2 meem » the gospel

Grudging duty? Or longing for luscious fruit…

annmareewilson — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:14:03 +0000

“It’s only a responsive love for Jesus and all he has done for you personally that will cause godly fruit to be born in our life. To help you understand this point, let me ask you a simple question: In the New Testament, what were the characteristics of the Pharisees, those who prided themselves on their law keeping? Were they bearing fruit for God or were they slaves to the law? What did this duty-driven slavery produce in them? Simply put: it produced envy, hatred, ambition, and unbelief.

People who are intent on obeying the law as a way to earn favor with God will always end up judging, envying, and hating God and others (Galatians 5.14, 25-26)

It is only responsive love for God in light of what he’s done that will engender joyful obedience. The only one who ever obeyed the law perfectly did so because he loved to do the things that were pleasing to his Father. He wasn’t trying to make his Father love him; he knew that his Father already did. So we too must be assured that he already loves and welcomes us, and the we’ll grow in our obedience.

It is grace, not law, that enables me to put to death my sinful nature.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Comfort from the Cross

No Wrath For You

annmareewilson — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:03:55 +0000

“You are no longer subject to wrath, because wrath is the result of transgression or sin, and sins can be committed only when there is a law that has been violated. So now, if you’re in Christ, there is no law that you can break that will bring God’s punitive wrath upon you, or, as Paul put it, ‘Where there is no law there is no transgression,’ and hence, no ‘wrath.’ No wrath for you because you’re in Christ, and God has no wrath left for him. No wrath. Not ever.

Do you believe that there is no wrath left for you? That once you are God’s it is impossible for you to receive his judgement? Do you believe that the darkness of your sin will never be powerful enough to snuff out the light of his grace? Do you understand that all he requires of you is to believe this truth? You must believe that the gospel story is true not just for others but personally for you. Do you believe that God is good enough and powerful enough to conquer all your sin and irreversibly love you?

Faith is all that is necessary. However, not only is faith necessary for your salvation, but it’s also necessary for your ongoing obedience. Responding to his love and grace is the only way to true or what I call ‘gospelized’ obedience, because all other obedience always degenerates into penance or trying to avoid punishment. Other forms of obedience simply don’t measure up, because love for God isn’t the motive. And if love isn’t the motive, your obedience will always be motivated by love for yourself. It seems upside down to say that God motivates our obedience by freeing us from the law and declaring that he has no wrath left for us, but it’s true, and true faith embraces it.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Comforts from the Cross

The Gospel Centered Christian

annmareewilson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:39:38 +0000

“Many Christians are confused about the place of God’s law in their lives. Some ignore it entirely and think that Christianity is something akin to a spiritual social event. Some vaguely know that the law has been abrogated in some way; they know that they didn’t get saved by obeying it and believe that the Ten Commandments (and the rest of the Old Testament) were probably fine for their time but are now passe. Both of these approaches militate against the law and may indicate a belief that seeking to live an obedient life is legalism.

Of course there are other Christians who are overly attentive to the law. These would-be serious Christians believe that their justification is only by grace but forget that sanctification (our slow change into Christlikeness) is a ‘work of God’s free grace,’even as justification is a legal ‘act of God’s free grace.’

For the gospel-centerd Christian, the function of the law is to drive us to Christ and to make us continually more and more thankful for his perfect keeping of it in our place. It is to make us more and more dependent upon HIS righteousness, NOT OUR OWN.” (emphasis mine)

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Counsel from the Cross

Do I Find That Other’s Irritate Me?

annmareewilson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:36:19 +0000

“Do people who break the law (or your own rules and expectations) annoy you? When you are standing in the ‘ten items or less’line at the grocery store, are you irritated at that woman in front of you who has thirteen items? Do you fume at other drivers who don’t signal before changing lanes, or tailgate, or talk on cell phones? Do you find it easy to look down upon those who are unsaved or other Christians who are not as theologically sound as you are? If so, you are missing the gospel; you are more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, but God graciously chose you when there wasn’t one drop of grace in your soul and nothing to recommend you to him. Are you beginning to see how amazing his grace is?”

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Counsel from the Cross

Where will we see God’s glory? We see it in the gospel, of course.

annmareewilson — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:32:25 +0000

“If we want to see God’s glory, if we long for ourselves and others to be transformed into godliness, we must dwell on the gospel, where his glory is most clearly seen. It is the gospel into which we are to look, and it is by the power of the gospel that we will be changed.

Paul informs us that by his grace God has shone the ‘light of the gospel of the glory of Christ’(2 Cor 4.4) into our hearts. It is in this light that we see everything else: who he is, what he has done, who we are and how we change. It is this light that first enabled us to see our glorious Savior, and it is this light that continues to transform us. Unlike unbelievers, who have blinded minds, we have received from God eyes to see ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’(2 Cor 4.6) The knowledge of God’s glory is revealed to us as we look upon the face of the Son. And it is this knowledge that will transform us.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Counsel from the Cross

Does ‘endless naval-gazing’have the power to change us?

annmareewilson — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:47:06 +0000

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image

from one degree of glory to another. 2 Cor 3.18

“We are all hoping for change and progress, Christian and non-Christian alike. In contrast to our culture’s unabashedly self-exalting approach to personal perfectibility, serious Christians are intent on something more than merely ‘getting it together.’ We are hoping instead for growth in godliness, or what is commonly referred to as sanctification. Rather than seek a quick fix, we look inward, at our own sinfulness. We diligently practice confession and repentance. We are encouraged to examine ourselves, to search out sin and unbelief.

