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LAW AND GOSPEL

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“If any of you are well versed in this art, I mean, if any of you can rightly make this distinction [between law and gospel], he would deserve to be called a doctor of theology. For Law and Gospel must be distinguished from each other. The role of the Law is to terrify men, to drive them crazy and to despair … until they realize they can do neither what the Law demands nor achieve God’s favor…. This state of affairs goes on and on until a person becomes quite weary and is forced to say, ” I have had it up to here with being godly according to Moses and the Law. I am going to follow another Preacher, who says to me, ‘Come to Me, if you labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ ” …. This kind of preaching is wholly different from the teaching of the Law of Moses, which deals only with works. The Law says, “You shall not sin…. Go and be godly….Do this, do that….” But Christ says, “Accept the fact that you are not godly. But I have been godly in your stead.” ~Martin Luther

YOU CANNOT CLEAN YOURSELVES UP

JUST AS I AM. Just as I am, without one plea , But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot; To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt; Fightings within, and fears without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind ; Sight, riches, healing of the mind; Yes, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thy love unknown Has broken every barrier down; Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! The truth is;  there’s no basis, no foundation for me and me to stand on in God’s presence except that Jesus died in our place. We come

NARCISSISTIC AT CORE!

“If you go to an American bookshop, by far the biggest section is self-help and improvement. The idea that life is refine-able and that you can learn a technique for anything, whether it’s love-making, being a businessman, marriage, cooking, losing weight, whatever it is. There’s a Tony Robbins way of doing it, there’s a things-they-didn’t-teach-you-at-Harvard way of doing it. There’s an unbelievable sense that life is improvable.” ~ Stephen Fry on explaining the difference between American versus British comedy.