SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : This wretched state of sin and temptation by John Newton

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( 1 | 2 | 3 Next Page )
PosterThread
sermonindex
Moderator



Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 39795
Canada

Online!
 This wretched state of sin and temptation by John Newton


[b]This wretched state of sin and temptation[/b]

(Letters of John Newton)

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death!" Romans 7:24

Though we can fall of ourselves--we cannot rise without God's help! Indeed, every sin, in its own nature, has a tendency towards a final apostasy! By our repeated slips and falls into sin, we gain a more emphatic conviction of our own vileness and depravity; and we experimentally learn and feel our own weakness.

In His own time, Jesus returns to convince, humble, pardon, comfort and renew the soul. We begin at length to learn that we are nothing, have nothing, call do nothing--but sin! And thus we are gradually prepared to live more outside of ourselves--and to derive all our sufficiency of every kind from Jesus, the fountain of all grace. We learn to tread more warily; to trust less to our own strength; to have lower thoughts of ourselves, and higher thoughts of Jesus!

This wretched state of sin and temptation, makes the thoughts of death and eternity desirable. Then this conflict shall cease! Then I shall sin and wander no more, shall see Him as he is, and be like Him forever!


_________________
SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2008/10/18 10:14Profile
tjservant
Member



Joined: 2006/8/25
Posts: 1658
Indiana USA

 Re: This wretched state of sin and temptation by John Newton

Quote:
This wretched state of sin and temptation, makes the thoughts of death and eternity desirable.



Amen.

Thanks for posting this brother.


_________________
TJ

 2008/10/18 14:44Profile
mamaluk
Member



Joined: 2006/6/12
Posts: 524


 Re: This wretched state of sin and temptation by John Newton

[i]Every[/i] word on this post hits home for me..sin, this time around, proves to be anything but pleasurable, but rather, suffocating and miserable..better yet, pure torment to the soul!!

Quote:
This wretched state of sin and temptation, makes the thoughts of death and eternity desirable. Then this conflict shall cease! Then I shall sin and wander no more, shall see Him as he is, and be like Him forever!



Amen indeed!

 2008/10/18 16:14Profile









 Re: This wretched state of sin and temptation by John Newton

Quote:
By our repeated slips and falls into sin, we gain a more emphatic conviction of our own vileness and depravity; and we experimentally learn and feel our own weakness.



This sounds like in our repeating of sin, God uses it to weaken our state to understand our total depravity?

Quote:
In His own time, Jesus returns to convince, humble, pardon, comfort and renew the soul. We begin at length to learn that we are nothing, have nothing, call do nothing--but sin! And thus we are gradually prepared to live more outside of ourselves--and to derive all our sufficiency of every kind from Jesus, the fountain of all grace.



Just curious, I read one discussion that was saying that God allows sin in our life to mold us.

 2008/10/19 9:13
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: This wretched state of sin and temptation by John Newton

Quote:
This sounds like in our repeating of sin, God uses it to weaken our state to understand our total depravity?



Yes, somewhat so I believe.

(Loved this excerpt from John Newton as well received it last night via email. For those who may not know, you can subscribe to this via http://www.gracegems.org/ )

Quote:
Just curious, I read one discussion that was saying that God allows sin in our life to mold us.



Had the same exact thought brother, in fact had been trying to recollect just who it was some days ago. I am thinking it might have been Brooks or Watson and I seem to recall that Paul West might have originally posted it - tried a search and couldn't come up with anything, maybe he might be able to come to our assistance. It was a tremendous and I want to say almost dangerous treatment, something that could be easily misconstrued but truth nevertheless.


_________________
Mike Balog

 2008/10/19 10:07Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 The truth of the matter

Today's installemnt from Grace Gems.

[b]Exercises of sin and grace[/b]

([url=http://www.gracegems.org/Newton/John_Newton1.htm]Letters of John Newton[/url])

Alas, how vain is man! [i]What a contradiction is a believer to himself![/i]

If I were to describe him from the [b]Scriptural[/b] portrait--I would say that he is one whose heart is athirst for God, for His glory, and for His presence; that his affections are fixed upon an unseen Savior; that his treasures, and consequently his thoughts, are on eternal realities, far beyond the bounds of sense. Having experienced much God's forgiveness, he is full of mercy and forgiveness to all around. Having been often deceived by his own heart, he dares trust it no more--but lives by faith in the Son of God--for wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and derives from Him grace upon grace; sensible that without Him--he has not sufficiency even to think a good thought! In short--he is dead to the [i]world[/i], to [i]sin[/i], to [i]self[/i]; but alive to God, and lively in His service. Prayer is his breath, the Word of God is his food, and Christ is more precious to him than the light of the sun. Such is a believer--in his [i]judgment[/i] and [i]prevailing desires[/i].

But was I to describe him from [b]his actual experience[/b], especially at some times--[i]how different would the picture be![/i]

Though he knows that [i]communion with God[/i] is his highest privilege, he too seldom finds it so; on the contrary, if duty, conscience, and necessity did not compel him--he would leave the throne of grace unvisited from day to day!

He takes up the [i]Bible[/i], conscious that it is the fountain of life and true comfort; yet perhaps, while he is making the reflection, he feels a secret distaste, which prompts him to lay it down, and give his preference to a newspaper!

