More Steve
“Law leads to guilt; guilt leads to struggle; struggle leads to failure; failure leads to more guilt; more guilt leads to antinomianism; antinomianism leads to apostasy; and apostasy leads to anger and hardness of heart.
There is another process, and this process doesn’t begin with law, but with freedom and love.
Let me share it with you.
Love that makes you free leads to guilt. Guilt leads to confession. Confession leads to more forgiveness.Total forgiveness leads to worship. Worship leads to faithfulness.
Do you see it?
Faithfulness is the result of a process that begins with love and freedom. Hardness of heart is the result of a process which begins with the law.”
Brown, Steve (2011-08-23). When Being Good Isn’t Good Enough (Kindle Locations 812-815). Key Life Publishing. Kindle Edition.
I’m having a hard time tracking given that I am teaching through Romans right now which has a thing or two to say about the purpose of the Law in God’s economy. And it is a good purpose I might add.
Is Brown speaking AFTER one is saved…talking about living the Christian life? That sure would make a lot more sense to me if he is.
Yes, he is.
Excellent. I agree 100%
Thank you for posting this, Michael. IMO, this is the culture war we should be engaged in.
I hate to be the one to question Steve Brown, but can someone tell me what “Love that makes you free” is in practical human terms?
You have a Christian guy stepping out on his wife with another Christian lady from the same church and everyone knows it. You are the pastor – let me hear a “love that makes you free” conversation.
Freedom from bondage to sin.
MLD, the process of church discipline should be taking place. Since the goal is restoration, even confrontation of sin can be “love that makes you free.”
Sometimes a swift kick to the backside can be the most loving thing. My marriage was saved over 20 years ago by a pastor who was willing to verbally rip me a new one, without ever raising his voice. He then rented a u-haul, with his own money, not church funds, gathered the elders, and drove 400 miles to help me move my stuff back home. That man loved me.
Wow CK. That’s an awesome testimony……
MLD, when a ‘christian’ guy steps out with another ‘christian’ gal and everyone knows about it…..IMO, there is a serious delusion and deception going on in both hearts that words from mere humans can do little to break. Proverbs 22:14 “The mouth of the adulteress is a deep pit. He who is being judged by the Lord will fall into it”….. a heavy thought…. and possibility that something larger is going on in those circumstances. Those in leadership can try in love, humility or anger to steer those in error in the direction of righteousness. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. One would think that restoration of a marriage would be the ‘best’ thing. IMO, frankly, sometimes it’s not. God is my Judge.
OK, I will make it easier. A Christian abortion doctor is a church member. He has been performing late term abortions for many years. What is the conversation that does not begin with the law.
Isn’t Christian abortion doctor an oxymoron?
@11 – Not at all – not when we are denounced for daring to challenge the faith of those who are in sin – as is a common complaint around here.. If the guy says he is a Christian, he is a Christian. Right? That’s the rule here with President Obama who certainly supports all late term abortions, as well as all sorts of sins..
That’s just it, MLD, it does start with the law. The law is the school-master, leading us to a realization of our sin, and the need for Christ. The more I understand God’s utter hatred for my sin, the more I revel in the grace of God and desire to please Him, not because I have to, but because He enables me.
“What is the conversation that does not begin with the law.?”
Isn’t it creating a “law” to say the conversation should not begin with the law? The Old Testament wasn’t written for nothing.
OK, we are getting somewhere – at least we have narrowed down the unforgivable sin.
Look, Dr. George Tiller sat for 30 yrs in his church (Lutheran ELCA) where he heard that continual love that makes you free message… he ended up with a bullet in his head while he sat in church.
Perhaps he needed someone to shout the law of god at him from the moment they knew what he was doing instead.
I do not denounce people for challenging people who are in sin.
I do denounce our proclivity to see the sin of others while ignoring our own.
Captain, God’s law has nothing to do with the OT.
OK, MLD, you got me there (sort of).
Just last week I was teaching about “Pursue peace with all men” (Hebrews 12:14), “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18), and Peter’s instructions about peace in 1 Peter 3.
I did mention that we have to be careful when we teach commands, even from the NT, that we’re not just preaching a “christianized” version of the law. Our have-to’s become get-to’s or enabled-to’s because of grace.
Amen on Michael’s comment #16 How terrible ‘my’ sin looks when others are doing it!
“Freedom from the bondage of sin”
I agree but what does this Christian buzz statement really mean.
I hear this and often get the feeling people use in the sense of I can sin and get away with it, ie. no consequences.
Can anybody really describe what “the bondage of sin” is?
OK, this is just too awesome from Steve’s newsletter….. how living radical and missional is the new legalism. What a relief….Thank you, Steve http://www.keylife.org/steves-letter/steves-letter-august-2013-2.html