 'selfless' as sanctification. I would guess it is especially when we are contemplating sanctification.
The biggest theme I found about sanctification, on line, was "assurance of salvation". No talk of service. No talk of battle. No talk of giving Jesus Christ His due as Commander in Chief as His saints conquer kingdoms of men and demons to the glory of the King.
Online preachers and books are trying to "sell" sanctification by inspiring readers with fear. Don't get me wrong, there definitely is a place for assurance of salvation, but that seems to be ALL the saints are thinking about when it comes to sanctification. Are we so untrusting of the blood of Christ that all we can think of about sanctification is that we really, really, need an assurance of our own salvation? It seems to me that the more we self-obsess on this the more we lose sight of what it is we are to be sanctified for.
Assurance is simply a natural byproduct of our sanctification, and not its main purpose at all..
I'll have to say that our motivation and desire for sanctification should be based on a desire to serve God with more power and conviction then we currently have. Our desire for sanctification should be based on an outward motivation. One that centers on God and others, rather than on ourselves.
What pleases God is our engaging His enemies in battle. Whether that battle is in our home, or whether it is in our community, or even if it is in our own Churches. When I say "battle", I mean confrontations of all kinds, not just against human enemies of the Gospel, but any situation at all that has been caused by the fall. Any sort of corruption, be it hunger, disease, homelessness, and the like. We can only do that righteously and in a way that is pleasing to God if we are sanctified. The more we desire to influence other spheres of life for Christ and His Kingdom, other than our own self-centered sphere, the more we should desire our own sanctification. This is the opposite of being self-centered. To me, this is a much more powerful motivation and attraction to sanctification. To "get out of me", and, "into the work of Christ", for His glory, and for the sake of others. We need to trust more the blood of Christ for our salvation and leave that to Him, as we are then free to look all around us at all the destruction and at all the Goliaths that God calls sanctified saints to rush out to conquer.
Until my thoughts continue on this, I'll stop right there.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thoughts on Sanctification
Again, this is not a Bible study or theological thesis, but some short thoughts I've been having on sanctification. Perhaps as time permits I will turn the following thoughts into a more in-depth study with Scripture reference.
I've gotten the impression over the years as a Christian that sanctification was simply our efforts to try to be "cleaner" before a Holy God. But lately I'm thinking it is so much more; of course. My main thought of late is that sanctification is to strenghthen our spirits so that we may have the fortitude and courage to come up against evil. And not just a resisting of "temptation" in our personal lives, but again, it is so much more than that.
Sanctification, it seems to me, is God's way of strengthening His saints for battle. We are to be growing in sanctification so that we become a growing threat to evil forces in every sphere of life. We are to be strong in sanctification so that we are able, offensive, and courageous soldiers who attack the gates of God's enemies on every front...not so that we can just passively sit behind our walls ready to give our lives after the enemy breaks down the door.
So that's it. More when it comes to mind.
I've gotten the impression over the years as a Christian that sanctification was simply our efforts to try to be "cleaner" before a Holy God. But lately I'm thinking it is so much more; of course. My main thought of late is that sanctification is to strenghthen our spirits so that we may have the fortitude and courage to come up against evil. And not just a resisting of "temptation" in our personal lives, but again, it is so much more than that.
Sanctification, it seems to me, is God's way of strengthening His saints for battle. We are to be growing in sanctification so that we become a growing threat to evil forces in every sphere of life. We are to be strong in sanctification so that we are able, offensive, and courageous soldiers who attack the gates of God's enemies on every front...not so that we can just passively sit behind our walls ready to give our lives after the enemy breaks down the door.
So that's it. More when it comes to mind.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
On Being Self Reliant: Part 1
We Have Systematically Become Dependent Slaves.
But, as is historically the course of the Church, whether Old Testament Church or New, upon growing apathy to God's standard, slavery always follows. Well we've been there, we're there, and we're going to stay there until the Church repents and wakes up to the Biblical principles of self reliance as sampled in the above verses. What follows following God's law, is self reliance and freedom. It's just that simple.
The problem is, the Church won't repent. Not yet. How can we, when we can't even admit to ourselves or to each other just how utterly and sinfully dependent we are to unregenerate men and their systems? Some may, well, except for the sin part. Because if they do see their own dependence and the Church's dependence to Satan's wicked systems, they still don't see their dependent allegiance, as sin and rebellion. They simply excuse this as the providence of God and think they are honoring God as they honor sinful men and systems claiming to be "submitting to authority". In so doing, they only demonstrate who their God really is. The only way to overcome this is to repent of idolatry and honor God by honoring his Law of self-governance. I'll be explaining this in my sub-sequent posts on this subject.
To Rely _ re·ly -To be dependent for support, help, or supply.I am not posting this to claim that I am now some sort of an autonomous humanist.
Self Reliant _ self-re·liant adj. -Being able to rely on one's own capabilities, judgment, or resources; independence. -free from external control and constraint.
