tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781177764307985822.post6389277793812204699..comments2023-05-06T04:05:32.629-05:00Comments on The One-Man Peanut Gallery: A Most Severe Remedytrogdorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11452996348717802065noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781177764307985822.post-6350942920609832162009-12-30T10:00:22.058-06:002009-12-30T10:00:22.058-06:00I don't think the book, or anyone besides a fe...I don't think the book, or anyone besides a few "Brother Jed" types, are suggesting sinless perfectionism or that the life of a believer is easy. Obviously a lot of scripture is devoted to the struggle and the need to persevere in the fight, and at least one chapter in the book (12, starting on page 143) deals in detail with the question of how new birth relates to ongoing sin.<br /><br />In fact, I'd actually say that the key point is that if we're actually born again, we <i>will</i> struggle with sin. That is, we fight to put it to death and live in a manner worthy of our calling.<br /><br />The real warning is to those who do not struggle, who are content to live under sin's mastery and are completely unconcerned with holiness. Those who live no differently from the obviously-reprobate, who are making no progress in the fight to mortify the flesh, who are not even really trying - they have to seriously question whether they are genuinely born again, whether they are a new creation, whether they can legitimately claim to know Christ.<br /><br />No doubt that's a strong message. But it's no stronger than the warnings Jesus issued (Matthew 7, Sardis/Laodicea, etc).trogdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452996348717802065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781177764307985822.post-46847801568958118012009-12-23T00:26:56.177-06:002009-12-23T00:26:56.177-06:00A pretty strong message (in the book listed). The...A pretty strong message (in the book listed). There seems to be a real fuzziness between "backslidden" and unregenerate. Even St. Paul struggled with the flesh ("I don't what I want to do, and do what I don't want to do" Romans 7). So, if St. Paul admitted that he had a problem with sinning while trying to live the Christian life, can we expect to do it without a real struggle?<br /><br />BuzBuzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05094080172950037337noreply@blogger.com