As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“But God’s Word never says, ‘Since you’re a sinner, there’s no reason to expend effort to gain victory over sin.’ On the contrary, Paul says, ‘For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me’ (Colossians 1:29).” - Randy Alcorn
“A misguided view of spirituality affects how others and oneself are viewed. Being ‘wrong’ on some issue is viewed as a spiritual problem, and being ‘right’ is often treated as if it comes from a closer walk with God. This can end up with both sides infected with pride and judgmentalism.” - Dave Doran
“The most serious, and potentially damning, errors surface when the two are not carefully distinguished. According to Turretin, justification and sanctification differ in at least five ways.” - Kevin DeYoung
“It’s a little bit of a bummer to realize that later I’ll look back at the me I am now and be glad I’m not entirely the same me any longer. But [1 Tim 4.15] has mainly been an encouragement. It means I can be qualified to be an elder and set an example with my life without ‘having arrived.’ I can grow.” - Kevin DeYoung
“The Bible tells us that the end of our sanctification will be our glorification, when all vestigial remnants of sin will be removed from our character. We will be pure. No more doubt. No more fear. No more error. No more pain.” - R.C. Sproul
2 Cor. 3:18 “is describing our experience now. We are being transformed. Not just in the sweet by-and-by but in the sour here and now. Progression, by degrees, from glory to glory. That sure sounds like ‘glorification.’” - Theology in 3D
“We should recognize and live in accordance with our redeemed identity in Christ…. Yes, we are covered by the righteousness of Christ. We are His saints, His holy ones. But there are three tenses of salvation” - Randy Alcorn
“That misunderstanding of Isaiah 64:6 has caused many Christians to believe that it is impossible for a Christian to please God. If their best works are filthy rags, there’s nothing they can do to please him. This is a profoundly unbiblical notion through and through.” - John Piper
“Is there just one proper gospel-centered rationale for holiness? Should we, in speaking about sanctification, avoid threats and warnings and coming judgment and focus simply on our acceptance in Christ? How many motivations does the Bible have for godliness?” - Kevin DeYoung
A while back I lost hearing in one ear. I made an appointment with my doctor and suggested the problem might be sinus pressure. He corrected me: my problem was earwax. After the physician removed the blockage, my hearing instantly returned.
But a strange thing happened: I was now hearing all sorts of things. When I walked, I could hear the fabric of my pants rubbing. I heard birds and trucks and high frequency noises that I didn’t remember hearing before. After a few days, my experience returned to normal and I heard just as I had before.
What happened? The answer is that my mind selectively targeted what to focus upon and what to blot out. It did this by habit.
Let me share two major advantages of habits, routines, and unwritten rules.
Discussion