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11.15.2005

High standards, effort, and the Holy Spirit



Word of God + Effort = Sanctification

(Sanctification happens on the foundation of regeneration. Regeneration means you now have the ability to do.)

~ ~ ~

Doctrine + Doctrine = Warped Doctrine (even if you start out - or at some point get to - on-the-mark doctrine, you will inevitably get warped with doctrine if you refuse to practice what doctrine you learn).

Doctrine + Practice = Understanding (where Understanding includes Memory and Will as well).

If you listen to even the most orthodox (biblically on-the-mark regarding doctrine) theologians and church leaders you will hear them, sort of mentally groping, finally come to a justification for their notion that a Christian is to make no effort in this: people must hear the same truths over and over and over, because we forget. In other words: that is what Christianity is all about, repeating doctrine over and over and over.

Hebrews 6:1 just doesn't exist for them.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God...

The word 'perfection' scares them as well. The very Word of God scares them. (Unto perfection doesn't mean you have to achieve the absolute called perfection any more than a sprinter who attempts to run 100 meters under 10 seconds absolutely has to do that to develop as an athlete. If he starts at 12 seconds and gets to 10.5 he is developing 'unto perfection'. In the direction of perfection. Only God is perfect! That should not be a revelation... And when you are talking about ability to glorify God and developing inner being and inner unity and command and things that go to essence you are talking about something that won't necessarily go away, like athletic ability will go away.)

The theologians and church leaders mentioned above would be at 12 seconds and say, "God be praised, when the competition starts I'll run it under 10 without indulging any vanity in thinking I can make efforts to get there myself!" When the competition starts they'll be met with what the guy who decided it was 'best' to bury his talent in the ground was met with: rebuke from God Himself.

(Memorize something, theologians and church leaders: when you speak of justification speak of 'absolute'; when you speak of sanctification speak of 'degree'. Yes, yes, yes, sanctification is spoken of as well in Scripture as done, yet it is also a process, is it not? Either it is or it isn't. If Scripture tells you to mortify your sinful nature that means you are involved in a process. A matter of degree, not an absolute. Justification is a matter of an absolute. Sanctification is an absolute only to the basic degree that you are made righteous enough to enter the Kingdom of God now, once regenerated and justified. But the program, as the Word of God lays it out, is for you to use that 'basic level' of sanctification as your foundation to build upon and develop. Develop by the Holy Spirit and by your effort. Unto perfection.)

Another justification for no effort theologians and church leaders use is this: "Christians are hurting. They're 'broken reeds'. We can't talk about effort and moving on 'unto perfection' when the people in our churches are so ignorant and weak. Some of them have criminal tendencies! We must be careful not to put too much on them... They can't all have my seminary education! My God, look how hard it is to just read the Bible! We didn't even do that in seminary! Ha, ha... Ahem..." Yes, justify no-effort because the most currently ignorant, the most currently weak, and the most currently f***ed up are among us. Well...you're part of them. You can't see it, but you're just as ignorant and weak and f***ed up, in ways you have no clue about, as those you use for your justification to make no effort in sanctification...

You'd be amazed how quickly humans can shape up, though, when challenged and given the real thing. Especially when they have real leaders... There's something about high standards, effort, and the Holy Spirit that kind of go together.

+++

Postscript: There's no one in the Christian blogosphere who could have written this post. And there is no one in the Christian blogosphere who will ever link this post. This says it all. When all of the mainstream of Christianity can be rebuked and shown up by a common outcast, a stranger in this world, in this world not of this world, separated out of the world, no-formal-education, no worldly standing, mocked for professing the goal to read the Word of God complete, a mere lowly follower of Jesus Christ...when you all can be rebuked so easily and so unanswerably by someone like me you need to step back and take a look at yourselves. You need to wake up.

Now it is high time to awaken out of sleep..., Rom. 13:11.

You're the blind leading the blind. Some of you at the front, some of you at the back.

15 Comments:

Blogger c.t. said...

Repeat after me: high standards, effort, and the Holy Spirit kind of go together...

November 15, 2005 at 6:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

*Twilight Zone theme*

November 16, 2005 at 6:43 AM  
Blogger c.t. said...

It's a good trinity: High Standards, Effort, and the Holy Spirit.

I may have inadvertantly written my motto on another blog:

I'm not only a genius, but I know what I'm talking about.

November 16, 2005 at 7:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

c.t.= looney tunes

November 16, 2005 at 4:23 PM  
Blogger LPC said...

Has some f words, I am at a lost as to what I am reading. It can not be happening. A bit of anger here too. Surely a godly woman like CT could be posting this, I have so much respect for her and admire her fearless articulation of her conviction.

November 16, 2005 at 8:29 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
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fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck iMonk fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

There. You're still in one piece, aren't you?

November 16, 2005 at 8:35 PM  
Blogger LPC said...

Of course, I am still in one piece, my world will not end if you decide to release rage. The above does not seem to jive with what you preach. I was shocked but I understand human nature. Out of the abundance of our heart, our mouth speaks.

November 17, 2005 at 1:49 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

The fuck comment is not rage, I.P., it's comedy. Find the iMonk...

(Do all you mainstream Christians play this propagandistic 'just say anything' game?)

Max, you new age devil accusor you... "Where is your joy, Christian...? Where is your bliss?"

When a question like "What brings joy to your life, eh, your honor, request permission to rephrase the question; that is to say, defendant, what brings joy to your life and in what ways do you share that joy with others...defendant, in what ways...?"

JUDGE: "Permission denied. It's a creepy question."

PROSECUTOR: "But, your honor-"

JUDGE: "Denied."

ME: "I'll take a crack at answering the creepy question if he's all upset about it being-"

JUDGE: "Denied. The defendant will not answer the question. I won't have creepy questions being put forth in my courtroom."

November 17, 2005 at 4:05 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

Max, it's a lame question, and it's a disingenuous question. You don't care about the answer. You are painting me as joyless and selfish. Wonderful.

Now I'll ask you a question: why do you play such games with people?

November 17, 2005 at 4:15 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

Max, I think you're very aware of your own smell.

And, no, seeing a small child makes me shiver with uncontrollable hatred...

November 18, 2005 at 10:20 AM  
Blogger c.t. said...

Your humorlessness, feigned or not, marks you as a follower of a certain monk...

November 18, 2005 at 3:44 PM  
Blogger LPC said...

CT.

I am sorry, your behavior betrays what you preach and teach. For a preacher of righteous, you got one sick humor. Well, I have seen a lot of crazy things done and said in the name of Christianity so...call me art-less.

November 18, 2005 at 7:46 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

My God you church boys are shallow.

He asks me a lame question: "Do you feel joy when you see a small child?"

What do you think the answer to that disingenuous question would be?

Go get some experience in life. To be so blind to irony I can't imagine how you're seeing anything in the Bible to begin with...

November 18, 2005 at 8:19 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

I.P., no hard feelings. You don't have to appreciate my humor.

The fact is, as well, we are on the same page regarding RCism. On justification we agree it is all God's work...

November 18, 2005 at 8:57 PM  
Blogger c.t. said...

>I mean, does joking bring you joy?

You're quite a machine of question formulating.

Joy... You want me to say the world brings me joy, but I'm a Christian. I make hardcore assessments and valuations regarding the world. I'm in this world, but not of this world. I'm a stranger in this world. From the perspective of the world I'm a joke because my hope and joy, if you will, is in a higher world. And regarding people my joy is only in seeing them awaken. A rare sight.

November 19, 2005 at 6:00 PM  

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