Tabletalk - May 2017 Articles

Which Laws Apply? - RC Sproul writes to discern which Old Testament laws continue today - why do we still have the law now that we are under the new covenant? 3 reasons - it reveals the character of God, the law functions to restrain us from sinning and helps us to understand what is pleasing to God. The Law can be broken down into 3 different types - moral, civil, and ceremonial - and some parts of the law do not apply to new covenant believers. The reformers in the 17th and 18th century made a distinction between divine natural law and divine purpose. Natural law -- meaning laws rooted and grounded in God's own character. Divine purpose is defined as laws that may have a purpose or culmination as described later. An example of this is some dietary laws that may not continue today.

God's Sovereignty and Glory - Derek W. H. Thomas (senior minister of First Presbyterian Columbia SC) - The phrase 'God is sovereign' remains a puzzling phrase to me. I understand that it is true but it is often remarked when all in life seems puzzling and hard to answer. Here it is defined as - 'nothing happens without God's willing it to happen, willing it to happen before it happens, and willing it to happen in the way it happens."

Today it is April 1, 2020 and we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so in response to 'why this virus,' one might simply respond with "God is Sovereign." Maybe every time that word is used I think more needs to be said. Or maybe I continue to struggle with God's Sovereignty and Man's free will, no matter how many time's I look at it.

Obviously, we live in a world that is trying to say that man is in control. Even when nature (whatever that means) seems to be in control, this infers God is not in control. And society seems to be saying that because there is evil, God cannot coexist because otherwise why would a loving God allow evil. So the author begins with the idea that because God is sovereign, all that has been created was a free action of God.

Now the author provides a caveat - God's power is not absolute in the sense that God can do anything. He quotes from 2 Timothy 2:13 - God is faithful, for he cannot deny Himself. 

But then he switches back to say that some people think that God does not know the future and what will occur. These folks say God can change his mind and they use verses like Genesis 6:6-7 in which God says He was sorry he made man (in anticipation of the Flood) and I Samuel 15:11 - in which the Lord says he regrets making Saul king. Yet the reformer would turn to Proverbs 16:33 to quote Solomon - The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord - thus confirming the reformer view that no event happens that is a surprise to God.

Thus, I connect the last two points together to say that 'God can't go against His nature and do anything, yet whatever does happen, it is never a surprise to Him. So aside from the fact that an event that is occurred is outside His nature, He still knows it will happen.

But then I must also circle back to the first thought of "nothing happens without God's willing it to happen" and wonder then if this means that God willing it and God behind behind it by His power are separate? I press on.

The Author goes on with further evidence that we believe God is sovereign by us praying for someone's salvation which means we believe God is in charge of a person's salvation. And we thank God for a person's salvation, for my salvation, while also realizing that my friend may be judged and not have Christ as their savior - thus be separated from God for eternity. The author's point is rather simple here - 'Give God all the glory for what has occurred.'

And so now he stops the principles and says this leads us to 4 questions - evangelism, ethics, civic power, and evil -- that we as humans can't help but ask questions and yet we are challenged to not reason this way - because we see the verse every decision is from the Lord we also hear Jesus' words Go therefore and make disciples. Thus, decisions from the Lord come about through the work of people. Though we start to think our works don't really matter - don't; don't go there. Instead, keep listening to God and His word. There are ethics in that man is accountable to God, to other people (including government) for man's actions -- man is culpable (deserving blame) in transgression, praiseworthy (deserving reward) in obedience. Civic power or government leadership is also the work of God. All of this leads into the question of 'why evil?" If every decision is from the Lord - is evil one of his decisions? The reformers say "no." God is not the author of sin. God causes all things, but evil is not a first cause, but second cause. He says, God himself cannot do evil. Thus, there must be some difference between willing something and doing something. The Lord wills it, but man does it and man is responsible. Yet, right now are we saying this COVID19 is man's doing?  It is not God's plan, but it happening is not a surprise to God. Instead of asking why, let's ask what we can learn from it.

Biblical Authority - Stephen Nichols (President of Reformation Bible College) - He draws a parallel between Luther translating the New Testament and putting forth a series of sermons that expound the Word of God, and Ezra, as recorded in Nehemiah 8, unrolling the scroll of the Law, reading it in front of a great crowd gathered, and the people read, interpreted, studied and worshiped.