Although we are commanded to tackle sin in this way, there is a problem here too. If we focus too narrowly on our failures and never take our eyes off ourselves, we can become mired in our endless naval-gazing, and, even as Christians, simply looking at ourselves doesn’t have the power to transform us. If we keep our eyes riveted on ourselves, even as we routinely practice confession and repentance, we will stay bogged down with the same old sins. We need to set our eyes on something beyond ourselves or our failures. We need to glimpse something that is more powerful. We need to see Jesus Christ and the transforming glory of God.”

Counsel from the Cross

Elyse Fitzpatrick

The Practice of Mortification*

annmareewilson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:13:41 +0000

‘The duty of mortification is only accomplished through the Holy Spirit. He alone does the actual work.

First, the Holy Spirit clearly and fully convinces the heart of the evil and guilt that needs to be mortified. Without His conviction there would be no thorough work done. ‘He convinces of sin (Jn 16.8). He alone can do this. If mans rational ability could do so, we might see more conviction of sin in the world. But this light is not powerful nor reliable enough, as we have seen. Unless we are convinced of the unique power of the Holy Spirit, we shall go on living in futility about sin.

‘Second, The Holy Spirit alone reveals to us the fullness of Christ for our relief. It is this which will uphold the heart from false ways and from despondency.

Third, the Spirit alone establishes the heart in expectation of help from Christ. This is the great means of mortification as we have discovered in 2 Corinthians 1.20-22;

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

“Sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity

in your relationship and service to God. Sin is seeking to

become oneself, to get an identity apart from Him.”

Tim Keller, The Reason for God

Fourth, the Spirit alone brings the cross of Christ into our hearts with its sin-killing power. By the Spirit we are baptized into the death of Christ. By baptism we recognize the implantation of Christ’s life in our souls, replacing our old, sinful self. The apostle writes, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Romans 6.6

Fifth, the Spirit is the author and finisher of our sanctification. He provides the resources and new influences of grace for holiness and sanctification. He does this when the contrary principle of the flesh is weakened.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3.14-19

Finally, in all the soul’s relationships with God, we have the support of the Holy Spirit. Where else do we receive this power, life, and vigor of prayer? Where is our efficacy to prevail with God? Is it not from the Spirit? He is called ‘the Spirit of supplications,’ promised to those ‘who look on him whom they have pierced’ (Zech 12.10). It is the Spirit who ‘maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8.26).

The Spirit is the great go-between and the way for faith to prevail with God.’

John Owen

*”For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Romans 8.13

The “Work” of Change

annmareewilson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:10:30 +0000

“In repentance, we cooperate with God in this marvelous work, playing a crucial part that he expects us to fulfill and gives us the grace to execute. Indeed, we are always invited by God to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2:12), to ‘put to death therefore what is earthly in you’ (Col. 3:5), to ‘walk by the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:16), and to ‘renounce ungodliness and worldly passions’ (Titus 2:12). Repentance isn’t simply wanting change. It is doing change….

Repentance isn’t ultimately about us at all. It’s about God. It’s becoming so aware of God, his character, and what he has done that we actively seek to turn from sin and pursue righteousness.”

Dave Harvey

Counseling the Incompetent Counselor Day 8

annmareewilson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:19:41 +0000

Bob’s home.

What that means is I won’t be “talking” to myself on my blog this week. When Bob is out of town, really wacky things tend to happen. In addition to revealing my sin on line via a make-believe counselor and fictitious support group, I registered for a class at Reformed Theological Seminary and signed up for a group that will assist me as I continue the process of certification as a Biblical Counselor.

Bob really needs to stay home.

How, you might ask, does a Hair Dresser, mom, wife, homeschooler, shopkeeper, Interior Decorator get to the point of taking theology classes?

It’s my retirement gig.

Actually, it’s been evolving, but certainly intensified with that lil experiment I call, Counseling the Incompetent Counselor.

Which reminds me….

I finished reading Counseling this morning. The entire book is a sea of yellow highlighter pen. Before I move forward to my next book, however, (to be announced – wait breathlessly) I really want to gain a strong grasp on this biblical approach to change. I’ve recognized a behavior problem (sloth), collected data, interpreted the data (just in case you need me to keep repeating it I am a glory grabber), but what now? Well, it is important to remember that my behavior problem is merely a symptom. “The primary problem is not our behavior; our hearts have turned from worshiping, serving, fearing, and depending on the one true God.” Mack For biblical change to happen my heart needs to turn back. “Godly, biblical change in behavior must always begin with a change in the heart.”

So how does THAT happen?

wait for it….