A response to the last comment on Tozer's passage:
I absolutely agree that by grace alone we are able to go to heaven. We have salvation by no work of our own. Thank goodness it isn’t on us! I think Tozer would have agreed if he was here with us today. But this doesn’t make what he wrote any less true. “In the Bible the offer of pardon on the part of God is conditioned upon intention to reform on the part of man.” He writes this and the key word here is INTENTION. He is not saying we have to live perfectly, we can no longer sin, but we do need to expereince repentence. In the Bible the people who encountered Christ were told to “go and sin no more.” Most of their lives were utterly and magnificently transformed: paul, moses, peter, david and sampson to name a few. Did they still sin? Absolutely…but they reformed, they were changed.
Tozer was merely defuting a trend in Christian culture that has only inflated since his time; a belief that we do not need to live by the Lord’s standards because we are covered by the blood. In this, we are lessoning the grace of the Lord…true grace causes a desire to change in the heart of the person experiencing the Lord’s compassion.
Before one accepts Christ, one must understand his need for Christ. To understand that, it is necessary to see the shortcomings and desire a change of heart, soul, spirit and yes, even action. Then, and only then can one understand grace. In Matthew and in John, Jesus says, “if you love me, you will obey me.” James writes that “faith without works is dead.” This is non-arguable scripture that does not contradict the fact that we do receive salvation when we do not deserve it, the fact that we do not earn it. I do want to claify something though, the pharisees were incorrect in their motive and heart, not in their action. People who cling to truth get labeled a pharisse too quickly. If their heart is to uphold the Lord’s ways because they love and compassion of the Lord is so great and because they trust Him so much they desire to follow Him in their action, if their motive is correct, then how awesome is that!?!?
Someone once wrote “our actions give a fair and accurate showing of the reality of our salvation”, but it is not 100% perfect depiction because as you said, we are human. Regardless, are actions today are very important to God because he commands us to live differently. It is not something we can reason around doing. If we love Christ, our actions will change by Gods power and our choice to obey Him.
I appreciate your comment greatly. I agree with everything you said, but I think it was missing the point of Tozer’s passage and missing a part of God’s heart in His desire to see His people set-apart.
I absolutely agree that by grace alone we are able to go to heaven. We have salvation by no work of our own. Thank goodness it isn’t on us! I think Tozer would have agreed if he was here with us today. But this doesn’t make what he wrote any less true. “In the Bible the offer of pardon on the part of God is conditioned upon intention to reform on the part of man.” He writes this and the key word here is INTENTION. He is not saying we have to live perfectly, we can no longer sin, but we do need to expereince repentence. In the Bible the people who encountered Christ were told to “go and sin no more.” Most of their lives were utterly and magnificently transformed: paul, moses, peter, david and sampson to name a few. Did they still sin? Absolutely…but they reformed, they were changed.
Tozer was merely defuting a trend in Christian culture that has only inflated since his time; a belief that we do not need to live by the Lord’s standards because we are covered by the blood. In this, we are lessoning the grace of the Lord…true grace causes a desire to change in the heart of the person experiencing the Lord’s compassion.
Before one accepts Christ, one must understand his need for Christ. To understand that, it is necessary to see the shortcomings and desire a change of heart, soul, spirit and yes, even action. Then, and only then can one understand grace. In Matthew and in John, Jesus says, “if you love me, you will obey me.” James writes that “faith without works is dead.” This is non-arguable scripture that does not contradict the fact that we do receive salvation when we do not deserve it, the fact that we do not earn it. I do want to claify something though, the pharisees were incorrect in their motive and heart, not in their action. People who cling to truth get labeled a pharisse too quickly. If their heart is to uphold the Lord’s ways because they love and compassion of the Lord is so great and because they trust Him so much they desire to follow Him in their action, if their motive is correct, then how awesome is that!?!?
Someone once wrote “our actions give a fair and accurate showing of the reality of our salvation”, but it is not 100% perfect depiction because as you said, we are human. Regardless, are actions today are very important to God because he commands us to live differently. It is not something we can reason around doing. If we love Christ, our actions will change by Gods power and our choice to obey Him.
I appreciate your comment greatly. I agree with everything you said, but I think it was missing the point of Tozer’s passage and missing a part of God’s heart in His desire to see His people set-apart.
posted by Kate at 6:04 PM
6 Comments:
“I have thought deeply about all that goes on here in the world, where people have the power to hurt each other. I have seen wicked people buried with honor. How strange that they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are praised in the very city where they committed their crimes! When a crime is not punished people feel it is safe to do wrong”
Ecclesiastes 8:9-11
God led me to this truth and thought I would share it!
Can I get an Amen?
AMEN!!!!!
Why do we sometimes think our actions are of no consequence to God? Listening to some Christians speak today, I would think that God did not set Christians apart, but rather saved them and then left them to do as they please. As far as the authoritative scriptures proclaim, that could not be farther from the truth. For anyone reading this who is saved, know that your actions today will be judged by God Almighty. If your actions were built upon anything other than Gods truth, you will escape but only through the fire (1 Corinthains 3). God will unfortuanately not say to everyone, "Well done my Good and Faithful Servant." For more information on this go to: "http://www.epm.org/articles/judgment_of_works.html" This teaching is never spoken of in today's postmodern Christian society. This is heresy to not be taught this. Today is the day to purge evil from among us (including from ourselves) and begin to make the bride ready for the day the bridegroom comes to take us away with Him (Revelation 19).
Wow, what a powerful entry! Just a few thoughts on the subject I found while reading John Piper. Piper brings out several verses which really talk about obediance to Scripture and the laws God has set in place. For example, John 3:36 says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." 2 Thess. 1:8-9 says, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." One of the most powerful verses in Romans states, "Every mouth [is] stopped, and the whole world [is] held accountable to God." (Rom. 3:19) The point here is this- we are all sinners, both Christians and non-Christians alike! But Piper draws a distinction- Christians are different from non-Christians because we are justified sinners! Eph. 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." It is through Jesus' work on the cross that we are justified, just like a courtroom drama, we are guilty before God, our Judge, but Jesus is there on our behalf. So even though we are accountable for our sins, if we have faith, and believe in Christ, we are saved, but not by anything we ever did- it is by the sole grace of God. Rom. 4:4-5 says, "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." It is God who justifies us so that we may live no longer as only sinners, but as justified sinners.
Salvation isn't by grace alone...the bible tells us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling...we can't dance around and say im saved b/c you said this sweet little prayer that gods loves us...dont get me wrong thats a first step but theres more...so much more there. In Acts 2:38 the bible states to "REPENT and be baptised everyone of you in the name of JESUS CHRIST and ye shall recieve the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT." luckily it is grace that gave us this oportunity to repent, be baptised, and recieve the holy spirit, but ultimately our salvation is worked out between God and us. not you and I. not you and the church. not you and your friend. YOU AND JESUS!!! that is what we do to be saved...once repented you should be steering away from this world and not engaging in pracices that it call normal, but only closer to God. If you were at the same place last year as you are now you are not growing. Instead get on your knees and cry out to ABBA FATHER and repent...truly repent of your sins ask for the holy spirit to fill you and then be obedient to scripture and get baptised! there is nothing better than being fully immersed like JESUS teaches us int he bible! God BLess!
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