The article is thus about sola scriptura or "the sufficiency of Scripture as our supreme authority in all spiritual matters." The criticism to Luther is two-fold- the idea that 1500 years of church history is out the window and the criticism that the church is not even necessary.

But Luther and we today still need tradition. In 2 Timothy 2:2 it states, "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Paul trained Timothy and trained men who trained others. Thus, the church is a training ground. But traditions need to support the centrality and prominence of the Word of God. And we need teachers to help us understand His word. Thus, church was needed and is needed today.

Justification by Faith Alone - W. Robert Godfrey (President and Professor of Westminster Seminary California) - Justification by Faith Alone is the key theme of the Reformation. Why is it still a problem today for people to accept and why do we continue to discuss it? The conclusion is that people are not content with Christ alone and His grace alone. The key tenets of it are objective and subjective; objective in that we are actually made right with God by the work of Christ, which the sinner receives by faith alone; subjectively, understanding this brings peace with God and growing confidence in living for God. In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself...For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:19-21).

Salvation is of The Lord - Steven Lawson (Founder and President of OnePassion Ministries) - Every aspect of man's salvation is from God and is entirely dependent upon God. We contribute sin. Each member of the Godhead has a part to play, working together as one God to rescue those perishing under divine wrath.

Total Depravity: Adam sinned - polluting his mind, affections, body, and will. By this sin, death entered the world, fellowship with God broken. Adam's offspring, all the way to me, inherited same fallenness. Apart from grace, our minds are darkened by sin, unable to understand the truth. Our bodies are dying. We are unable to choose good. All are under the curse of the Law; no one seeks after God.

Unconditional Election: God's story - before Adam sinned, God had already decreed salvation for sinners. He chose a people to be saved, according to His love, not according to their goodness. Each one chosen by the Father to be conformed to the image of His Son, to sing His praises forever. The Spirit brings the elect ones to faith in Christ.

Definite Atonement: Jesus comes to earth. This was decreed by God, always. Under the law, he lived, but in perfect obedience to the Law, and thus He fulfilled all the righteous demands of the law, thus being perfect in righteousness and transferring this righteousness to man. The transfer occurred after Jesus bore the wrath of God. God calls His people, but Jesus must redeem them through his life, death, and resurrection. Jesus reconciles God to man. Jesus saved all for whom He died.

Effectual Calling (Irresistible Grace): The Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world to apply salvation to those chosen and redeemed. The Spirit convicts sinners, removes the unbelieving heart of stone at the appointed time, replacing it with a heart responsive to God. Eternal life is implanted, the gifts of repentance and faith proceed and the fruit of righteousness follows for these chosen ones.

Preserving Grace: Once converted, no believer will fall away. Every believe is kept eternally secure by all three persons of the Trinity.

Lawson states one cannot accept some of these doctrines and reject others. My perspective is these are difficult concepts to accept, not so much understand. But, effectual calling stated the way it has been is simply a tough concept in light of preaching the gospel, doing evangelism, even follow up and works of the church. I'm making progress, but I'm not quite there.

God's Covenant People - Sinclair Ferguson (Scottish theologian and assistant minister at St. Peter's Free Church of Scotland, Dundee and visiting professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary since 2017) - In this article, Ferguson wants to show that the covenants which began at the time of Noah, mirrored what was of Adam and continued, and though it is thought at times they are only spoken of in Hebrews, he believes that Jesus upon saying "new covenant in my blood" is saying that Jesus Himself is the covenant and therefore throughout history people have been defined, united and shaped by this covenant bond. Thus the Bible doesn't simply represent different types of people groups, but in a way we are all the church and we need to remember this as we read and study.

The Courage to be Reformed - Buck Parsons (editor of Tabletalk, copastor of Saint Andrews's Chapel in Sanford, Florida) - An understanding of Reformed Theology by people has a way of transforming them, some to new life in Christ and others feeling like their new life in Christ wasn't really new till they understood Reformed Theology. That God saves us, not man saving himself, that all we did was sin and that was enough to completely condemn us, that God is sovereign over all, that God works all of history for His glory. These tenets can be life transforming.  

