Poster | Thread | Blayne Member
Joined: 2012/5/27 Posts: 274
| Re: On Perfection by John Wesley | | Hi! 'Murrcolr' Thanks for the Post concerning Heb 6:1.
Ummm, you might find the pamphlet at the below Link helpful because it too relates to Heb 6:1; but from a different viewpoint.
The article is titled "FOUNDATIONS" and can be read here: http://www.tolovejesus.com/index.php/full-gospel-books/foundations
========================== On Perfection by John Wesley by murrcolr on 2008/10/16 16:42:20
"Let us go on to perfection." Hebrews 6:1 ========================== |
| 2012/7/3 17:35 | Profile | SonsofLevi Member
Joined: 2008/10/21 Posts: 107 Richmond, Va. USA
| Re: | | Here's something out of "Spiritual Letters of Archbishop Fenelon" By Francois Fenelon
Christian Perfection
Christian perfection is not the strict, wearisome, constrained thing you suppose. It requires a person to give himself to God with his whole heart, and so soon as this is accomplished, whatever he is called upon to do for God becomes easy. Those who are wholly God's are always satisfied, for they desire only that which He wills, and are ready to do whatever He requires; they are ready to strip themselves of all things, and are sure to find a hundredfold in that nakedness. This hundredfold happiness which the true children of God posess amid all the troubles of this world consists in a peaceful conscience, freedom of spirit, a welcome resignation of all things to God, the joyful sense of His Light ever waxing stronger in their heart, and a thorough deliverance from all tyrannous fears and longings after worldly things. They make sacrifices, but for Him they love best; they suffer, but willingly, and realising such suffering to be better than any worldly joy; their body may be diseased, their mind languid and shrinking, but their will is firm and stedfast, and they can say a hearty Amen to every blow which it pleases God to deal them.
Just a short excerpt from his writings. He did, in fact, write a book titled "Christian Perfection". _________________ R. Evan Gombach
|
| 2012/7/4 0:05 | Profile | PaulWest Member
Joined: 2006/6/28 Posts: 3405 Dallas, Texas
| Re: | | Quote:
Those who are wholly God's are always satisfied, for they desire only that which He wills, and are ready to do whatever He requires; they are ready to strip themselves of all things, and are sure to find a hundredfold in that nakedness. This hundredfold happiness which the true children of God possess amid all the troubles of this world consists in a peaceful conscience, freedom of spirit, a welcome resignation of all things to God, the joyful sense of His Light ever waxing stronger in their heart, and a thorough deliverance from all tyrannous fears and longings after worldly things.
Say what you will about the Roman Catholic mystics, there is something very rich and beautiful to be gleaned from their simplistic understandings of God. I suppose this may have been partly due to their non-partisan doctrinal stance; the sacraments inoculated them from the mind-numbing theological wars of Protestantism. Their soul-energies could be spent elsewhere: in the ascertaining of God's relation to man within the quiet, hidden abode of the heart. A prevalent focus of men like Fenlon, Brother Lawrence, a Kempis and women like Jeanne Guyon was indeed perfection and its soulmate, rest. Two aspects of the Christian walk borne out of union with God that really irks the theologically savvy and throws many a fundamentalist into a tailspin.
Although I relish the Puritans and abhor the RCC system, I must confess that one of the most deeply impacting books I have read - more than any puritan work or sermon by Spurgeon - was a small book by the Roman Catholic nun Jeanne Guyon, written while she was imprisoned in France: "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ" It is probably the most poignant thing I have ever read. Little wonder the church of Rome burned the book and kept her behind bars for years.
_________________ Paul Frederick West
|
| 2012/7/4 0:46 | Profile | SonsofLevi Member
Joined: 2008/10/21 Posts: 107 Richmond, Va. USA
| Re: | | Very nicely articulated. I was highly blessed through the same book about 5 years ago, "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ" by Madame Guyon. Other writings by John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, Miguel de Molinos are also of the highest spiritual value as well. I was blessed very early in my walk with God to "look up" and not "around" in which He led me to these. Never to take away from what Jesus did through Luther, for he was an epic making vessel indeed, but if more Christians read the old Catholic Mystics, perhaps we would have a Reformation within Protestantism! _________________ R. Evan Gombach
|
| 2012/7/4 2:02 | Profile |
|