Three Great Divides

Here are three great, foundational divides:

1. Seeing Jesus as merely a great teacher vs. seeing Him as Lord and Savior. (Obviously the former doesn't threaten our fallen nature, the latter does.)

2. Being willing to worship the creation vs. being willing to worship the Creator. (Obviously it is comfortable to our fallen nature to worship any part of the creation - anything created - rather than to worship He who created all and everything.)

3. Seeking to save ourselves - justify ourselves, have self-righteousness - by our own works vs. seeing our bondage to sin and inability to be holy and righteous by our own works. ("All pagan religions are self-willed and legalistic. They are all the aftereffects and adulterations of the covenant of works. Human beings here consistently try to bring about their own salvation by purifications, ascesis, penance, sacrifice, law observance, ceremony, and so on." [Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 3, pg. 220]) And of course the Gospel message is that Jesus Himself has fulfilled the covenant of works, all the law, for us, which accomplishment we appropriate by simply having faith in Him, which itself is a grace from God. If you don't have it put yourself in the territory where being born again and thus having the grace of faith is potential: the living Word of God. Engage it. Humbly. With dedication. With zeal even. Regeneration happens, when it does happen, by the Word and the Spirit.