intriguing...
tonight i started reading "putting amazing back into grace" by mike horton. i think i read too much for my first night...and it was only about 30 pages. i got so much information, so many new thoughts.
but to summarize what i learned, it's basically that since we are created in God's image, we have the natural capacity to righteousness. we are not inherently evil, incapable of holiness--because God is holy, and we are created like Him. however, it is the Fall that causes to be with sin. i guess it's confusing the first time around...i had to reread that section a few times. because of the Fall we are morally incapable of righteousness...but that doesn't take away from our natural capability.
and because we are morally incapable, it takes God's grace to save us. but rather than saying that God's grace "predetermines" us to be saved, i think rather that His grace gives us our faith to believe that He has saved us. and that same faith that we have that God has saved us is the same faith we have in that we can save others (evangelism). but then we can get into free will, and that's a topic i'm not ready to think much on yet. right now it is safe to believe that God's grace allows us to surrender ourselves entirely...and once we have surrendered (faith alone) then God's grace takes over and leads us on from there.
hmm. it's so interesting and i love it. one thing that Horton talks about is how the modern Christian is turning away from God's Word and seeking complacency, self-satisfaction. we have turned into narcissists, looking to each other for God rather than TO GOD. ever wonder why you might feel so ashamed of yourself, so unworthy of God? it's because you are putting your faith in yourself rather than God. that's why we Christians can get so depressed sometimes. we tend to believe that it's up to us to do everything right...and we forget that God has forgiven us and all He wants is for us to trust Him.
alright, well i'm off to bed.
goodnight.
-matt
but to summarize what i learned, it's basically that since we are created in God's image, we have the natural capacity to righteousness. we are not inherently evil, incapable of holiness--because God is holy, and we are created like Him. however, it is the Fall that causes to be with sin. i guess it's confusing the first time around...i had to reread that section a few times. because of the Fall we are morally incapable of righteousness...but that doesn't take away from our natural capability.
and because we are morally incapable, it takes God's grace to save us. but rather than saying that God's grace "predetermines" us to be saved, i think rather that His grace gives us our faith to believe that He has saved us. and that same faith that we have that God has saved us is the same faith we have in that we can save others (evangelism). but then we can get into free will, and that's a topic i'm not ready to think much on yet. right now it is safe to believe that God's grace allows us to surrender ourselves entirely...and once we have surrendered (faith alone) then God's grace takes over and leads us on from there.
hmm. it's so interesting and i love it. one thing that Horton talks about is how the modern Christian is turning away from God's Word and seeking complacency, self-satisfaction. we have turned into narcissists, looking to each other for God rather than TO GOD. ever wonder why you might feel so ashamed of yourself, so unworthy of God? it's because you are putting your faith in yourself rather than God. that's why we Christians can get so depressed sometimes. we tend to believe that it's up to us to do everything right...and we forget that God has forgiven us and all He wants is for us to trust Him.
alright, well i'm off to bed.
goodnight.
-matt