 |
 |
| This ecard created with Smilebox |
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
HAVING A HUMBLE OPINION OF SELF
EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.
If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.
The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?
If you wish to learn and appreciate something worthwhile, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.
If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.
The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?
If you wish to learn and appreciate something worthwhile, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas E Kempis
Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing." Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing." Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Christian Perfection (Wesley)
On Monday, June 25, 1744, our First Conference began; six Clergymen and all our Preachers being present. The next morning we seriously considered the doctrine of sanctification, or perfection. The questions asked concerning it, and the substance of the answers given, were as follows: —
QUESTION: What is it to be sanctified?
ANSWER: To be renewed in the image of God, ‘in righteousness and true holiness.’
Q: What is implied in being a perfect Christian?
A: The loving God with all our heart, and mind, and soul. (Deuteronomy 6:5.)
Q: Does this imply, that all inward sin is taken away?
A: Undoubtedly; or how can we be said to be ‘saved from all our uncleanliness?’ (Ezekiel 36:29.)”
Our Second Conference began August 1, 1745. The next morning we spoke of sanctification as follows: —
Q. When does inward sanctification begin?
A. In the moment a man is justified. (Yet sin remains in him, yea, the seed of all sin, till he is sanctified throughout.) From that time a believer gradually dies to sin, and grows in grace.
Q. Is this ordinarily given till a little before death?
A. It is not, to those who expect it no sooner.
Q. But may we expect it sooner?
A. Why not? For, although we grant,
(1.) What the generality of believers, whom we have hitherto known, were not so sanctified till near death;
(2.) That few of those to whom St. Paul wrote his Epistles were so at that time; nor,
(3.) He himself at the time of writing his former Epistles; yet all this does not prove, that we may not be so today.
Q. In what manner should we preach sanctification?
A. Scarce at all to those who are not pressing forward: To those who are, always by way of promise; always drawing, rather than driving.”
QUESTION: What is it to be sanctified?
ANSWER: To be renewed in the image of God, ‘in righteousness and true holiness.’
Q: What is implied in being a perfect Christian?
A: The loving God with all our heart, and mind, and soul. (Deuteronomy 6:5.)
Q: Does this imply, that all inward sin is taken away?
A: Undoubtedly; or how can we be said to be ‘saved from all our uncleanliness?’ (Ezekiel 36:29.)”
Our Second Conference began August 1, 1745. The next morning we spoke of sanctification as follows: —
Q. When does inward sanctification begin?
A. In the moment a man is justified. (Yet sin remains in him, yea, the seed of all sin, till he is sanctified throughout.) From that time a believer gradually dies to sin, and grows in grace.
Q. Is this ordinarily given till a little before death?
A. It is not, to those who expect it no sooner.
Q. But may we expect it sooner?
A. Why not? For, although we grant,
(1.) What the generality of believers, whom we have hitherto known, were not so sanctified till near death;
(2.) That few of those to whom St. Paul wrote his Epistles were so at that time; nor,
(3.) He himself at the time of writing his former Epistles; yet all this does not prove, that we may not be so today.
Q. In what manner should we preach sanctification?
A. Scarce at all to those who are not pressing forward: To those who are, always by way of promise; always drawing, rather than driving.”
Friday, March 19, 2010
THE PROMISE OF SANCTIFICATION
Ezekiel 36:25, etc…
BY THE REV. CHARLES WESLEY
GOD of all power, and truth, and grace,
Which shall from age to age endure;
Whose word, when heaven and earth shall pass,
Remains, and stands forever sure:
Calmly to thee my soul looks up,
And waits thy promises to prove;
The object of my steadfast hope,
The seal of thine eternal love.
That I thy mercy may proclaim,
That all mankind thy truth may see,
Hallow thy great and glorious name,
And perfect holiness in me.
Chose from the world, if now I stand
Adorn’d in righteousness divine
If, brought unto the promised land,
I justly call the Savior mine;
Perform the work thou hast begun,
My inmost soul to thee convert:
Love me, forever love thine own,
And sprinkle with thy blood my heart.
Thy sanctifying Spirit pour,
To quench my thirst and wash me clean;
Now, Father, let the gracious shower
Descend and make me pure from sin.
Purge me from every sinful blot;
My idols all be cast aside:
Cleanse me from every evil thought,
From all the filth of self and pride.
Give me a new, a perfect heart,
From doubts and fear, and sorrow free;
The mind which was in Christ impart,
And let my spirit cleave to thee.
O take this heart of stone away!
(Thy rule it doth not, cannot own;)
In me no longer let it stay:
O take away this heart of stone!
The hatred of my carnal mind
Out of my flesh at once remove;
Give me a tender heart, resign’d,
And pure, and fill’d with faith and love.