He needs not to be told of the vanity and uncertainty of [i]the world[/i], and all beneath the sun; and yet he is almost as much elated or cast down by a [i]trifle[/i]--as those who have their only portion in this world!

He believes that all things shall work together for his good, and that the most high God appoints, adjusts, and overrules all of his concerns; yet he feels the risings of fear, anxiety, and displeasure, as though the contrary was true!

He owns himself to be ignorant, and liable to be deceived by a thousand fallacies; yet he is easily betrayed into flattering views of himself, and self-conceit! He feels himself to be an unprofitable, unfaithful, unthankful servant--and therefore blushes to harbor a thought of desiring the esteem and commendations of men--yet he cannot suppress it!

By these [b][color=CC0000]exercises of sin and grace[/color][/b]--the Lord teaches us more truly to know and feel the utter depravity and corruption of our whole nature--that we are indeed defiled in every part! His method of salvation is hereby exceedingly endeared to us! We see that it is and must be of [b]grace[/b], wholly of grace; and that the Lord Jesus Christ, and His perfect righteousness, is and must be--our all in all.

God's [b]power[/b] likewise, in maintaining His own work, notwithstanding our [i]infirmities, temptations, and enemies[/i]--is hereby displayed in the clearest light; His strength is manifested in our weakness!

Satan likewise, is more remarkably disappointed and put to shame--when he finds bounds set to his rage and wiles, beyond which he cannot pass; and that those in whom he finds so much evil to work upon, and over whom he so often prevails for a season--escape at last out of his hands!
He casts them down--but they are raised again!
He wounds them--but they are healed!
He obtains his desire to sift them as wheat--but the prayer of their great Advocate prevails for the maintenance of their faith!

Further, by what believers feel in themselves--they learn by degrees how to warn, pity, and bear with others. A soft, patient, and compassionate spirit, and a readiness and skill in comforting those who are cast down--is not perhaps attainable in any other way!

I believe that nothing more habitually reconciles a child of God to the thought of [b]death[/b], than the wearisomeness of this [i]warfare with sin and temptation.[/i] Death is unwelcome to human nature. But the Christian knows that not until death--will the conflict cease! Then we shall sin no more! The flesh, with all its attendant evils, will be laid in the grave. Then the soul, which has been partaker of a new and heavenly birth, shall be freed from every encumbrance, and stand perfect in the Redeemer's righteousness before God in eternal glory! When we see Jesus, we shall be transformed into His image--and be done with sin and sorrow forever!

http://www.gracegems.org/

(Font embelishments extant in the original)


_________________
Mike Balog

 2008/10/19 11:33Profile
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re: The truth of the matter

Brother, this is excellent stuff. Newton knew a ton (sorry, couldn't resist) about the true nature of man, and the dichotomy that goes on between the spirit and the flesh. He was even able to incorporate these thoughts into his hymns! Reading a good Newton hymn is like conducting your own spiritual biopsy. I also like what he says about death. I had another thought about death and the spiritual corollaries two days ago while on a removal from the medical examiner's office. I won't share it here, but I can on the Understanding Mortification thread if you and others would like. It's pretty grapic, but I think it hits the bullseye nicely.

Brother Paul


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2008/10/19 11:53Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: Newton

Couldn't agree more. This is so rich and so to the point and so absolutely true ...

Quote:
I had another thought about death and the spiritual corollaries two days ago while on a removal from the medical examiner's office.



Please do share that brother, I think the graphic nature of death itself is something that we need impressed upon on our minds and hearts.

Further down here was a question, wondering if you recall what we were musing on.


_________________
Mike Balog

 2008/10/19 14:17Profile









 Re:

Quote:

crsschk wrote:
Quote:
This sounds like in our repeating of sin, God uses it to weaken our state to understand our total depravity?



Yes, somewhat so I believe.

(Loved this excerpt from John Newton as well received it last night via email. For those who may not know, you can subscribe to this via http://www.gracegems.org/ )

Quote:
Just curious, I read one discussion that was saying that God allows sin in our life to mold us.



Had the same exact thought brother, in fact had been trying to recollect just who it was some days ago. I am thinking it might have been Brooks or Watson and I seem to recall that Paul West might have originally posted it - tried a search and couldn't come up with anything, maybe he might be able to come to our assistance. It was a tremendous and I want to say almost dangerous treatment, something that could be easily misconstrued but truth nevertheless.



Brother thanks for responding back. It is a concern, I think for all those who desire to know truth even at great cost to ourselves.

Yes I do hope that we might find the thread to fulling examine this subject.
:-)

 2008/10/19 16:01









 Re:

Quote:

PaulWest wrote:
Brother, this is excellent stuff. Newton knew a ton (sorry, couldn't resist) about the true nature of man, and the dichotomy that goes on between the spirit and the flesh. He was even able to incorporate these thoughts into his hymns! Reading a good Newton hymn is like conducting your own spiritual biopsy. I also like what he says about death. I had another thought about death and the spiritual corollaries two days ago while on a removal from the medical examiner's office. I won't share it here, but I can on the Understanding Mortification thread if you and others would like. It's pretty grapic, but I think it hits the bullseye nicely.

Brother Paul



I would be interested in further study of Mortification of Sin.

 2008/10/19 16:05





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy