“This is the true order of Christian pedagogy— ‘trust in His redeeming blood’ first, and then ‘try his works to do.’ Disaster always follows when the order is reversed.”
-Gresham Machen
The life of obedience to God is only possible out of our gratitude for the free gift of grace we have received through faith in Christ. The law drives us to seek refuge in Christ. It is only through faith in Christ that we can have any hope to obey God.
Showing posts with label Gresham Machen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gresham Machen. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Machen Quote
A quote from Gresham Machen:
“Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin.” Consequently, the church “is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task—she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance.”
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
“Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin.” Consequently, the church “is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task—she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance.”
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Conviction of Sin
A quote from Gresham Machen:
“Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin.” Consequently, the church “is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task—she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance.”
If we take the offense out of the gospel we rob the gospel all its power. Christianity has no power unless it first demolishes the foundation of self reliance in our life. This is the offense of Christianity - we must first deal with the unpleasant condition of our heart before we can accept Jesus. Jesus did not come into the world to save the "healthy". Instead Jesus came to save the sick. We are all spiritually bankrupt. The good news is that Jesus is interested in spiritually bankrupt people. The only question is if we are willing to admit our spiritual bankruptcy to Jesus and ask for his death to cover our sin.
“Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin.” Consequently, the church “is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task—she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance.”
If we take the offense out of the gospel we rob the gospel all its power. Christianity has no power unless it first demolishes the foundation of self reliance in our life. This is the offense of Christianity - we must first deal with the unpleasant condition of our heart before we can accept Jesus. Jesus did not come into the world to save the "healthy". Instead Jesus came to save the sick. We are all spiritually bankrupt. The good news is that Jesus is interested in spiritually bankrupt people. The only question is if we are willing to admit our spiritual bankruptcy to Jesus and ask for his death to cover our sin.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Lack of Progress
Machen on progress or lack there of:
“Scientific investigation, as has already been observed, has certainly accomplished much; it has in many respects produced a new world. But there is another aspect of the picture which should not be ignored. The modern world represents in some respects an enormous improvement over the world in which our ancestors lived; but in other respects it exhibits a lamentable decline. The improvements appear in the physical conditions of life, but in the spiritual realm there is a corresponding loss. The loss is clearest, perhaps, in the realm of art. Despite the mighty revolution which has been produced in the external conditions of life, no great poet is now living to celebrate the change; humanity has suddenly become done. Gone, too, are the great painters and the great musicians and the great sculptors. The art that still subsists is largely imitative, and were it is not imitative it is usually bizarre.”
“Scientific investigation, as has already been observed, has certainly accomplished much; it has in many respects produced a new world. But there is another aspect of the picture which should not be ignored. The modern world represents in some respects an enormous improvement over the world in which our ancestors lived; but in other respects it exhibits a lamentable decline. The improvements appear in the physical conditions of life, but in the spiritual realm there is a corresponding loss. The loss is clearest, perhaps, in the realm of art. Despite the mighty revolution which has been produced in the external conditions of life, no great poet is now living to celebrate the change; humanity has suddenly become done. Gone, too, are the great painters and the great musicians and the great sculptors. The art that still subsists is largely imitative, and were it is not imitative it is usually bizarre.”
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Machen Quotes
A couple quotes by Machen that I like:
“The next thing less than the infinite is infinitely less.”
“Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin.” Consequently, the church “is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task—she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance.”
“This is the true order of Christian pedagogy— ‘trust in His redeeming blood’ first, and then ‘try his works to do.’ Disaster always follows when the order is reversed.”
“The next thing less than the infinite is infinitely less.”
“Modern preachers are trying to bring men into the church without requiring them to relinquish their pride; they are trying to help men avoid the conviction of sin.” Consequently, the church “is busily engaged in an absolutely impossible task—she is busily engaged in calling the righteous to repentance.”
“This is the true order of Christian pedagogy— ‘trust in His redeeming blood’ first, and then ‘try his works to do.’ Disaster always follows when the order is reversed.”
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Nature of Mankind
"The thing that we regard as surprising is that any member of the human race, any of those excellent creatures known as men, who are supposed to be doing the best they can and be guilty, at the most, of merely trifling and thoroughly forgivable faults, should ever fall under divine displeasure. But the thing the Bible regards as surprising is that any of those fallen creatures known as men, all of whom without exception deserve God’s wrath and curse, should be received into eternal life. We regard it as surprising that any are lost: the Bible regards it as surprising that any are saved. Naturally it is the surprising or unexpected thing that upon which the chief stress is laid. It is for that reason, or at least partly for that reason, that the Biblical doctrine of predestination is concerned chiefly with the predestination of the saved to their salvation rather than with the predestination of the unsaved to their eternal loss." – Gresham Machen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)