Within me thy good Spirit place,
Spirit of health, and love, and power;
Plant in me thy victorious grace,
And sin shall never enter more.
Cause me to walk in Christ my Way,
And I thy statutes shall fulfill;
In every point thy law obey,
And perfectly perform thy will.
Hast thou not said, who canst not lie,
That I thy law shall keep and do?
Lord, I believe, though men deny;
They all are false, but thou art true.
O that I now, from sin released,
Thy word might to the utmost prove!
Enter into the promised rest,
The Canaan of thy perfect love!
There let me ever, ever dwell;
Be thou my God, and I will be
Thy servant: O set to thy seal!
Give me eternal life in thee.
From all remaining filth within
Let me in thee salvation have:
From actual and from inbred sin
My ransom’d soul persist to save.
Wash out my old orig’nal stain:
Tell me no more it cannot be,
Demons or men! The Lamb was slain,
His blood was all pour’d out for me!
Sprinkle it, Jesus, on my heart:
One drop of thy all-cleansing blood
Shall make my sinfulness depart,
And fill me with the life of God.
Father, supply my every need;
Sustain the life thyself hast given;
Call for the corn, the living bread,
The manna that comes down from heaven.
The gracious fruits of righteousness,
Thy blessings’ unexhausted store,
In me abundantly increase;
Nor let me ever hunger more.
Let me no more, in deep complaint,
“My leanness, O my leanness!” cry;
Alone consumed with pining want,
Of all my Father’s children I!
The painful thirst, the fond desire,
Thy joyous presence shall remove;
While my full soul doth still require
The whole eternity of love.
Holy and true, and righteous Lord,
I wait to prove thy perfect will;
Be mindful of thy gracious word,
And stamp me with thy Spirit’s seal!
Thy faithful mercies let me find,
In which thou causest me trust;
Give me thy meek and lowly mind,
And lay my spirit in the dust.
Show me how foul my heart hath been,
When all renew’d by grace I am:
When thou hast emptied me of sin,
Show me the fullness of my shame.
Open my faith’s interior eye,
Display thy glory from above;
And all I am shall sink and die,
Lost in astonishment and love.
Confound, overpower me with thy grace;
I would be by myself abhorr’d;
(All might, all majesty, all praise,
All glory be to Christ my Lord!)
Now let me gain perfection’s height!
Now let me into nothing fall!
Be less than nothing in my sight,
And feel that Christ is all in all!
BY THE REV. CHARLES WESLEY
GOD of all power, and truth, and grace,
Which shall from age to age endure;
Whose word, when heaven and earth shall pass,
Remains, and stands forever sure:
Calmly to thee my soul looks up,
And waits thy promises to prove;
The object of my steadfast hope,
The seal of thine eternal love.
That I thy mercy may proclaim,
That all mankind thy truth may see,
Hallow thy great and glorious name,
And perfect holiness in me.
Chose from the world, if now I stand
Adorn’d in righteousness divine
If, brought unto the promised land,
I justly call the Savior mine;
Perform the work thou hast begun,
My inmost soul to thee convert:
Love me, forever love thine own,
And sprinkle with thy blood my heart.
Thy sanctifying Spirit pour,
To quench my thirst and wash me clean;
Now, Father, let the gracious shower
Descend and make me pure from sin.
Purge me from every sinful blot;
My idols all be cast aside:
Cleanse me from every evil thought,
From all the filth of self and pride.
Give me a new, a perfect heart,
From doubts and fear, and sorrow free;
The mind which was in Christ impart,
And let my spirit cleave to thee.
O take this heart of stone away!
(Thy rule it doth not, cannot own;)
In me no longer let it stay:
O take away this heart of stone!
The hatred of my carnal mind
Out of my flesh at once remove;
Give me a tender heart, resign’d,
And pure, and fill’d with faith and love.
Within me thy good Spirit place,
Spirit of health, and love, and power;
Plant in me thy victorious grace,
And sin shall never enter more.
Cause me to walk in Christ my Way,
And I thy statutes shall fulfill;
In every point thy law obey,
And perfectly perform thy will.
Hast thou not said, who canst not lie,
That I thy law shall keep and do?
Lord, I believe, though men deny;
They all are false, but thou art true.
O that I now, from sin released,
Thy word might to the utmost prove!
Enter into the promised rest,
The Canaan of thy perfect love!
There let me ever, ever dwell;
Be thou my God, and I will be
Thy servant: O set to thy seal!
Give me eternal life in thee.
From all remaining filth within
Let me in thee salvation have:
From actual and from inbred sin
My ransom’d soul persist to save.
Wash out my old orig’nal stain:
Tell me no more it cannot be,
Demons or men! The Lamb was slain,
His blood was all pour’d out for me!
