ECT The New Birth. What good has been the Reformation?

[WonderfulLordJesus]

But I know what you have been posting that reveals such as I believe about you. What do I do with that information?

Whatever you please! It's a free country and your God-given right to do whatever you want, with any information. I would only advise you never assume what you extrapolate, what you do with information, is singularly correct, just because it's what you do with information. Assuming things is often folly, can be an expression of error based in vanity, rather than objective truth of, in this case, the things of God, or where another person stands, with respect to God and the truth. Also keep in mind it's another person's right not to wish to indulge in your information, especially when it's subjectively judgmental in things you lack any factual basis for, which can reflect a certain arrogance that may be unwarranted, though, don't get me wrong, I'm always open to new ways of putting on one's pants. In any event, believe what you want to believe, whatever that is, but please don't expect it something everybody may wish to entertain. Honestly, you're not exactly making sense to me right now, but do have a blessed day.

 

[Cross Reference]

Whatever you please! It's a free country and your God-given right to do whatever you want, with any information. I would only advise you never assume what you extrapolate, what you do with information, is singularly correct, just because it's what you do with information. Assuming things is often folly, can be an expression of error based in vanity, rather than objective truth of, in this case, the things of God, or where another person stands, with respect to God and the truth. Also keep in mind it's another person's right not to wish to indulge in your information, especially when it's subjectively judgmental in things you lack any factual basis for, which can reflect a certain arrogance that may be unwarranted, though, don't get me wrong, I'm always open to new ways of putting on one's pants. In any event, believe what you want to believe, whatever that is, but please don't expect it something everybody may wish to entertain. Honestly, you're not exactly making sense to me right now, but do have a blessed day.

Thank You. I will and I will take that as a confirmation for I believe concerning your inability to connect the dots for agreements sake.

 

[nikolai_42]

The receiving God’s own life_is the starting point of all spiritual life of the born again Christian. How useless is of all our exhortation, persuasion, argument, explanation and study, purposed to induce some understanding in the mind, some determination in the will, some feeling in the emotion if, in the end it has not assisted people to receive God’s life into their spirit. But if we who are responsible for preaching/teaching the gospel truly perceive that unless people receive God’s life into the depths of their beings we have not done anything profitable, what good then has been the Reformation to us who swear by its precepts?

I'm just curious, CR...do you believe that the Reformation was (largely, at least) a movement perpetrated by Godly men? Men who were born again?

 

[Cross Reference]

I'm just curious, CR...do you believe that the Reformation was (largely, at least) a movement perpetrated by Godly men? Men who were born again?

Yes, I do but by God, not man. Other than Luther, who obviously was moved by God that we can conclude he was born again, History doesn't speak much about that aspect of the situation. Suffice to say God had His men in the right places at the right to bring about His purposes. We must also at this juncture remember that God sometimes uses evil to brings things about to advance His cause.

With regards to the inquisitions, I would only add this one thing: no one in authority was born again and I will extend that to include Calvin when his time came to exhibit godly character.

A good collegiac book on Luther by Gerhard O. Forde "On Being a Theologian of the Cross" is great read if your are looking for insight on the man. [Reflections of Luther's Heidelberg Disputations, 1518].

 

[nikolai_42]

Yes, I do but by God, not man. Other than Luther, who obviously was moved by God that we can conclude he was born again, History doesn't speak much about that aspect of the situation. Suffice to say God had His men in the right places at the right to bring about His purposes. We must also at this juncture remember that God sometimes uses evil to brings things about to advance His cause.

With regards to the inquisitions, I would only add this one thing: no one in authority was born again and I will extend that to include Calvin when his time came to exhibit godly character.

A good collegiac book on Luther by Gerhard O. Forde "On Being a Theologian of the Cross" is great read if your are looking for insight on the man. [Reflections of Luther's Heidelberg Disputations, 1518].

I can only comment on those with whom I am familiar - and Calvin is one that I only have a superficial view of. I am told by those who have a more thorough understanding of him that his image is not a fair one. That said, it wouldn't affect me one way or the other to find out that he was or wasn't born again. The Reformation was far too widespread and coordinated to be the work of a few men - and there were not a few men well known and respected for their Godliness who withstood the entrenched Roman position. The Scots have quite a few examples of men who clearly exhibited the character of Christ (Knox, Wishart, Hamilton etc...) and even the English had a few (see my avatar, for example). I believe the Reformation was decades and even centuries in the making and Luther was simply the man that got to light the fuse.

I will look for the book you suggested. I have been trying to relocate a copy of Gordon Rupp's Righteousness of God that I had. While a Methodist, he wrote well on Luther. He was known for defending Luther against the charge that he was formative in Hitler's thought.

 

[Cross Reference]

I can only comment on those with whom I am familiar - and Calvin is one that I only have a superficial view of. I am told by those who have a more thorough understanding of him that his image is not a fair one. That said, it wouldn't affect me one way or the other to find out that he was or wasn't born again. The Reformation was far too widespread and coordinated to be the work of a few men - and there were not a few men well known and respected for their Godliness who withstood the entrenched Roman position. The Scots have quite a few examples of men who clearly exhibited the character of Christ (Knox, Wishart, Hamilton etc...) and even the English had a few (see my avatar, for example). I believe the Reformation was decades and even centuries in the making and Luther was simply the man that got to light the fuse.

I will look for the book you suggested. I have been trying to relocate a copy of Gordon Rupp's Righteousness of God that I had. While a Methodist, he wrote well on Luther. He was known for defending Luther against the charge that he was formative in Hitler's thought.

Thank you, Nikolai. From the record of history, church and secular, we can see the why and wherefore of the timing of God in bringing about the reformation. I won't comment now but to say that it was about bringing mankind into a personal relationship with Himself needed for the impending trials and tribulations of the endtimes. The consequences as result of that effort we have in volumes written about it. More than that, we have living knowledge with which to witness and understand more fully, the unfolding of it all. Sufficient time had past for the "righteous" sheep to be gathered into the fold and made ready to receive from God a better, more complete understanding of how to come into the longed for, personal "knowing" of Him. Re the 1500's: enter the [imperfect] men who would spearhead that effort.

 

[Interplanner]

I can only comment on those with whom I am familiar - and Calvin is one that I only have a superficial view of. I am told by those who have a more thorough understanding of him that his image is not a fair one. That said, it wouldn't affect me one way or the other to find out that he was or wasn't born again. The Reformation was far too widespread and coordinated to be the work of a few men - and there were not a few men well known and respected for their Godliness who withstood the entrenched Roman position. The Scots have quite a few examples of men who clearly exhibited the character of Christ (Knox, Wishart, Hamilton etc...) and even the English had a few (see my avatar, for example). I believe the Reformation was decades and even centuries in the making and Luther was simply the man that got to light the fuse.

I will look for the book you suggested. I have been trying to relocate a copy of Gordon Rupp's Righteousness of God that I had. While a Methodist, he wrote well on Luther. He was known for defending Luther against the charge that he was formative in Hitler's thought.

Hitler had thoughts? I thought they were outbursts of rage which he pleasured because they reminded him of taking mescalin.