The wisdom of the fathers PEARLS OF DIVINE PROMISES 25 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh... Hes. 36.26 It is wonderfully magnificent that God offers to soften a rock-hard heart and form anew, so that it has the power to keep Gods commandments - which is impossible for the natural man. But when God offers to do what man cannot do, he must be ready and willing to let God do this miraculous work in him. Otherwise he is fully responsible if it does not happen. Although it is Gods will, man must give his wholehearted consent, for God does not impose Himself on anybody. For everybody who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14.11 This word expresses a principle in the kingdom of God, and it contains a key to an understanding of the ways of God, He leads us. For the full understanding of this word we have to realise that the Fall was caused by the pride of Satan who did not want to submit to the Son of God. This pride caused Satans downfall. And this pride he also inculcated into man by enticing him to want to become like God through the path of disobedience and arrogance. Salvation, therefore, could only be achieved through the reverse way, namely by the Son of God humbling Himself and willingly let demonised men crucify Him and thereby bearing the greatest ignominy and at the same time atone for the pride of man. Salvation of man, therefore, can only be received by submission to the finished work on the Cross and by acknowledging the substitutionary self-abandonment of Jesus and by the willingness to follow Him the same way. (by Christian Roeckle)
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 11:07:50 +0000