Monday, April 23, 2012

JUSTIFICATION ASSAULTED


“Satan uses two types of pride to keep us trusting in the worth or our own grace. One I call mannerly pride, the other, a self-applauding pride.
This doctrine of justification by faith has had more assaults made against it than any other teaching in Scripture. Indeed, many other errors were but the enemy's sly approaches to get nearer to undermine this one. When Satan cannot hide the truth, he works to hinder the practical application of it. Thus you see Christians who speak in defense of justification by faith, yet their attitude and actions contradict their profession. Like Abraham, when he went in to Hagar, they tried to accomplish God's purpose by a carnal plan. All these efforts that seem so noble are really baseborn, for they are rooted in pride.
At bottom, pride in your own abilities is what keeps you working for righteousness. You keep trying to pray harder, working to be a better Christian, laboring to have more faith. You keep telling yourself, "I can do it!" but you will soon find your own grace insufficient for even the smallest task, and your joy will run out at the crannies (a narrow opening, as in a wall or rock face; chink; crevice) of your imperfect duties and weak graces. The language of pride hankers after the covenant of works. The only way out of this trap is to let the new covenant cut the cord of the old one, and acknowledge that the grace of Christ supersedes the works of the law.
Satan uses two types of pride to keep us trusting in the worth of our own grace. One I call a mannerly pride; the other, a self-applauding pride.
Mannerly pride tiptoes in, disguised as humility. This is a soul that weeps and mourns for its vile condition, yet refuses to be comforted. It is true-- not one of us can paint our sins black enough to do them justice. But think how you discredit God's mercy and Christ's merit when you say they are not enough to buy your pardon! Can you find no better way to show your sense of sin than to malign the Savior? Are you unwilling to be in Christ's debt for your salvation, or too proud to beg His forgiveness?” 


Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617

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