Don't freeeak out you theologians! This is not a Bible study. I'm just pointing out that self reliance is not foreign to Scripture.Psalm 18:34 -"He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze."
Luke 22:36, Jesus paraphrased: -"Take money, take a bag, and ...whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 -Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
1 Timothy 5:8 -"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
1 Corinthians 6:3 -Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?"
But, as is historically the course of the Church, whether Old Testament Church or New, upon growing apathy to God's standard, slavery always follows. Well we've been there, we're there, and we're going to stay there until the Church repents and wakes up to the Biblical principles of self reliance as sampled in the above verses. What follows following God's law, is self reliance and freedom. It's just that simple.
The problem is, the Church won't repent. Not yet. How can we, when we can't even admit to ourselves or to each other just how utterly and sinfully dependent we are to unregenerate men and their systems? Some may, well, except for the sin part. Because if they do see their own dependence and the Church's dependence to Satan's wicked systems, they still don't see their dependent allegiance, as sin and rebellion. They simply excuse this as the providence of God and think they are honoring God as they honor sinful men and systems claiming to be "submitting to authority". In so doing, they only demonstrate who their God really is. The only way to overcome this is to repent of idolatry and honor God by honoring his Law of self-governance. I'll be explaining this in my sub-sequent posts on this subject.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Presuppositionalism: A Short Definition
Presuppositional Apologetics
- Convictions about which all other experiences organize, interpret, and apply.
- Assumes all of our experiences, science, and morality, to be based on our world view.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Imprecatory Prayer Time
Imprecatory prayers are those that contain petition to the Lord for curses or prayers for the punishment of the Lord's enemies. To imprecate means to invoke evil upon, or curse. Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109, 137 and 139 all contain prayers for God's judgment on the psalmist's enemies. Example imprecatory statements from the Psalms. So it's about time we had a national imprecatory prayer proclamation.
Too bad nobody is going to hear about this... ie; most church's won't give this the time of day. (The proclamation is below) However, if Christians can't even hold state government accountable to God in this way, by prayer, then we will never get beyond our complaining until it is illegal to complain...and, it almost is. (Full-size video)
The video pretty much has nothing to do with the imprecatory prayer proclamation, except for the fact that the guy in the video is the one who recently wrote and published this proclamation. I found that out as I was trying to figure out who this guy is. Had I not done that, well then, I too never would have heard about this imprecatory prayer proclamation. For shame. We, as a Church, will get what we deserve from the hand of God.
Too bad nobody is going to hear about this... ie; most church's won't give this the time of day. (The proclamation is below) However, if Christians can't even hold state government accountable to God in this way, by prayer, then we will never get beyond our complaining until it is illegal to complain...and, it almost is. (Full-size video)
The video pretty much has nothing to do with the imprecatory prayer proclamation, except for the fact that the guy in the video is the one who recently wrote and published this proclamation. I found that out as I was trying to figure out who this guy is. Had I not done that, well then, I too never would have heard about this imprecatory prayer proclamation. For shame. We, as a Church, will get what we deserve from the hand of God.
The Proclamation
As Barak Obama takes office we are reprising an initiative we launched in 1994 with President Clinton. It is called an Imprecatory Prayer Proclamation. It was used extensively by the early church Fathers notably St. Augustine and later John Knox in the 16th Century.
Whereas: The providential history of mankind is covenantal in nature, comprised of Divine blessings for obedience to the Law-Word of God, and negative sanctions for transgression of the same, and under consideration of the historic precedent of public covenantal proclamations regarding the unlawful actions of civil magistrates established by John Knox in 16th century Scotland, the combined members and associates of SGI have during the month of January 2009, conducted concerted and public prayer for the President of the United States, Barak Obama, along covenantal lines, having the Davidic imprecatory Psalms as our form and pattern.
This proclamation serves as a synopsis of our activity.
Resolved: To the end that the President of the United States, Barak Obama, fulfills his duties as the covenantal head of this nation along Biblical lines; we as Christ’s ambassadors pray and proclaim blessing. That is, if the President executes his duties in a fashion that would not be tyranny to good works and would uphold the abiding validity of God’s moral law as delineated in the Ten Commandments along with the justice-mercy ethic derived from the New Testament, we do declare that blessing, honor, and good success would be upon him, his associates and policies.
Resolved: In that the President of the United States Barak Obama has thus far sought the codification of behavior condemned in the infallible Law-Word of God, specifically homosexual “marriage” and tax-funded state-sanctioned murder in the form of abortion, we as Christ’s ambassadors proclaim negative sanctions. That is: if the President continues to hold in disdain the Law-Word of God by ratifying evil and by such ratification holds our lives as citizens of the republic in bondage to the same idolatry, we as Christ’s ambassadors do pray that Barak Obama would now repent and cease from his cruel persecution of innocent pre-born babies and his tyrannical oppression of God’s people who would not be part of his pro-homosexual agenda. If the President ceases not from his malicious cruelty, we then earnestly pray that his days in office would be few and another man take his office, and that the name of Barak Obama would remain a reproach to all succeeding generations of Americans.
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