Absorbing and Applying God's Word - Robert Ingram (previous editor of Tabletalk, now headmaster of Geneva School in Winter Park, FL) - Quotes from a Horse and A Boy by CS Lewis, "To hear is to obey." Concern: we are now disconnected to obedience because of modern educations focus on knowing, then doing. The Bible is not written to enhance life or a manual to repair our brokenness. We are too focused on knowing first, but obedience needs to precede this and true understanding and knowledge will come after we are obedient. Calvin states, "All right knowledge of God is born of obedience." 

Passing Down the Truth of God - John MacArthur (pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA) - We are to hold on to the truth and faithfully pass it to the next generation. He starts with an example - running a relay in college. He was 2nd man in 4 man relay and in the finals, the 3rd man just decided, "I don't feel like running today." 2 Tim 2:2 - what you have heard, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Find someone who knows less than you and teach them. Don't break the chain. 

Will Beauty Save the World? - R. Albert Mohler Jr. - There is a difference between the beautiful and the pretty. Magazines that airbrush models may be pretty, but certainly not beautiful. In Dostoevsky book the Idiot he says that beauty will save the world. Are the works of God in Christ beautiful? At creation, creation was very good. The Hebrew word also carries the connotation beautiful. We often separate teh good, the true, and the beautiful, but the Christian worldview reminds us that the good, the true, and the beautiful are inseparable. If something is beautiful, it is good and true. The cross of Christ may not be pretty, but it is certainly beautiful. 

Titus 2:11 - Is Grace Cooperative

Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Message: Is Grace Cooperative?

Time: Paul is the author, written in AD 63. Paul went with Titus to the island of Crete and evangelized there before Paul left Titus there in a position of leadership. The book speaks of living right as guided by Truth.

What the Lord is Saying:

The issue: How free is the human will after the fall of Adam.

Humans beings are free to make choices. But our freedom is limited by our desires. Freedom is doing what we most want to do. Apart from God's grace, the only thing that we want to do is sin. In order to do what is truly good and pleasing to God, grace must change our hearts. It is only the regenerate person that understands the things of God.

I go back to an idea that I have been focusing on: the horizontal and the vertical. The horizontal is our life lived with one another and the life I live for myself. In this life there is freedom: each day there are choices to engage in good acts and bad acts as they relate to man's relationship to man. Much good has been done by men and women on this horizontal level. We should not ever diminish these acts. But there is the vertical - man's relationship with God. Without God's grace there is no vertical, only a horizontal. Grace brings the vertical into my life because sin removed the vertical. Without grace, I will only live on the horizontal. With grace, I can carry out the things of God. Thus, today's text states in Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Salvation is a God thing and it is needed to make me right vertically, right with God.

The debate that I have been looking at is - can man get to God on his own or must God intervene? And is this intervention completely by God or is man involved?

RC Sproul Message - Is Grace Cooperative - In this message RC Sproul begins his lecture by reciting a quote by Joseph Arminius in which he upholds the lost condition of man following Adam's sin or his sin and mentions that the only way man can be brought to salvation is through the act of grace into that person's life. He mentions that Arminius began as a pure Calvinist and Augustinian but then he got wrapped up in a debate with someone and in that process began to move further and further away from the reformed doctrine.

Early on he speaks of preventing grace and prevenient grace. "Pre" means before and "venient" - coming before so this is 'grace that comes before something." Grace comes before conversion. There are also those who look at internal grace and external grace. External grace is something that happens outside of ourselves, outside of our soul. Internal grace would be something that God does inside of us. For Arminius, grace is not limited to an external operation of the Holy Spirit, but also God's internal operation. However, he then goes to say that all persons have their own will and can refuse the call of the Holy Spirit. So even though it is internal (God doing something inside of us), it is not irresistible. He says the grace of regeneration is sufficient to convert. It is all a person needs to be liberated from spiritual bondage. The grace is enough. But it is not inherently efficient as it does not always affect conversion or regeneration. Thus, prevenient grace or grace that comes before man's choice to then choose whether or not he wants that grace.

