For the past three weeks (prior to last night) we have not met for our weekly Sonship course because of evening commitments and travel plans. We met last night to review the lesson on repentance (of which I have noted some of my thoughts in other blog entries).
One of the questions that we were asked to consider is "How are faith and repentance connected?" A verse that came to my mind is Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
When I am convicted of sin my first few thoughts/feelings have to do with dread, fear, embarrassment, shame and guilt; since my sin is displeasing to God I can easily believe that I am displeasing to God. "Faith" is the predecessor of repentance and the rails upon which repentance rolls.
I repent TO God, which means I believe (have faith) in Him.
I repent BECAUSE I believe (have faith that) He will forgive me.
In repentance I am forgiven because God's Son has already experienced the dread, fear, embarrassment, shame and guilt...and received the judgment I deserve. Repentance is predicated on Faith in a loving, forgiving, relational God.
This weeks lesson has to do with the Holy Spirit's roll in walking with God. I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sonship Quotes
"God is not one who wants to trip him up or disdain him for the least slip up, but really is his partner." (Speaking of how George Mueller viewed his "partnership" with God).
"Where did the idea ever come from that it was we who were in the business of reforming ourselves and not God? Where it was we who were in the business of changing or rehabilitating ourselves and not God?" (Speaking of the 'Joy' of repentance...watching God change us.)
"Grace means the energy that God will give you, if you go to the sacraments and obey Him and do good." (Speaking of the false notion that we are able to sanctify ourselves through obedience to man-created laws rather than relying fully on God's unmerited favor. This contrasts the truth of the Gospel...that Grace is God's unmerited favor. Religious ritual, when approached in this manner, can actually "cancel out the gospel in my life, or at least severely hamper it.")
"I need to live in the faith and understand the gospel. Right now I need an application of the sprinkled blood of Christ...Right now we need a present application of the blood of Christ." (Speaking of the current reality of my need for repentance and forgiveness.)
"If your conscience is alive, faith and repentance become things that are most difficult to perform." (Speaking of the how the "pangs of conscience" are not satisfied with anything (law keeping, empty promises or religious rites) but repentance...Jesus' blood plus nothing).
"He (Luther) says that after 20 years he still feels the old clinging dirt. For any of us to presume that we have risen above this and have somehow gotten the life of faith and repentance down pat is nonsense." (Speaking of Luther's admission that even after 20 years of walking with God his bargaining flesh still wants to, "...deal with God that I may contribute something that He will have to give me his grace in exchange for my holiness).
"Where did the idea ever come from that it was we who were in the business of reforming ourselves and not God? Where it was we who were in the business of changing or rehabilitating ourselves and not God?" (Speaking of the 'Joy' of repentance...watching God change us.)
"Grace means the energy that God will give you, if you go to the sacraments and obey Him and do good." (Speaking of the false notion that we are able to sanctify ourselves through obedience to man-created laws rather than relying fully on God's unmerited favor. This contrasts the truth of the Gospel...that Grace is God's unmerited favor. Religious ritual, when approached in this manner, can actually "cancel out the gospel in my life, or at least severely hamper it.")
"I need to live in the faith and understand the gospel. Right now I need an application of the sprinkled blood of Christ...Right now we need a present application of the blood of Christ." (Speaking of the current reality of my need for repentance and forgiveness.)
"If your conscience is alive, faith and repentance become things that are most difficult to perform." (Speaking of the how the "pangs of conscience" are not satisfied with anything (law keeping, empty promises or religious rites) but repentance...Jesus' blood plus nothing).
"He (Luther) says that after 20 years he still feels the old clinging dirt. For any of us to presume that we have risen above this and have somehow gotten the life of faith and repentance down pat is nonsense." (Speaking of Luther's admission that even after 20 years of walking with God his bargaining flesh still wants to, "...deal with God that I may contribute something that He will have to give me his grace in exchange for my holiness).
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