I enjoyed reading The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness. The title is what caught my attention.
Friday, June 8, 2012
The Good News in the Bad News
Sometimes in my reading I come across something that moves me to joy. This is a passage that does just that..."
"This profound awareness of innate sinfulness is not some obscure theological point or an example of religious fervor gone to seed. A great awareness of one's sinfulness often stands side by side with great joy and confidence in God. The same Paul who could call himself the foremost of sinners could exult two verses later, "To the King of ages, immortal, invisble, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:17).
"It is a theme that also resonates through the Psalms. In Psalms 40 we see rejoicing in the Lord and lamentation over sin side by side.
'As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my inquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.'
"What's going on here? Is this some kind of bipolar spirituality at work? By no means! It is the joy of salvation breaking through, despite life in a fallen world and a heart still fighting against sin. It is reality as seen through biblical truth.
"This reality is very different from what we're usually up to our necks in--that slick, shiny, false reality of an affluent, comfort-driven society obsessed with self-esteem. Instead, This reality sends us to the Savior, who brings God's holiness and mercy together on the cross.
......
"So this sin--my sin and yours--is supremely ugly. It is vile. It is wicked. But at the same time it is the backdrop to a larger drama. We may be works in progress who are painfully prone to sin, yet we can be joyful works, for--thanks be to God--we have been redeemed by grace through the death and resurrection of Christ. Our Savior has come to rescue us from the penalty of sin and grant us an abundant life by his Spirit p.37,38
When Sinners Say, "I do" by Dave Harvey
"This profound awareness of innate sinfulness is not some obscure theological point or an example of religious fervor gone to seed. A great awareness of one's sinfulness often stands side by side with great joy and confidence in God. The same Paul who could call himself the foremost of sinners could exult two verses later, "To the King of ages, immortal, invisble, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:17).
"It is a theme that also resonates through the Psalms. In Psalms 40 we see rejoicing in the Lord and lamentation over sin side by side.
'As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my inquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.'
"What's going on here? Is this some kind of bipolar spirituality at work? By no means! It is the joy of salvation breaking through, despite life in a fallen world and a heart still fighting against sin. It is reality as seen through biblical truth.
"This reality is very different from what we're usually up to our necks in--that slick, shiny, false reality of an affluent, comfort-driven society obsessed with self-esteem. Instead, This reality sends us to the Savior, who brings God's holiness and mercy together on the cross.
......
"So this sin--my sin and yours--is supremely ugly. It is vile. It is wicked. But at the same time it is the backdrop to a larger drama. We may be works in progress who are painfully prone to sin, yet we can be joyful works, for--thanks be to God--we have been redeemed by grace through the death and resurrection of Christ. Our Savior has come to rescue us from the penalty of sin and grant us an abundant life by his Spirit p.37,38
When Sinners Say, "I do" by Dave Harvey
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