Sin's Human Captives

(Taken from "The Divine Conquest" chapter 2: In Word or In Power, by A.W. Tozer)

In asserting that faith in the gospel effects a change of life-motive from self to God, I am but stating the sober facts. Every man with moral intelligence must be aware of the curse that afflicts him inwardly; he must be conscious of the thing we call ego, by the Bible called flesh or self, but by whatever name called a cruel master and a deadly foe. Pharaoh never ruled Israel as tyrannically as this hidden enemy rules the sons and daughters of men. The words of God to Moses concerning Israel in bondage may well describe us all: "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." And when, as the Nicene Creed so tenderly states, our Lord Jesus Christ "for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and the third day He arose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father," what was it all for? That He might pronounce us technically free and leave us in our bondage? Never. Did not God say to Moses, "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey . . . and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Let my people go"? For sin's human captives, God never intends anything less than full deliverance. The Christian message rightly understood means this: The God who by the word of the gospel proclaims men free, by the power of the gospel actually makes them free. To accept less than this is to know the gospel in word only, without its power.

Prayer: Thank You, Kind Father, that the power of the gospel makes us free.

The Daily Gleaner

"SOAPBOX SERMON: Eli Brayley, with his Bible in hand, was preaching to passerbyers on King Street recently." (Daily Gleaner 02/05/06)

Last Friday a friend and I went out preaching on King Street and for the most part the afternoon went very well. I started the day by preaching from James 4:6, "God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble." I was talking about how Jesus the Son of God humbled Himself to lowly man, to a manger, to rejection and to the cross. It was awesome to see many people listening to the gospel. The local Rabbi even was there to hear a bit of the sermon!

After preaching for a while my friend got up to preach for the very first time, and ironically, a photographer from the Daily Gleaner came right around the corner about 1 minute into his message. The guy from the Gleaner started talking to my friend thinking it was me, telling him that he had heard how I was preaching all over Fredericton, etc... finally he figured out it wasn't him but the myself standing off to the side! It was quite unusual.

Well, I was done preaching. The anointing and power was present earlier but at this point I did not feel to preach any further. But the Gleaner guy wanted a picture of me so I got up on the box again and started preaching, but after I didn't feel right about it. I felt like I had preached for the sake of the picture rather then for God and the people. So when I found the photographer later on I asked him if he would not put the picture in the paper. He was quite upset and literally stormed off when I insisted.

Well, needless to say, he put the picture in the newspaper, and to my dismay I f0und out about it at work today. That's just how the world is, but the Lord knows... perhaps the picture will work for good, as the Bible says in Romans 8:28.

That's all for now, dear saints. Keep building yourselves up in the most holy faith.

What Is Your Life?

(Click the picture)

A Message to All Users of this Site

This is how this blog come about:

A friend of mine told me about this blogging thing; I had not intention or pre-thought of doing this. So he set me up and I played around with it a bit. I thought it would be useful to have to steer people towards when I go preach at churches and stuff, so they can see what my ministry is about (teaching, preaching and evangelism) and also my doctrinal beliefs.

It was a pretty quiet website and I didn't expect anything from it. Until I posted an article about the New England Primer which seemed to attract crazy attention, and from there it seemed like every post I put up was attacked and belittled and opposed. The snowball started to roll until now it seems like the site has a large audience and many frequenters. The saddest thing about this blog is the fact that Christians come on here and create a huge issue with simple fundamental doctrines (ie. repentance, faith, Holy Spirit, witnessing). This blog is not the cause of harm, but it is all these foolish and unreasonable people who argue for arguing sake or are genuinely ignorant of sound doctrine and speak before they know what is true. I do not think the site is the problem, but these people.

Then you have people who come on here that are anonymous though they are well known by many of us. They like to say their ugly piece without standing up to the consequences of saying it. They are cheap and cowardly. They want a voice without responsibility. I say, get out.

Christians are suppose to be like Christ. We had better start acting like it, loving one another and seeking to build one another up instead of tearing down. I sense there are many people on this blog who are here simply to tear down myself and others. It's one thing to discuss doctrine, it's another to be proud, unrelenting, deaf to correction and spiteful. To these people I speak for your shame.

I believe we can make this site a better place for everyone, sinner or saint:

1. Before you comment, ask yourself deep inside why you are commenting. Is it to help or to hurt?

2. Study the Scriptures thoroughly and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It's not enough to just know what the Bible says, but get to know what the Bible means. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but don't post so assuredly before you have rightly divided the word of truth with all diligence. This would save us much trouble.

