2.07.2007

a new semester, a new Bible study

Last night, the college students of Rose Point RPCNA met for our first night of worship, prayer and Bible study. This year our study is on The Mortification of Sin, led by Mr. Matthess who is a member of our congregation.
I gave Mr. Matthess a few books of mine that he may look over and read and see what he would be the most comfortable with. A few of the books were Ferguson's commentary on Mark by the Trust, another was Piper's new book on the demands of Christ on believers, and then the last one was The Enemy Within by Kris Lundguardd. Lundguardd was a campus minister at a PCA church when he realized that College students needed solid principles to guide them as they fight sin. So he read Owen and condensed him into a short book that is easily accessible by anybody [really]. And he did a great job.
Mr. Matthess did not stop there... he went directly to the source of this wisdom... He turned first to Scripture then to Owen's works himself, and from there read his commentary on Scripture. Let me say it is fantastic, it is a great reminder as I once again learn about the mortification of sin. Along with it, I am reading Owen's works for devotions...I trust we will know God's blessing this semester.

--- here are my notes from the study - i trust they will be edifying to you ---
GREAT is the mystery of Godliness - how can we comprehend it!? We need to understand how to grow in holiness, for that is our calling in the Christian life.

reading from Romans 3:10-20
- we cannot please God; sin is everything contrary to God - he hates it
- sin and fault is with us. The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin to us. Think of this, this is true, don't the 10 commandments teach you about your radical depravity??

Q: How does Conversion/regeneration affect sin's presence and power? [Romans 7:21]
A: It is a power in us, not to us. At conversion God takes the law used to reveal sin to us and infuses that law in our hearts. And we are now inclined to serve and please God. This enjoining of the law is different than the divine sense that all mankind has. (divinitas sensus) As we are united in Christ.

It is true that Sin is cut back, it is not dead and it can flare up at any moment. We have discovered this, Paul discovered this and describes it as a law... Sin brings forth fruit unto death - do you find this sin?

Why dont people recognize that they are sinners?
- ignorance (they do not know the law, they are so steeped in sin they suppressed their sense of God)
- do not want to - they are blind to the Gospel
- they are at one with sin... in Darkness you cannot sin

Christians have an obligation to share the gospel, and they must live the gospel in their daily life. As believers, we have the inclination to do good. We are free to please God, good thigns come from a good heart.
If we feel guilty over sin and we know that we have dishonored God - this is a blessing! because God is at work within us, softening our hearts to respond to Him.

**At this time we were kicked out of our room - we had it over our time limit... my bad :-/

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