Calvin however speaks that the calling of God is effectual. Here the Spirit effects what it intends and thus, it cannot be rejected. Thus, grace is internal and effectual. But for Arminius it is internal but can be rejected. Arminius says that if man does not submit to the grace, the fault lies with man. Pelagius would though deny this for Pelagius believes that God does not have to help a person be saved. But Arminius says that God does have to help, but man can reject. Arminius seeks to not make God accountable to people rejecting Him whereby with Calvin the onus is completely on God as to man being saved or not saved. While Arminius believes that the rejecting by man means that the fault rests on him, he also does not believe that the acceptance of man does not rest on man being virtuous. To believe this would mean that man has something to boast about and this would contradict what Paul says in Ephesians 2:9.

Arminius gave a famous example of a rich man coming to a beggar to offer him a gift. The beggar does nothing to earn the gift, and to receive it simply reaches out his had to accept the gift. But the beggar can also not reach out his hand and therefore be content in his position of being poor. Billy Graham even stated that God does 99% and man does 1% whereby reformers would say that for the drowning man, the person would drown and then God would pull him out of the water and resuscitate him to life.

After Arminius died in 1609, some of his disciples in the Synod of Dort were called upon to consider the five articles of Remonstrance. It was in response to these five articles that we received the five points of Calvinism.

[I was thinking of this question - most of the proof text I think about Calvinist thought, namely whether man is involved at all in salvation, comes from Paul's writings (and also Hebrews). Is it possible that Augustine and Calvin concluded their points on man having no place in saving man from Paul alone or is that line of thinking consistent throughout the Bible? Stated another way, is Jesus a Calvinist? Is God and the Old Testament writers Calvinist? This is a side-note question of mine. Some people have made the assertion that if we only follow the red letters or Jesus' words then we won't come to the conclusion of grace alone.]

RC Sproul Message - Born to Sin - In this message RC Sproul begins speaking about Jonathan Edwards and his book, Freedom of the Will, written in 1754. That book is very theological and philosophical and technical. It was written after Edwards had been removed from his church in Northampton and began a ministry to the Indians at Stockbridge (both in Massachusetts).

Edwards deals with the question - "What is the will anyway?" Philosophers often looked at the mind, the affections, and the will OR the mind, the heart, and the will. Edwards felt it was important to distinguish between the mind or thinking and the will or choosing. He says they are interrelated. In analyzing the will, the making of human decisions or choices, he looked first at the law of causality. Causality is every effect must have a cause. Thus, he analyzed human choices as effects with causes. The choices we make are made for a reason and the mind supplies the reason. Thus, the choices we make are what we deem to be good for us, though, Edwards use of the word good isn't necessarily morality, but rather good is what is pleasing to us. Thus, the good is what is most pleasing to me, at this moment, and to choose what I want. Thus, this is the role of desire in the making of choices. The mind deems a particular action to be good and pleasing to us. For example, when one is hungry, those hunger pains alert the mind and then the mind through choosing decides to eat, in order to meet the need of hunger, in order to please himself.

Edwards states that all choices are caused by something. They don't just happen. And what causes choices are inclinations. Thus, choices are motivated or driven by inclinations. Edwards understood that as humans we are complex. At times, we have very complex desires and motives within our lives. Paul reverberates this idea in Romans 7:19 - For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do. What Paul seems to be saying that in him are competing desires and competing inclinations. In Christ is the desire to always do those things that honor God, but in his flesh is desires contrary to the Spirit and sometimes I follow these desires. Edwards might say to Paul that at the time of your choice to sin, you have a stronger desire to not do what is pleasing to God than you have in yourself to please God. Thus, there is a conflict of inclinations. Thus, Edwards states that we always choose according to the strongest inclination at the moment.

This is not determinism which is being controlled by external forces that coerce us, such as our environment and place in which we live and grow up. Atheists believe in determinism, meaning we are a product of our environment. What Edwards is focused on instead is self-determination in which the choices we make are determined by us. What Edwards is getting at is our choices are determined by us and my desires and what my mind deems to be most good for me at the moment. There is a desire continuum we have. Some desires are strong while others are mild. Thus freedom is the power to choose according to your inclinations.

For example, the doctor may recommend and I may agree that I need to lose 30 pounds as losing pounds has a myriad of positive outcomes. But, my desire to lose those pounds varies from moment to moment. After eating a thanksgiving meal I have no desires to eat more and want to lose pounds, but when I am hungry and a chocolate sundae is presented before me, my desire for that sundae is greater than my desire to lose weight. Thus, the desire continuum. We have different degrees of desires, but without an inclination there wouldn't be a choice is what Edwards argues.

