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Growing & Changing in Christ DRAFT

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Growing & Changing in Christ DRAFT Growing & Changing in Christ DRAFT Growing & Changing in Christ: the myth of the carnal Christian © 2013 by Matthew Black Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To my wife Jill Marie The wisest choice I ever made was to marry you. I’m un- worthy to have you by my side in our journey of growing and changing in Christ. ______________________________ My desire in writing this book is best expressed by J. C. Ryle: I do not set up myself to be better than other people, and if anyone asks, “What are you, that you write in this way?” I an- swer, “I am a very poor creature indeed.” But I say that I cannot read the Bible without desiring to see many believers more spiritual, more holy, more single-eyed, more heavenly-minded, more whole-hearted than they are in the nineteenth century. I want to see among believers more of a pilgrim spirit, a more decided separation from the world, a conversation more evidently in heaven, a closer walk with God, and therefore I have written as I have. 1 ______________________________ 1 John Charles Ryle. Holiness . (London: James Clarke, 1952), 48. Contents ___________________________________________ An Introduction to the Controversy ........................................ 19 Why Say Anything At All? ............................................................... 20 To Say Nothing is to Give Tacit Approval of Error ..................... 22 Definition .............................................................................................. 23 The History of this Teaching ........................................................... 25 A Helpful Study of 1 Corinthians 3 ..................................................27 Voices From the Past ......................................................................................................... 29 My Hope for this Book ....................................................................... 33 Errors to Avoid .................................................................................... 34 The Error of Sinless Perfectionism ............................................................................ 34 The Error of Legalism ........................................................................................................ 35 Clarifications ....................................................................................... 36 Babes in Christ ....................................................................................................................... 37 Carnal Areas of Life ........................................................................................................... 37 Different Rates of Progress in the Christian Life .............................................. 38 1. All Saints are Predestined for Holiness ............................ 39 Justification Inseparable from Sanctification ................................ 41 The Teaching of Ephesians ............................................................... 43 Sealed with the Impression of Holiness .................................................................... 44 The Teaching of Romans................................................................... 44 An Objection ............................................................................................................................ 45 The Teaching of Hebrews and Philippians ................................... 47 8 The Teaching of 2 Corinthians ........................................................ 48 The Teaching of Our Lord ................................................................ 49 2. Regeneration of Heart Produces a Radical Change of Life ..................................................................................................... 51 Two Illustrations of the Nature Change ........................................53 Delivered from the Power of Darkness ...........................................53 A Transformation of Heart Produces Transformation of Life .. 56 Those With No Fruit Perish Eternally ........................................... 57 Not Sinless Perfection, but a Striving after Perfection ............... 58 The Call to Be Perfect ........................................................................ 58 The Teaching of Ezekiel .................................................................... 59 The Teaching of Jeremiah ................................................................. 60 The Teaching of the Lord Jesus ....................................................... 62 The Trial of William Tyndale .......................................................... 63 3. Christians are by Definition Followers of Christ ........... 65 Man by Nature Cannot Follow Christ .......................................... 66 The Context of Following Christ ................................................... 66 A Disciple is a Follower .................................................................................................... 67 Be Imitators of God ............................................................................................................. 67 The Call to Follow Christ ................................................................. 69 Christ, the Preacher of the Call .................................................................................... 70 The Cost of Following Christ ........................................................... 71 Our Pursuit of Christ Lasts Until Death............................................................... 71 What About Those who Fall Away? .......................................................................... 73 4. What Christ Begins He Promises to Finish ..................... 75 Christ Promises a Full Salvation ......................................................76 What Does a Full Salvation Look Like? ......................................... 77 Salvation in the Past (Our Position) ...............................................79 Election ....................................................................................................................................... 79 Foreknowlege .......................................................................................................................... 81 GROWING & CHANGING IN CHRIST : THE MYTH OF THE CARNAL CHRISTIAN 9 Calling ......................................................................................................................................... 83 Regeneration/Conversion ................................................................................................ 84 Soley the Work of God .................................................................... 84 Takes Place through the Word of God........................................ 85 Is Authenticated by Faith and Repentance ................................ 86 Justification ............................................................................................................................. 86 Adoption .................................................................................................................................... 87 Salvation in the Present (Our Practice) ......................................... 88 Progressive Sactification ................................................................................................. 88 Salvation in the Future (Our Promise) .......................................... 89 Glorification ........................................................................................................................... 89 Anything Less Than Full Salvation is Not Christ’s Work ......... 91 Realize the Hope of God’s Call to Final Redemption ................ 92 Realize the Power that Accomplishes Sanctification................. 93 Christ Intercedes to Bring His People to Holiness ..................... 94 5. The “Carnal Christian” Teaching Minimizes Sin and Promotes Hypocrisy ............................................................... 97 Martin Luther’s Battle with the Antinomians ............................ 100 Fruits Fit for Repentance................................................................. 102 Let Everyone Who Names the Name of Christ Depart from Iniquity................................................................................................. 103 The Absurdity of the Carnal Christian Teaching ....................... 105 If You Continue in the Faith ........................................................... 106 God’s Name Blasphemed Among Unbelievers ............................ 107 Turning the Grace of God into a License to Sin ......................... 108 Shall We Continue in Sin? ............................................................................................. 108 6. Jesus’ Message to Antinomians: Depart from Me, I Never Knew You .................................................................... 111 The Greatest Delusion ....................................................................... 113 Key Characteristics of the Self-Deceived ..................................... 114 10 (1) Feelings and Experience Based ............................................................................ 114 (2) More Committed to Religion than Christ .................................................... 114 (3) Studies Bible Merely Out of Academic Interest ........................................ 115 (4) Lacks Theological Balance ...................................................................................
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