The World's Ruined: Stepping back for a while...

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Stepping back for a while...

I'm going to step back from blogging for a little break. See you sometime in the not too distant future.

Hand in hand, we walked that road
They spoke of things- we were never told
Daylight promised- in the night
Drifting near to the edge.

They called to everyone, come this is the way
Thousands in unison, as scripted in a play
Lifting desires- to an empty throne
Drawing near to the edge

To a pilgrim of the tide
Said, I was here just for the ride
As the doorman asked for my pledge
I stepped back, stepped back from the edge.

Turning away, we took another path
The climb was steep, the die was cast
And as we walked along- we left behind our past
Stepping back from the edge.

Raindrops fell, washed away our tears
What we lost was nothing- more than our fears
And as we dreamed- we fell to sleep
Walking back from the edge.

To a pilgrim of the tide
Said, we were here just for the ride
As the doorman asked for our pledge
We stepped back, stepped back from the edge.

Copyright 2008 Jack Miller

2 comments:

The Embryo ParsonJuly 6, 2013 at 9:27 PM
Have a good rest. Then come back.
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AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 2:43 PM
how are our works acceptable to God as believers. Are our works done in faith acceptable to God? Yes. Why? For Christ’s sake and that alone. The standard of acceptance for our works is still perfection. The Law is still binding. Yet we are under grace. So because we are in Him, our persons and our works are both accepted as perfect
Jack Miller

great!
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The Mere Mercy of God

This calling of Abram is a signal instance of the gratuitous mercy of God. Had Abram been beforehand with God by any merit of works? Had Abram come to him, or conciliated his favour? Nay, we must ever recall to mind that he was plunged in the filth of idolatry; and God freely stretches forth his hand to bring back the wanderer. He deigns to open his sacred mouth, that he may show to one, deceived by Satan's wiles, the way of salvation.

But this is done designedly, in order that the manifestation of the grace of God might become the more conspicuous in his person. For he is an example of the vocation of us all; for in him we perceive, that, by the mere mercy of God, those things that are not are raised from nothing, in order that they may begin to be something.

-John Calvin, Genesis, (Banner of Truth), p. 343

"Nor the faith also does not shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards GOD (for we are most bounden to serve GOD, in doing good deeds, commanded by him in his holy Scripture, all the days of our life): But it excludes them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made good by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do, be imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification: but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God..." (Thomas Cranmer - Homily of Justification)

Justification-Sanctification/Law-Gospel

In short, I affirm, that not by our own merit but by faith alone, are both our persons and works justified; and that the justification of works depends on the justification of the person, as the effect on the cause. (John Calvin, Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote)

The law guides, directs, commands, all things that are against the interest and rule of sin. It judgeth and condemneth both the things that promote it and the persons that do them; it frightens and terrifies the consciences of those who are under its dominion. But if you shall say unto it, “What then shall we do? this tyrant, this enemy, is too hard for us. What aid and assistance against it will you afford unto us? what power will you communicate unto its destruction?” Here the law is utterly silent, or says that nothing of this nature is committed unto it of God: nay, the strength it hath it gives unto sin for the condemnation of the sinner: “The strength of sin is the law.” But the gospel, or the grace of it, is the means and instrument of God for the communication of internal spiritual strength unto believers. By it do they receive supplies of the Spirit or aids of grace for the subduing of sin and the destruction of its dominion… (John Owen, A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace)