Finished Reading “Heretics”

-
Image
  "G. K. Chesterton, the "Prince of Paradox," is at his witty best in this collection of twenty essays and articles from the turn of the twentieth century. Focusing on  "heretics" - those who pride themselves on their superiority to Christian views - Chesterton appraises prominent figures who fall into that category from the literary and art worlds... those who hold incomplete and inadequate views about "life, the universe, and everything." He is, in short, criticizing all that host of non-Christian views of reality, as he demonstrated in his follow-up book Orthodoxy. The book is both an easy read and a difficult read. But he manages to demonstrate, among other things, that our new 21st century heresies are really not new because he himself deals with most of them." (Goodreads)

The BIG question is . . .

-

What do the following verses teach about our holy standing before God?

  • Romans 5:19: we are made righteous by the obedience of Christ.
  • Hebrews 10:10: we are made holy by the offering of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Peter 3:18: our Lord Jesus Christ died for sins in order to bring us to God.

What do the following verses teach about holy living?

  • Ephesians 4:1, 30: walk in the manner consistent with our calling, holy; do not grieve the Holy Spirit through inconsistency, which is disobedience.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:7: God did not call us to be impure, but holy.
  • Titus 2:11-12: salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness, worldly lusts and teaches us to live sensibly, righteously and godly.

Why is holiness not optional for the Christian?

  • Psalm 66:18: Holding on to the sin from which He saved us shows how serious we are about our walk in holiness--God will not hear us when we pray!
  • Romans 8:13-14: Die if you want to live. Be led by the Spirit of God, as a child of God does.
  • 2 Timothy 2:21: to be useful to our Master, we must be clean.
  • 1 John 1:6: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Here's the big question for your discussion: if God "just forgives," can He demand holiness of the unrepentant, one who will not turn from their sin?

Popular posts from this blog

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...
Read more

Rock Me, Epictetus!

-
Image
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8 
Read more