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Are you ready for this one?
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It’ll take all of about 2 minutes to hear it. But the hard part (for many) will be realizing that it is true.Â
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audio clipÂ
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Thank you, Pastor Mark.
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And thanks to flickr and Mary Jo, for the photo.
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Filed under: Free will, Pastor Mark Anderson, The single biggest troublemaker in churches |
The Old Adam Lives! 
Steve hi OK – 2 minutes on the bondage of the sinner’s will. But didn’t the Reformation pin down the nature of justification for us 500 years ago? ‘Yes but’ – you say – ‘we never really believe it’ Well many of us do believe we were converted solely by the grace of God; I know you do too But what many then misunderstand is what it means to say that we are ‘free’ AFTER conversion. Yes, we are then free – but from the condemnation of the law (which at the end of the day is all that matters). But we are not free from the power of sin to tempt us and thereby from the power of the law to put us back into a heavy sense of bondage (Galatians). We resist that sense only by the grace-given realisation of Romans 8:1.
Without continuing post-conversion grace to hold onto this, we have no ability, no freedom in us, to DO anything. Calvin’s third use of the law suggests he might have believed in post-conversion freedom to DO (somerestored moral autonomy), but Luther’s use of ‘the ass’ analogy shows he clearly didn’t. In other words, I think we say all the right things about justification – and then undermine its implications by saying the wrong things about the Christian life and its freedoms. No wonder it is so easy for us to lose assurance and the joy of our salvation What say you? best wishes Richard
>________________________________ > From: The Old Adam Lives! >To: rflooke@yahoo.co.uk >Sent: Tuesday, 14 May 2013, 16:11 >Subject: [New post] The single biggest troublemaker in churches > > > > WordPress.com >theoldadam posted: “__ Are you ready for this one? _ It’ll take all of about 2 minutes to hear it. But the hard part will be realizing that it is true. _ audio clip _ ___________________________________________ _ Thank you, Pastor Mark.” >
Thanks, Richard.
We believe that we are free from the condemnation of the law (not it’s accusations or earthly effects upon us). Hence we are also free from the religious self-ascendancy project.
Walking away from that freedom and back into the bondage of sin and self is what we do.
So we need to live a life of constant repentance and forgiveness. And return to the places where God has acted for us (tangibly)…Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. As well as to hear the Word.
Long day. I’m bushed. I appreciate you input, my friend.
– Steve
I like it! He says it very well!