The Old Self's fascination with the Law
Wonderful post at Crue Tectum on the seductiveness of the Law.
Amazing how easy it is even for Christians to forget that the Christian life is not about either our being good or making ourselves good by our own efforts. It's about Christ being formed in us as we live by the constant supply forgiveness and renewal provided by our baptisms, nourished by the Word and the Sacraments- and as the Holy Spirit does through these what the authors of all those Christian best-sellers give us instructions for doing ourselves.
Do we aspire to holiness? Sure. One cannot be a believer in Christ without desiring to please God without lives; contrary to the common error espoused by some in the "Evangelical" movement, to be a believer is by definition to be a disciple. The Holy Spirit will not permit any heart in which He resides to be comfortable with sin!
But we don't supply that holiness. God does.
The Old Self loves the Law, and can't abide the Gospel. Discuss.
Amazing how easy it is even for Christians to forget that the Christian life is not about either our being good or making ourselves good by our own efforts. It's about Christ being formed in us as we live by the constant supply forgiveness and renewal provided by our baptisms, nourished by the Word and the Sacraments- and as the Holy Spirit does through these what the authors of all those Christian best-sellers give us instructions for doing ourselves.
Do we aspire to holiness? Sure. One cannot be a believer in Christ without desiring to please God without lives; contrary to the common error espoused by some in the "Evangelical" movement, to be a believer is by definition to be a disciple. The Holy Spirit will not permit any heart in which He resides to be comfortable with sin!
But we don't supply that holiness. God does.
The Old Self loves the Law, and can't abide the Gospel. Discuss.
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