3. Have a humble heart to take correction, but don't compromise if you truly are unsure. However, there is a difference between not compromising and being proudly stubborn. Check your motives and your spirit as you read, ponder and reply.

4. Only comment when necessary. Don't add fuel to a fire or needlessly post just to stir up contention. Post if you feel you need to encourage or correct. Otherwise, it is best and wisest to remain silent.

5. If you have an issue that is more personal, don't take it up on the blog. Send an email to me or to whoever it is you have issue with. Let's use wisdom in our actions as well as privacy where privacy is due.

6. If you're a non-Christian coming onto the site, be respectful towards us and our beliefs. Do not cast ridicule or slurs. These words are pointless and in the end do you and us no good. If you want to use this site, use it to learn and to benefit from, not make it a ruinous place on the internet.

7. And as Christians, exemplify Christ in your behaviour here. Set the mind of Jesus in you. Be humble, be encouraging, be sensitive to others. Let this site be used for good and not for evil, for edification. Don't be ignorant, but get to know God who saved you and be like Him. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

May God bless and guide the further use of this site.

Sanctification

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23

I believe the Bible is unmistakably clear on the issue of whether or not it is possible to overcome sin in this life. I recommend you read carefully the previous post on Romans 7 that talks about being dead to sin and alive in Christ. The topic I want to deal with now is the process of sanctification, not whether the end result is attainable, for it is; but what is sanctification, what does it look like, and how does it happen?

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly..." We find here the design that God intends to sanctify each and every one of us completely and totally. This is a promise for all God's children, not just for so-and-so in the ministry and for some obscure people in the past or in a distant land. God's grace has been poured out upon all believers, His Spirit upon all flesh, that each one of us can lay hold of these promises and walk in victory throughout our days on earth. It is exciting to know that our dusty jar of clay is filled with a heavenly treasure, useful to a heavenly cause! Though we are earthly, God has chosen to make us heavenly! Let us not settle for dust when we can live and move in the Spirit!

I love how sanctification is identified with peace here in this verse. Dear Christian, let me ask you: Is there nothing more peaceful than walking upright before God? Is there nothing more blissful and joyous then having a clear conscience, a steady foot, a fixed eye on Jesus, walking in the light as He is in the light? Indeed, we have sweet fellowship with one another. But is there nothing more restless, agitating, sorrowful and burdensome then walking against the truth, against the current of God's heavenly stream? We can all answer from experience. God be praised that He is the God of peace, the God of peace that transcends all understanding! He Himself has offered to sanctify us wholly... to do all the work for us, to carry us up to a higher plane! Is this not a happy thought!?

What then hinders God from sanctifying us? Dear brothers and sisters, it happens in three ways:

1. The sin of unbelief. We do not believe God when He promises to do this. We do not believe a man can be wholly sanctified, holy and blameless on earth. We do not believe our flesh can be dead and our body and soul brought into obedience to the King. This is the number one hindrance to holiness! Unbelief is the chocks that stop the wheels of God's transport from taking off down the runway of promise. All spiritual impasse, whether it be the filling of the Holy Spirit, the healing of the sick, the saving of the soul... Jesus pointed to the sin of unbelief. "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31)

2. The arm of the flesh. A person can no more sanctify himself than a dog itself can learn table manners. Apart from Christ we are nothing; we are only evil, bent of folly. The Pharisees tried to become holy by following the Law, but Jesus exposed them for what they were: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. The Laodicean church tried the same thing, but righteousness without Christ is filthy rags. Hear the words of Christ as He says: "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3:18) Every good and perfect gift comes from God. Our righteousness, our sanctification, our holiness must come from the Lord, or we will not have them at all.

3. Failure to fix the eyes upon Jesus. Here lies the work of sanctification: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2) What? No work? No effort? No endeavoring? No! Nothing but looking unto Jesus and allowing Him to do all the work. God has promised to sanctify us, He has not commanded us sanctify ourselves. Jesus Christ already finished the mission, which now only remains to be realized in our lives. "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." (John 17:19) Brothers and sisters, fix your eyes upon the blessed person of Jesus Christ and upon the work He has already accomplished, the cup He has already drank, the death He has already died! Only when we reckon these things finished do we realize these things fully. Christ's death wrought about our life. It is a sad wonder so many Christians do not live it.

Jesus Christ did not simply die to save you from hell, "but to purify unto Himself a pecualiar people, zealous for good works." (Titus 2:14) Let us put aside unbelief and doubt. Let us allow the working of the Spirit to sanctify us wholly; every aspect of our lives: spirit, soul and body. And let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who alone is rightfully and truly the perfecter of our faith.