The regenerate man often has a more difficult time of it than the unregenerate, for he is not one man but two. He feels within him a power that tends toward holiness and God, while at the same time he is still a child of Adam's flesh and a son of the red clay. This moral dualism is to him a source of distress and struggle wholly unknown to the once-born man. Of course the classic critique upon this is Paul's testimony in the seventh chapter of his Roman epistle.
The true Christian is a saint in embryo. The heavenly genes are in him and the Holy Spirit is working to bring him on into a spiritual development that accords with the nature of the Heavenly Father from whom he received the deposit of divine life. Yet he is here in this mortal body subject to weakness and temptation, and his warfare with the flesh sometimes leads him to do extreme things. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17).
That Incredible Christian, p 53-54, AW Tozer.
Friday, November 06, 2009
More from Tozer - "Spiritual Warfare and Sin: A Saint In Embryo"
For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. --Romans 7:22-23
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13 comments:
Well, I guess I'll put in my two cents worth.
Good quote from Tozer even though my view of Romans 7 differs from his. But good thoughts and it is most certainly true that what is happening in the one who is a child of God through faith in Jesus is indeed profound in being transformed in a process into the image of Jesus, no less. And it certainly is true that the believer is up against the flesh (the old life in Adam that wants to come back and undermine or even overthrow the new life in Christ), the world and the devil in our following Jesus.
(I like the thought I read recently that Jesus is truly seen in believers together, not so much as individuals. Sorry about changing the subject a little, and I think Tozer is right on here. But maybe Christ is primarily made known through his Body; and it may be as individuals together in community that we most impact the world in our mission in Jesus.)
...let me add that the consolations and life in Jesus is so much better.
I don't miss the days at all of getting high on the weed, and living in anger against the establishment and God and simply doing my own thing. I'd never trade this life in Jesus for that.
I'm so sorry I'm the only commenter on here so far. I don't mean to dominate blogs at certain points, but I saw this on facebook come up in the live feed and then gave it a read and really identified with Tozer's words. Just the same I don't like my commenting style. Just a little word of true contrition over here.
Ted! Did you smoke weed???!!!
Lorenzo, It was simply a part of the culture for a good number back when I was in school. I was really tuned out of school, a poor, really hardly a student at all until I was saved early my senior. Then I got down to brass tacks, but it was too late. Before that I preferred to listen to my rock music continually between working. But God was at work, and my cigarettes tasted bad, my friends seemed empty and I was sharing the truth of the gospel with others at times, God moving in my heart to prepare me for that step of faith and commitment I was to take.
hi ted, and lorenzo...hi susan.
always some good discussion going on here.
H A P P Y
B I R T H D A Y
S U S A N ! ! !
I'll second that!
I think all true believers understand the struggle Tozer speaks of. I also like that phrase "a saint in embryo".
Good to see this blog hasn't been labeled a possible spam blog like mine has. I have no access to my blog this morning. Maybe I'll have to leave Blogger, after recently deciding to stay with it.
On this sleepy blog I just wanted to warn all you Blogger bloggers.
Over a week ago, on a Tuesday morning, I found out that my blog was not available. A Blogger robot judged it to have characteristics of a spam blog. Maybe because of hyperlinks in the blog itself (even in comments, that could present a problem, someone told me). So I lost around five years worth of posts, and over 1400 of them, most I want for posterity and some for personal reasons, and just a few beyond that. I still hope to get it back and then move it to my new blog on WordPress.
I hesitated saying all of this, but it is a shock to me. Funny that just a few weeks ago, I thought of switching to WordPress. To move the posts to WordPress would have been easy.
Have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving Day Susan, in the peace of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.
A saint in embryo... how I love that! And I feel it too.
Thanks for your encouragement over at Seedlings. :)
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