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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What is God's part in my santification?. | NT general Archive 1 | Pam D | 100572 | ||
Dear Ed, I wanted you to know that I reposted the question Mommapbs suggested I repost with the background of why I asked the question. The ID No. is 1000109. It has led to very interesting answers from Reformer Joe that I wanted to share with you and get your comments on. Subject: ?self effort 2 B holy now vs befor saved Joe’s answer: Thanks for your comments. I am familiar with the whole Keswick "Higher Life" thing, and it is quite a mess. I wrote: After recognizing all of that, I now think MY part in my practical / experiential sanctification is that “I” am supposed to PURSUE holiness.' Joe wrote: Yes, as Hebrews 12 tells us and 1 Peter 1:14-16 tells us. We are called to work for God's glory (NOT for our own justification, which was applied to me on the basis of faith in Christ), and those who have been truly justified WILL work. I wrote: "Personal Holiness is not attained by faith, like justification." Joe wrote: I would qualify this by saying that it is not attained by a faith that is alone. I recommend reading Hebrews 11, the so-called "Hall of Faith." These examples of godliness did what they did "by faith," but the fact is that by faith they DID things. Whatever is by self-reliance is futile, but relying on God for the strength to obey Him is not a passive experience. I wrote: 'It is work. “I” need to MAKE EVERY EFFORT to be like Jesus, and get rid of every attitude,action and motivation that is unchristlike.' Joe wrote: Yes, by the power that God supplies. I cannot conquer sin by Joe's effort alone, but because the Spirit of God is sanctifying me and empowering me both to hate my sin and love God's law (see Psalm 119 for the supreme example of the right attitude toward God's commands), I am graciously equipped to fight the good fight of faith. I wrote: "But then the question arose in my mind as to what is Gods part in my practical / experiential sanctification? I believe that God plays the whole part in both my positional sanctification and my ultimate santification. But what is Gods part in my practical / experiential sanctification?" Joe wrote: God supplies the power and works in our hearts to expose sin, causing us to acknowledge it,confess it before Him, thank God for the pardon that comes through Christ, hate that sin, and get to work killing it. I wrote: "I suppose part of it is that the Holy Spirit reveals to me through reading the bible where I am missing the mark so I can fix it." Joe wrote: Yes. I wrote: "But whats the difference between my self effort to be holy now that I am saved and my self effort to be good when I was unsaved?" Joe wrote: The latter is impossible and turns the law into a means of justification. The former is aided and motivated by God himself and is possible because an omnipotent God is bringing it about, even as we participate. Again, I wholeheartedly recommend the books of Jerry Bridges, who has written some very biblical and fascinating things about this. Try to get _The Pursuit of Holiness_ and _The Discipline of Grace._ They both should be available at your local bookstore or any of the usual online Christian booksellers. They are very much worth your time. The bottom line is that even though *we* are working out our salvation in fear and trembling, it is *God* working within us both to WILL and to WORK for His good purposes (Philippians 2:12-13). Both aspects of that must be understood to get the biblical notion of sanctification down. --Joe! All of this led to my next set of Questions to Reformer Joe: Question: "Is the sin nature a substance or a mindset?" Refomer Joes Answer: Not a substance. Mindset is closer. I would call it a disposition. Pam: "Has the sin nature been eradicated and replaced by the new nature?" Joe: That is a good question. Since the believer still struggles with "the flesh" (NIV translates the Greek to "sin nature"), I would say that it hhasn't been eradicated, but it is being put to ddeath in the believer. There is a struggle bbetween the desire to please and obey God in faith and the sin nature (which will ultimately be eradicated). Pam: "Or does the sin nature remain in the believer and battle against the new nature?" Joe: I think that it is clear in the Bible that both dispositions are there. Galatians 5:16 ff. describes this struggle. Pam: "Is the sin nature the same thing as the flesh?" Joe: Yes. Pam: "What is the new nature? Is it God in me or is it a part of me that is a new creation?" Joe: The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, but the new nature is a human one that the Spirit is changing. Pam: "Is the new nature a substance or a mind set?" Joe: A disposition, like the old one. --Joe! Am I still on the right track for thinking that Joe has the right answers regarding practical/experiential sanctification? Blessings, Pam |
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2 | What is God's part in my santification?. | NT general Archive 1 | EdB | 100575 | ||
Pam I have to be very careful not to start anything with Joe. Let me say I basically agree with what Joe said, however I think we play a bigger part in the process than possibly Joe does. I think we have to make some willful decisions to crucify the flesh. The Holy Spirit gives us the conviction and strength to do it but we still have to kick the junk out of our lives. I once smoked and prayed that God would remove that from me. One night very late I was wakened out of a sound sleep with the deep conviction I was to quit smoking. I woke my wife and we prayed together. That morning I left my cigarettes home. By the time I got to work I was climbing the walls, I bummed a cigarette but found it very unsatisfying, I contributed the problem to not being my brand of smokes. Later my buddy came in that smoked the same brand I did so I bummed one from him, again the taste just wasn’t there. I had to make a decision keep smoking I’m sure the taste would have come back or not to smoke at all. I choose not and haven’t smoked in about 25 years. I still like to drive fast and in a way that is sinning, my nature enjoys the thrill of speed yet my mind tells me it is wrong, dangerous, putting my brothers in danger, breaking man’s law and etc. I have to make a decision to speed or not. A pretty woman catches my eye, I have to make a decision to follow through and let myself entertain a fantasy or to get my mind to a higher level get my mind on something else. It is a day to day process that goes on within each of us. Each day we must decide to serve God or our flesh. I hope this helps. EdB |
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3 | What is God's part in my santification?. | NT general Archive 1 | Asis | 100585 | ||
EdB Isn't what you are describing here temptation. God told you to quit smoking. Trust me, He says. You were not strong enough to resist the temptation. He told you to trust Him you didn't. The cigs tasted bad (God changed you not the cigs) you could fight through and continue in disobedience or trust Him. Your choice. You see a pretty woman, temptation again. You can choose what God has said and your experience holds to be true (that no temptation will come upon you that is greater than you can handle)or you can have the next thought and choose to sin. The choice is yours. Whose slave are you? |
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4 | What is God's part in my santification?. | NT general Archive 1 | EdB | 100605 | ||
Asis Of course it is temptation, and giving into it is sin. To walk holy/sanctified you must resist the temptations that come upon you. What I'm saying is our flesh wnats to sin, the temptations are there but if we trust in Chrsit we have the strength to resist. But we must resist. EdB |
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