Yet, Edwards is arguing with pagan philosophers and even other theologians which might say that the will is not indifferent, but has a prior bent, disposition or inclination. To be really free it would have an equal means to go to the right or the left. Edwards says an indifferent choice is an irrational concept. If I choose one thing over another for no other reason whatsoever, like choosing which way to go at a fork in the road with no reason to choose either way, how would that have any moral significance. Intent is essential to a moral decision, to a voluntary act. To be a moral decision, there has to be a reason or intent. But he says the idea of an indifferent choice is a nonsensical concept.

What Edwards is most famous for is his distinction between our natural ability and our moral ability. This is similar to Augustinian's distinction between free will and liberty. Edwards says, "We have the natural ability to make choices." We have natural ability that is not coerced by outside forces. What we lack, according to Edwards, is the moral ability to choose the things of God. Because in the fall, we lost our disposition, our desire, our inclination for God. We don't choose God because we don't want him. We cannot choose what we do not want. We have no natural inclination for the things of God until the Holy Spirit creates that in our soul. Thus back to the vertical, Edwards is stating that we lack, on our own, the ability to see that God is what we need the most in our lives, and in turn meets us on the vertical, on our own. The only way our heart is inclined to the things of God is God coming to us and once God comes, we cannot resist Him. Thus, grace is not cooperative.

Summary: On the horizontal, man is capable of making choices, based upon his inclinations and desires. The problem is that apart from grace, we only desires the things of this world, the things that do not save us, that are not of salvation, that therefore are not of God. To do the things of God, God must intervene in our lives and this intervention is not resisting. If God calls us, we will respond.

Promise: Paul says that the grace of God has brought salvation to all people, thus God has saved all sorts of people. The gospel must be preached to all people.

Prayer: Father, your word is alive and true. I seek truth. Even as I spend time talking to people that are coming from a myriad of faiths, I want to make sure that the truth of who you are and how salvation happens or how I am made to be free from sin happens. Guide me into truth always. Thank you for saving me and making me whole and giving me new life. I live now in obedience to You and I do not want that to ever be muddy or unclear. You are my God and I am yours. You love me and in response I love You and others and want You to be in the life of all others I am near. Save. Save people. Keep on saving people. 

My Utmost for His Highest - December 12 - Personality

That they may be one, even as We are one. JOHN 17:22

Personality is that peculiar, incalculable thing that is meant when we speak of ourselves as distinct from everyone else. Our personality is always too big for us to grasp. An island in the sea may be but the top of a great mountain. Personality is like an island; we know nothing about the great depths underneath, consequently we cannot estimate ourselves. We begin by thinking that we can, but we come to realize that there is only one Being Who understands us, and that is our Creator.

Personality is the characteristic of the spiritual man as individuality is the characteristic of the natural man. Our Lord can never be defined in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of personality, “I and My Father are one.” Personality merges, and you only reach your real identity when you are merged with another person. When love, or the Spirit of God strikes a man, he is transformed, he no longer insists upon his separate individuality. Our Lord never spoke in terms of individuality, of a man’s “elbows” or his isolated position, but in terms of personality — “that they may be one, even as We are one.” If you give up your right to yourself to God, the real true nature of your personality answers to God straight away. Jesus Christ emancipates the personality, and the individuality is transfigured; the transfiguring element is love, personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the outpouring of one personality in fellowship with another personality. 

From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

My Thoughts

• Personality - created by God; defines the Lord
• Not individuality, but personality
• This is how we are to see ourselves

My Utmost for His Highest - December 11 - Individuality

If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself. MATTHEW 16:24

Individuality is the husk of the personal life. Individuality is all elbows, it separates and isolates. It is the characteristic of the child and rightly so; but if we mistake individuality for the personal life, we will remain isolated. The shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering for the protection of the personal life; but individuality must go in order that the personal life may come out and be brought into fellowship with God. Individuality counterfeits personality as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself; individuality debases human nature for itself.