Sprinkle it, Jesus, on my heart:
One drop of thy all-cleansing blood
Shall make my sinfulness depart,
And fill me with the life of God.
Father, supply my every need;
Sustain the life thyself hast given;
Call for the corn, the living bread,
The manna that comes down from heaven.
The gracious fruits of righteousness,
Thy blessings’ unexhausted store,
In me abundantly increase;
Nor let me ever hunger more.
Let me no more, in deep complaint,
“My leanness, O my leanness!” cry;
Alone consumed with pining want,
Of all my Father’s children I!
The painful thirst, the fond desire,
Thy joyous presence shall remove;
While my full soul doth still require
The whole eternity of love.
Holy and true, and righteous Lord,
I wait to prove thy perfect will;
Be mindful of thy gracious word,
And stamp me with thy Spirit’s seal!
Thy faithful mercies let me find,
In which thou causest me trust;
Give me thy meek and lowly mind,
And lay my spirit in the dust.
Show me how foul my heart hath been,
When all renew’d by grace I am:
When thou hast emptied me of sin,
Show me the fullness of my shame.
Open my faith’s interior eye,
Display thy glory from above;
And all I am shall sink and die,
Lost in astonishment and love.
Confound, overpower me with thy grace;
I would be by myself abhorr’d;
(All might, all majesty, all praise,
All glory be to Christ my Lord!)
Now let me gain perfection’s height!
Now let me into nothing fall!
Be less than nothing in my sight,
And feel that Christ is all in all!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
WESLEY'S CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.
Philippians 3:12.
1. THERE is scarce any expression in holy writ, which has given more offense than this. The word perfect is what many cannot bear. The very sound of it is an abomination to them; and whosoever preaches perfection, (as the phrase is,) that is, asserts that it is attainable in this life, runs great hazard of being accounted by them worse than a heathen man or a publican.
2. And hence some have advised, wholly to lay aside the use of those expressions; “because they have given so great offense.” But are they not found in the oracles of God? If so, by what authority can any Messenger of God lay them aside, even though all men should be offended? We have not so learned Christ; neither may we thus give place to the devil. Whatsoever God hath spoken, that will we speak, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear; knowing that then alone can any Minister of Christ be “pure from the blood of all men,” when he hath “not shunned to declare unto them all the counsel of God.”
3. We may not, therefore, lay these expressions aside, seeing they are the words of God and not of man. But we may and ought to explain the meaning of them; that those who are sincere of heart may not err to the right hand or left, from the mark of the prize of their high calling. And this is the more needful to be done, because, in the verse already repeated, the Apostle speaks of himself as not perfect: “Not.” saith he, “as though I were already perfect.” And yet immediately after, in the fifteenth verse, he 9 speaks of himself, yea, and many others, as perfect: “Let us,” saith he, “as many as be perfect, be thus minded.”
4. In order, therefore, to remove the difficulty arising from this seeming contradiction, as well as to give light to them who are pressing forward to the mark, and that those who are lame be not turned out of the way, I shall endeavor to show, First, In what sense Christians are not; and, Secondly, In what sense they are, perfect.
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.
Philippians 3:12.
1. THERE is scarce any expression in holy writ, which has given more offense than this. The word perfect is what many cannot bear. The very sound of it is an abomination to them; and whosoever preaches perfection, (as the phrase is,) that is, asserts that it is attainable in this life, runs great hazard of being accounted by them worse than a heathen man or a publican.
2. And hence some have advised, wholly to lay aside the use of those expressions; “because they have given so great offense.” But are they not found in the oracles of God? If so, by what authority can any Messenger of God lay them aside, even though all men should be offended? We have not so learned Christ; neither may we thus give place to the devil. Whatsoever God hath spoken, that will we speak, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear; knowing that then alone can any Minister of Christ be “pure from the blood of all men,” when he hath “not shunned to declare unto them all the counsel of God.”
3. We may not, therefore, lay these expressions aside, seeing they are the words of God and not of man. But we may and ought to explain the meaning of them; that those who are sincere of heart may not err to the right hand or left, from the mark of the prize of their high calling. And this is the more needful to be done, because, in the verse already repeated, the Apostle speaks of himself as not perfect: “Not.” saith he, “as though I were already perfect.” And yet immediately after, in the fifteenth verse, he 9 speaks of himself, yea, and many others, as perfect: “Let us,” saith he, “as many as be perfect, be thus minded.”
4. In order, therefore, to remove the difficulty arising from this seeming contradiction, as well as to give light to them who are pressing forward to the mark, and that those who are lame be not turned out of the way, I shall endeavor to show, First, In what sense Christians are not; and, Secondly, In what sense they are, perfect.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)