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MaryJane
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Joined: 2006/7/31
Posts: 3057


 A thought to ponder from times past...

April 22, 1840

I have been, within the last two or three years, deeply impressed with the fact, that so many professors of religion are coming to the ripe conviction that they never knew Christ. There have been in this place almost continual developments of this fact, and I doubt whether there is a minister in the land who will present Christ as the gospel presents Him, in all the fulness of His official relations to mankind, who will not be struck and agonized with developments that will assure him that the great mass of professors of religion do not know the Savior. It has been to my own mind a painful and a serious question, what I ought to think of the spiritual state of those who know so little of the blessed Jesus. That none of them have been converted, I dare not say. And yet, that they have been converted, I am afraid to say. I would not for the world “quench the smoking flax or break the bruised reed,” or say any thing to stumble or weaken the feeblest lamb of Christ; and yet my heart is sore pained, my soul is sick; my bowels of compassion yearn over the Church of the blessed God. O, the dear Church of Christ! What does she know in her present state of gospel rest, of that “great and perfect peace they have whose minds are stayed on God”?

 2016/2/1 9:31Profile









 Re: A thought to ponder from times past...

Hi MJ, it seems like in every generation this question must be addressed and with the same agonies that this preacher addressed the subject. I believe it ti be a generational thing. Someone gets gloriously saved and then raises children in the faith, but as we know, there are no grandchildren in the Kingdom of heaven, everyone must lay hold of Jesus him or herself and be genuinely born again of the Spirit and not be " christian," by accident of birth or willingness to please parents or cultural norms.

Wilberforce , best known for abolition of slavery and friend of John Newton wrote a book called " Real Christianity,' in which he addressed this very subject, what it means to be a real Christian. Whitfield wrote a circular letter in which he claimed almost all of the clergy of the Church of England new nothing of the new birth. Bonheffer in his classic " The Cost of Discipleship," in the first few chapters writes about the second generation of the reformers. He claims that the majority, in that short period of time, one generation, now had a mere mental assent to an abstract truth. Ravenhill raised the same issue by claiming a mere 5% of professing Christians were actually born again. Paris Reidhead also raises the same issue and says that just because you can say yes to a serious of questions does not make you a Christian...............bro Frank

 2016/2/1 11:13









 Re:

I read that this morning MaryJane, and really liked it.

 2016/2/1 18:02





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