Life goes on

The parents called yesterday, they have been having fun up in Alaska, they went on a canoe ride on a lake and rode some horses apparently, and they have really been enjoying the teaching and fellowshiping with believers. As for me and our house, we Thursday I took the girls to an all-girl swim party (I read and talked with one of the family's sons in another house down the street), Friday I took the younger kids to a Spanish lesson, and Saturday took my younger brother, Tanner, to Soccer practice, though I didn't have to stay, another family took him back home. And I finished a second bench Friday afternoon. I may do one more.

I've had some time to do a little more reading, though I've not been taking advantage of it as I should. There was one passage in Hodge which I had been looking forward to reaching and this was the section on Sanctification. I suspected (and was correct) that he would address the issue of Perfectionism and he did. BB Warfield also had two volumes in the set of his works that were devoted to this topic, I'm assuming it was a much debated topic in his day with the rise of Arminianism. I was looking forward to reading these volumes as well because the topic had come up before, first about a year and a half ago with a person I met down in Texas who went to LeTourneu college (I stayed in his apartment when I visited the campus to see if I wanted to go there). He mentioned it to me and I debated him a little bit on it, offering a few verses from memory which seemed to make him rethink the issue but he still thought that no one could really say for sure.

Then the topic came up on FB's blog, when she was mentioning some students who had been talking about it. Lastly, it came up with a pastor down here at the Velma Fellowship who said that yes, with the Holy Spirit's power you could go without sinning. After a few months of having it in the back of my mind as I read my Bible and other books, I was convinced that this was, as FB said, a lowering of God's standard. I'm not nearly prepared to write anything comprehensive on it, but here's a few thoughts and ultimately, I wanted to share a quote from Hodge which made me want to underline it in pencil (but I choked back the urge ;) I probably should get into the habit but I just don't like doing that to my books for some reason. I keep notes in the front on a piece of paper if I must.

Anyway,
First, the passages in 1 John 1:8 and 10 which cover both past and present situations, that whoever says he has no sin, and whoever says he has not sinned, is a liar.
Second, the Lord's prayer, which is given to us as an example, calls us to pray daily for forgiveness of our trespasses. Either we would have to say some people would be praying this without really meaning it, or this prayer is not applicable to them.
Thirdly, none of the Apostles, of whom we have the highest example of godly living, ever claimed perfection in this life. Paul, even at a late stage said that he still struggled with the flesh and the things he did not want to do, he did.
Fourth, I agree that it is a lowering of God's standard, for he requires us to love Him with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength. Anything short of this is disobedience and I fail in this every day.

It is argued that the Lord Jesus Christ commands us to be perfect even as our heavenly father is perfect and that God would not require anything of us that he would not give. To this we agree that perfection will be given to us but as of now, it is still a promise and has not been realized. We have not yet been delivered from the body of death, the flesh still struggles. And it is not such an uncommon thing for God to set the standard which we cannot keep. God told the Israelites to circumcise their hearts, then later he tells them that he will do it. Joshua tells the people to keep God's commands and then blatantly tells them they cannot. God tells us to renew our hearts, then later he says that he will be the one who will take out our heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh.

I love this quote from Hodge and was just leading up to share it:

'Wesley says, By sin is meant (1.) Voluntary transgression of known law. In this sense all who are born of God are free from sin. (2.) It means all unholy tempers, self-will, pride, anger, sinful thoughts. From these the perfect are free. (3.) But mistakes and infirmities are not sins. "These are," indeed, "deviations from the perfect law, and consequently need atonement. Yet they are not properly sins." "A person filled with the love of God is still iable to these involuntary transgressions. Such transgressions you may call sins if you please, I do not." The question, however, is not what Wesley or any other man chooses to call sin; but what does the law of God condemn. Nothing which the law does not condemn can need expiation. If these transgressions, therefore, need atonement, they are sins in the sight of God. Our refusing to recognize them as such does not alter their nature, or remove their guilt.'


He has some excellent points all through the section but this was one of the main points. To say that we can reach a state of perfection in this life is to lower the standard to suit ourselves, to create a new bar that we can attain and which is not Scriptural. This is not to depress anyone. In fact, the very giving of the Lord's prayer and of his continual intercession for us is an encouragement because he does realize our infirmities and has made provision for us. This doesn't excuse us but we can be confident that he is working in us and we can be confident, as Paul was, that he will complete this work in us.

I've also been listening to a lot of sermons from the website. Mainly the ones I've missed over the summer and the series on parenting. I'm halfway through the series on Domestic Piety and have downloaded the ones on Family Worship and the series on Holiness, ready to go on my iPod ;)
I am feeling like I should have started these a long time ago, I am really enjoying them especially while driving (only one ear bud in) and while working outside. Speaking of which (and here's a diversion of thought), while digging those holes for the benches, the ground was really hard and I was really throwing myself into them with the shovel and ended up with six blisters. I guess my hands weren't as tough as I thought :(

The lessons are really good and I've enjoyed the material up there. I don't know if it is because of working with the children during VBS or just working with my own siblings or what, but I've been especially interested in the series on Family Worship, Domestic Piety, and Parenting. I have realized how far I fall short but as Alan was saying, we all do, yet that is no excuse not to do it. He was encouraging the young men ("if you ever grow up" he said, though I don't think he really meant it that way.....) to take note and prepare themselves for their own families, and for the young ladies, when they got to the point where they would be thinking about that sort of thing, to be desiring a man who would lead in that way. I appreciated that personal address, though I wasn't there at the time.

It's really interesting listening to the group discussions, most of the time I can't hear what is going on, especially if one of the ladies is speaking, but I can usually hear Bruce W. or Dave. This is hard because often someone will say something that apparently is hilarious, I can hear everyone laughing in the background (and of course Bruce chuckling) but I have no idea what just happened. It's also interesting hearing what is going on. I heard JD and Sam, who both sounded very young (Sam sounded much like Will does now) and hearing things that were going on back then. I feel like I missed a lot!

For example, Mary was referred to as a baby who cries a lot for attention. Sam was described as having just turned thirteen and JD was afraid that overnight he would turn into a monstrous, horrible teenager. The baptism of the Neufield's child was spoken of in the afternoon service, as having taken place that morning. I hear people that I don't know, I heard a young Anna and Ruth and Elizabeth, a young Laura and Steven and Abigail. When asked to read around in a circle, different verses, it went in order through:
Bruce
Wesley
Christopher
Stephanie
Dan

This was 2003 so I'm guessing they were married at the time. I'm not sure on dates. Another interesting thing which I've thought about a couple of times but kept forgetting to mention is this: Alan has a voice that by all rights should be boring, slightly whispery, not a whole lot of inflection, long quotes etc. But whenever I hear him I feel very attentive and really, really enjoy it. It's just something that I've found to be interesting. I also enjoy the afternoon sessions because it is more informal, like a big family. I appreciate how Bruce involves the children and brings home their responsibility and doesn't merely "preach" to the parents. I also noticed that Mr Covington seemed to speak a lot more back then, has that changed a bit or am I just not noticing? Perhaps he was more vocal with his children there, helping to instruct them. Anyway, I'm looking forward to delving into the Scottish Church History, the Puritan Paperbacks and the Westminster Confession soon! And admittedly, I'm also dying to get into Owen some more when I finish a couple of these other books I'm working on. I have to get busy!