
P.T. Forsyth
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The Inwardness of Prayer
0PSA 139:23MAT 7:7LUK 11:9ROM 8:26EPH 6:18PHP 4:6COL 4:21TH 5:16JAS 5:161JN 5:14P.T. Forsyth preaches about the profound significance and power of prayer, emphasizing that all progress in prayer is an answer to prayer, and that prayerlessness is the worst sin that leads to spiritual deafness and starvation. He highlights that prayer is an act of fellowship that brings us into tune with God and others, promoting sympathy and communion. Forsyth stresses that prayer is not mere wishing but asking with a will, engaging in active communication with God, and seeking the power to pray more and better. He underscores that prayer is both a gift and a conquest, a grace and a duty, leading us to surrender to God's will and experience the transformative and creative power of prayer.
The Naturalness of Prayer
0PSA 19:1MAT 6:6ROM 8:26EPH 6:18PHP 4:6COL 4:21TH 5:161TI 2:1JAS 5:16P.T. Forsyth emphasizes the profound significance of prayer as the atmosphere of revelation, where God's manifestation bursts open into inspiration, transcending time and space to unite us with God in Christ. He highlights the creative action of prayer in revealing our true selves and laying hold on God, who becomes our new nature through His Spirit's miracle. Forsyth delves into the cosmic implications of prayer, showing how it brings Nature to its destined redemption and engages us in a spiritual world where God confronts, judges, and saves us. He underscores the ethical power of common prayer, uniting us with others in communion and deepening our moral relations, ultimately leading to a union with God's will and the realization of His kingdom.
The Moral Reactions of Prayer
0EPH 6:18PHP 4:6COL 4:21TH 5:17JAS 5:16P.T. Forsyth preaches on the profound significance of prayer in religion, emphasizing that prayer is the foundation and measure of all faith. He highlights that true theology is encapsulated in sincere prayer, which leads to communion with God and a deep understanding of His nature. Forsyth stresses that prayer is essential for spiritual growth, moral development, and understanding of Christian truth, as it connects us to the core of Christian reality and the source of Christian power. He explains that through prayer, we experience atonement with God and participate in Christ's perpetual intercession, allowing our prayers to be transformed into true communion and power with God.
The Timeliness of Prayer
0PSA 145:18MAT 6:6ROM 12:12EPH 6:18PHP 4:6COL 4:21TH 5:171TI 2:1JAS 5:16P.T. Forsyth preaches about the power and importance of prayer, emphasizing the paradoxes and complexities that come with a life of prayer. He discusses the need for a balance between private and public prayer, highlighting the significance of prayer in times of adversity and moral crises. Forsyth stresses the necessity of prayer in shaping individual lives, society, and history, especially during times of war and uncertainty. He underscores the transformative and unifying nature of prayer, connecting it to the eternal moral crisis of the Cross and the foundational principles of the kingdom of God.
The Ceaselessness of Prayer
0MAT 6:8JHN 15:7ROM 8:26EPH 6:18PHP 4:6COL 4:21TH 5:17JAS 5:161JN 5:14P.T. Forsyth preaches on the moral freedom achieved in prayer, emphasizing that prayer is the effective work of a religion centered on the living God, requiring faith in action and cooperation with God's freedom. He highlights that prayer is the momentary function of the Eternal Son's communion with the Eternal Father, integrating believers into the final Christ. Forsyth also delves into prayer as the expression of the perennial new life of faith in the Cross, stressing the importance of praying without ceasing as a continuous bent and drift of the soul towards God, cultivating the habit of praying audibly, and being specific and detailed in prayer. He encourages believers to pray in Christ's name, as an answer to God's gift in Christ, and to learn the art of conversing with God through practice and association with the Holy Spirit.
The Vicariousness of Prayer
0ROM 8:261CO 9:162CO 3:5EPH 6:18COL 4:2P.T. Forsyth delivers a sermon on the challenges and solemn responsibilities of ministry, emphasizing the constant sense of insufficiency and unworthiness that comes with handling the gospel. He highlights the need for ministers to convey Christ effectively, understanding the sacramental nature of their work and the judgment and salvation that comes with presenting the gospel. Forsyth stresses the importance of prayer in deepening faith, recovering evangelical experience, and maintaining the minister's spiritual vitality amidst the difficulties of public and private prayer. He calls for a reconstruction of theology and a restoration of faith through prayer, emphasizing the transformative power of true prayer in shaping the minister's personality and ministry.
The Insistency of Prayer
0GEN 32:24PSA 18:6MAT 15:21MRK 14:32LUK 11:9ROM 8:26EPH 6:121TH 5:17HEB 5:7JAS 5:16P.T. Forsyth emphasizes the importance of importunate prayer, highlighting the need for persistent, fervent, and active prayer that engages in a real conflict of wills with God. He challenges the idea of prayer as mere submission or resignation, urging believers to wrestle with God and resist His will in a way that aligns with His higher intentions. Forsyth explores how prayer can change God's intention, emphasizing the power of prayer to alter situations, deepen spiritual life, and bring about blessings through persistent faith and love.
The Difference Between God's Sacrifice and Man's
0ROM 5:8ROM 15:41CO 1:182CO 5:17EPH 5:25P.T. Forsyth preaches about the essential balance between instruction and edification in the Christian life, emphasizing the Church's need for both to thrive. He highlights the Church's value as a vehicle of Christian grace, truth, and power, contrasting it with the secular world's reliance on natural goodness versus supernatural faith. Forsyth delves into the profound difference between human heroism and the sacrificial death of Christ, underscoring the transformative power of Christ's death in creating a new humanity and reconciling mankind to God.
The Great Sacrificial Work Is to Reconcile
0ROM 5:11CO 6:1EPH 2:16COL 1:10P.T. Forsyth emphasizes the urgent need for a return to the Bible in the religious world today, highlighting the neglect of personal Bible study and the significant advantages of modern scholarship in understanding the Scriptures. He stresses the importance of expounding the Bible in ministry, encouraging young ministers to delve into long passages for deeper understanding. Forsyth discusses three ways of reading the Bible: focusing on the historic sense, reading for edification, and seeking to understand God's purpose in the text.
Reconciliation: Philosophic and Christian
0PSA 51:16JER 31:34ROM 5:10ROM 11:152CO 3:62CO 5:19HEB 9:14P.T. Forsyth preaches on the vital aspects of Christ's reconciling work: it is a personal reconciliation affecting both sides, resting on atonement, reconciling the world as one whole, and final in nature. He cautions against obscuring the idea of reconciliation with atonement and emptying it of atonement. Forsyth highlights the importance of understanding reconciliation as communion with God, not just alignment with a rational process, emphasizing the divine initiative and the need for a reciprocal relationship. He delves into the philosophical views of Hegel and Ritschl, stressing the significance of God's holiness in atonement and the objective act of God in reconciliation.
Reconciliation, Atonement, and Judgment
0PSA 85:10ISA 33:22ISA 43:4JHN 3:16ROM 3:25ROM 5:8ROM 6:23EPH 2:13HEB 9:281JN 1:9P.T. Forsyth preaches about the necessity of objective atonement, emphasizing that God Himself made the offering for reconciliation. He delves into the idea that God's atonement was initially made on behalf of the entire human race, setting the foundation for individual reconciliation. Forsyth highlights the importance of God reconciling Himself rather than being reconciled by a third party, stressing the need for a change in treatment rather than a change in God's affection. He explains that the Cross of Christ was not just an object lesson but a real and decisive act that established holiness and judgment, leading to the reconciliation of the world and individuals.
The Cross the Great Confessional
0ROM 5:81CO 1:182CO 5:21HEB 9:141PE 2:241JN 2:2REV 1:5REV 5:9REV 21:5P.T. Forsyth preaches about the challenges Christianity faces today, emphasizing the need to address dangerous challenges within those who claim the Christian name. He highlights the importance of looking ahead to the future impact of certain changes on Christianity, stressing the duty of the Church to focus on fundamental truths that may not have immediate effects but will impact future generations. Forsyth delves into the deep revelations of God through the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the central role of Christ's sacrifice in reconciliation and the confession of God's holiness.
The Precise Problem Today
0ISA 43:18ROM 5:8ROM 6:42CO 2:14EPH 2:8PHP 3:10COL 2:14HEB 9:141PE 2:24P.T. Forsyth delves into the history and development of philosophy and theology, emphasizing the importance of building upon the insights of predecessors rather than demolishing their work. He highlights the spiritual evolution recorded in both disciplines, stressing the need to interpret and carry forward the teachings of great thinkers. Forsyth underscores the disadvantage of self-taught individuals who neglect the scientific history and method of theology, advocating for a comprehensive approach that incorporates past insights. He explores the complexities of Christ's work, discussing the moral and redemptive aspects, the significance of His suffering, and the transformative power of His actions on humanity.
The Threefold Cord
0JHN 17:19ROM 5:191CO 1:302CO 5:21GAL 2:20EPH 2:10COL 1:21HEB 10:101PE 2:24P.T. Forsyth preaches about the three great aspects of the work of Christ: its triumphant aspect, satisfactionary aspect, and regenerative aspect. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the unity of these aspects in Christ's work, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30. Forsyth stresses the need for a comprehensive view of Christ's work, highlighting the significance of His perfect obedience of holy love in overcoming evil, satisfying God's holiness, and sanctifying humanity. He challenges the separation of justification and sanctification, advocating for a balanced understanding that connects Christ's work on the Cross with both the deliverance from sin's power and the regeneration of humanity.