GroshLink

"BB Warfield characterized Augustinianism as miserable sinner christianity.  The distortion of Augustine's intentions came through his disciples who were fighting Pelagianism and anyone who saw any merit in the life of a Christian ... see page 109 in this great book by J.I. Packer Keep in Step with the Spirit (I wonder if Olllie's has any more of these to give away) ... see answer 149 in Westminster Catechism ... doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed ... this negative outlook has caused some to just give up on any attempt toward holy living ... and as a result, they were emotionally drawn to Methodists and others who talked about the possibility of practical growth in holiness and sanctification ...

A recent Harvard grad who is now at Princeton Seminary has bought into similar thoughts from certain Lutheran teaching: We will always be sinners, we are not any difference than unbelievers except that our sins have been forgiven...we will always sin...but that's good, it brings us humbly back to the cross ... And this student told me he will never have any victory over temptation and sin. He will always give in, so it's just Lord, have mercy on me, he is extremely depressed most of the time.  This is a case of half-truths being worse than no-truth.  This same distorted lutheran teaching says it's all monergism, a believer has NOTHING to contribute in the process of sanctification.  They cannot see synergism in work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God is at work in you.  This is seen at a corrective to some of the extreme triumphant christian living teaching of the victorious life, keswick, and wesleyan perfectionsim movements. 

But the pendulum has swung too far from the biblical teaching on the need for us to struggle and fight and obey because the Holy Spirit can bring substantial progress in holy livinig ... I don't count myself to have arrived, but I press on to God's high calling, ...of course we will always fall short of God's high glory, but the dominion of sin has been broken, and the Bible gives us so much guidance on how to grow increasingly into the likeness of Christ.  See page 133 of Packer: when Christians ask God to make them more like Jesus, through the Spirit's power, He will do it...He is a most gracious and generous God....

Math students often say, I feel hopeless, I just don't understand much.  It's such a struggle.  Then I ask them, Do you understand more now than you did at the beginning of the term.  Yes, but there's so much more i don't understand.  That's ok, that's normal, there will always be more, but don't give up.  Someone said that those who play the Beethoven piano sonatas should play with a struggle because we can never reach up to all that's there, but we move ahead.  As Paul says, I press on.  But we get lazy and impatient, we don't want to struggle with anything.  We want to arrive now."

-- Thank-you to Miller for these meditations.