The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-assertiveness. It is the continual assertion of individuality that hinders our spiritual life more than anything else. If you say — “I cannot believe,” it is because individuality never can believe. Personality cannot help believing. Watch yourself when the Spirit of God is at work. He pushes you to the margins of your individuality, and you have either to say — “I shan’t,” or to surrender, to break the husk of individuality and let the personal life emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (cf. Matthew 5:23-24). The thing in you that will not be reconciled to your brother is your individuality. God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself He cannot. “Let him deny himself” — deny his independent right to himself, then the real life has a chance to grow. From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

My Thoughts

My Utmost for His Highest - December 10 - The Offering of the Natural

Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. GALATIANS 4:22

Paul is not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural must be turned into the spiritual by sacrifice, otherwise a tremendous divorce will be produced in the actual life. Why should God ordain the natural to be sacrificed? God did not. It is not God’s order, but His permissive will. God’s order was that the natural should be transformed into the spiritual by obedience; it is sin that made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.

Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac. Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way in which we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. Sanctification means more than deliverance from sin, it means the deliberate commitment of myself whom God has saved to God, and that I do not care what it costs.

If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will mock at the life of the Son of God in us and produce a continual swither. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves, physically, morally or mentally. “I wasn’t disciplined when I was a child.” You must discipline yourself now. If you do not, you will ruin the whole of your personal life for God.

God is not with our natural life while we pamper it; but when we put it out in the desert and resolutely keep it under, then God will be with it; and He will open up wells and oases, and fulfill all His promises for the natural. From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

My Thoughts

• Looking again at natural life - that which we see as good - and transforming our life into doing those things are instead God's best. 
• Sacrifice the natural - this is discipline

My Utmost for His Highest - December 9 - The Offence of the Natural

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. GALATIANS 5:24

The natural life is not sinful; we must be apostatized from sin, have nothing to do with sin in any shape or form. Sin belongs to hell and the devil; I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence and self-assertiveness, and this is where the battle has to be fought. It is the things that are right and noble and good from the natural stand point that keep us back from God’s best. To discern that natural virtues antagonize surrender to God, is to bring our soul into the centre of its greatest battle. Very few of us debate with the sordid and evil and wrong, but we do debate with the good. It is the good that hates the best, and the higher up you get in the scale of the natural virtues, the more intense is the opposition to Jesus Christ. “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh (Galatians 5:24)” — it is going to cost the natural in you everything, not something. Jesus said — If any man will be My disciple, “let him deny himself (Matthew 16:24)” i.e., his right to himself, and a man has to realize Who Jesus Christ is before he will do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.

The natural life is not spiritual, and it can only be made spiritual by sacrifice. If we do not resolutely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural in us. There is no royal road there; each of us has it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of performing. From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

My Thoughts

• I must give up my right to myself - give up my natural independence and self-assertiveness - THIS is where they battle is fought.
• I must move from good to best. Things are right, noble,, good - naturally. God's ways are best. 
• Our main opposition in life is not with doing sordid, evil, or wrong practices - but instead we debate with doing what is simply good. But, good hates the best. 
• The flesh is natural man and natural man has good ambitions - this is his independence. 
• It is interesting, but growing up we talk of being independent as being something good that we aspire to in life. Yet, independence is in opposition to God. 

My Utmost for His Highest - December 5 - The Temple Of The Holy Ghost

Only in the throne will I be greater than thou. GENESIS 41:40 (Pharoah to Joseph)

I have to account to God for the way in which I rule my body under His domination. Paul said he did not “frustrate the grace of God” — make it of no effect. The grace of God is absolute, the salvation of Jesus is perfect, it is done for ever. I am not being saved, I am saved; salvation is as eternal as God’s throne; the thing for me to do is to work out what God works in. “Work out your own salvation (Philippians 2:12)”; I am responsible for doing it. It means that I have to manifest in this body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mystically, but really and emphatically. “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection (I Corinthians 9:27).” Every saint can have his body under absolute control for God. God has made us to have government over all the temple of the Holy Spirit, over imaginations and affections. We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to inordinate affections. Most of us are much sterner with others than we are in regard to ourselves; we make excuses for things in ourselves whilst we condemn in others things to which we are not naturally inclined.

“I beseech you,” says Paul, “present your bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).” The point to decide is this — “Do I agree with my Lord and Master that my body shall be His temple?” If so, then for me the whole of the law for the body is summed up in this revelation, that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition
- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Mom's Notes

• Mother's (Ruth Benge Wiley) actual Birthday - 1918