just finished listening to the Paul Washer teaching "Offer your bodies a living Sacrifice." I was very convicted as I listened because he hit on some areas of my life that I have struggled in. One thing he spoke about was how many of us as Christians walk around saying Jesus is Lord of my life and yet there is no evidence of this in our lives. How can Jesus be in control and yet have no control over what I do, where I go, what I take part in, what I celebrate, what I eat, watch, think,wear, ect. Truly if Jesus does not have control of all of my life, every tiny aspect of it, if I am not living solely unto HIM this day and every day then I am deceived and have no part of HIM in my life. It really is that simple. There is no way that I can live my life as a servant to the Lord and still have one foot in this world thinking I can do what ever I please. Very powerful teaching, in fact I am going to listen again because he touched also on some aspects of conversion that really have been desiring to seek GOD! God Bless maryjane
MJ I too have been listening to him lately and his sermons, are as many others I admire on SI,....timeless. I can remember listening to him 6 months before I became a believer and turning him off because I thought he was legalistic. What I would come to understand was that he was doing no more than calling his brothers and sisters to what should be the new desire birthed within them (to be Christ like). One who is not born again will see the righteousness that we are to desire and call it law, but what child who admires his or her Father either on earth or in Heaven, will not desire to grow up and be like him/Him? Currently I am not sure if anyone in Christiandom speaks as much to the changed life as Washer does and I am sure, though he is well loved by brothers and sisters whom he does not even know, that he catches his fair share of flak from those who misjudge him just as I did before God opened my eyes. I hope you will post more of the insight you gain from listening to this dear brother.
lylewise, Your post is very much appreciated due to its honesty,accuracy and humility.Even here on S.I. there are some who'd brand him(Paul W.) as a heretic who is preaching another gospel.But what needs to be understood is is what lylewise came to understand, "What I would come to understand was that he was doing no more than calling his brothers and sisters to what should be the new desire birthed within them (to be Christ like). One who is not born again will see the righteousness that we are to desire and call it law..."Note the way lylewise worded this in his quote. He chose wording that brings no condemnation to believers,only conviction(by His Spirit of course!),"...he was doing no more than calling his brothers and sisters to what should be the new desire birthed within them (to be Christ like). That is exactly the way in which God is using His servant Paul W. The phrase 'new desire' in the quote above,and the phrase 'righteousness that we are to desire' below are clearly realities in us as 'a new creation'. We desire, yet we do not perfectly obey and 'do always those things which are pleasing to our Father', as Jesus did. But then he(lylewise)emphasizes that, "One who is not born again will see the righteousness that we are to desire and call it law..." He(lylewise)wisely discerns the two types of persons that Paul W. is being used of God to show to us,the hypocrite and the one birthed of God. Sometimes this is indistinguishable by us.Thereby God softens some and hardens others by His Word.Such is the message of the man Paul W. rightly understood.The man Paul W. would be the first to point out to us all that he himself misses the mark(sins).May God continue to use this man,bless this man,and keep this man humble.And may we continue to hear God through this man,and every and any other servant of His which He chooses to speak to us through. "Beware when all men speak well of you".Bless God.
