Convergence
A little while ago, I read a book by Sam Storms that I'd like to put some quotes from up here for anyone to think about. The book was called "Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist".
“This raises the delicate question of why someone who does not believe the Bible teaches cessationism would not, in turn, actively pursue spiritual gifts and happily welcome their use in the context of the local church.” – page 20
“It’s important to make clear that I didn’t reject cessationism because of some spiritual experience or miracle I witnessed…. I rejected cessationism because, in the solitude and safety of my study at Christ Community Church, I became convinced that the Bible didn’t teach it.” – page 31
“We began obeying the Scriptures concerning our responsibility to pray for the sick. It wasn’t a question of who or how many did or did not get healed. It was a question of whether or not we were going to be obedient. I embraced the perspective of John Wimber who once said, “I would rather pray for one-hundred people and see only one get healed than not to pray for any and see none get healed.” In other words, I finally reached a point at which I refused to allow the fear of failure to justify my disobedience to the Word.” – page 45
“I hope we can agree that if a biblical command is worth obeying it is worth obeying wholeheartedly and with abandon.” – page 103
“First, we’ve misunderstood the nature of New Testament prophecy if we think of it as primarily predictive in nature. The purpose of the gift is less foretelling the future than forth-telling the heart of a God for a particular person.” – page 180
“If your heart needs joy, and whose doesn’t, dive into God’s word. Immerse yourself in its refreshing, sin-killing, joy-energizing power.” – page 189
“Prohibition is always easier than regulation. It is always easier to legislate against something than it is to repair it and make it useful for the people of God.” – page 213
“Satan is happy with either error. He would as much have us fall into a lifeless formality as he would that we were stirred and energized by affections [emotions] unrelated to truth. We must never forget that whereas there is more to true spirituality or religion than affections, ‘yet true religion consists so much in the affections, that there can be no true religion without them’ [quoting Jonathan Edwards].” – page 229
“This raises the delicate question of why someone who does not believe the Bible teaches cessationism would not, in turn, actively pursue spiritual gifts and happily welcome their use in the context of the local church.” – page 20
“It’s important to make clear that I didn’t reject cessationism because of some spiritual experience or miracle I witnessed…. I rejected cessationism because, in the solitude and safety of my study at Christ Community Church, I became convinced that the Bible didn’t teach it.” – page 31
“We began obeying the Scriptures concerning our responsibility to pray for the sick. It wasn’t a question of who or how many did or did not get healed. It was a question of whether or not we were going to be obedient. I embraced the perspective of John Wimber who once said, “I would rather pray for one-hundred people and see only one get healed than not to pray for any and see none get healed.” In other words, I finally reached a point at which I refused to allow the fear of failure to justify my disobedience to the Word.” – page 45
“I hope we can agree that if a biblical command is worth obeying it is worth obeying wholeheartedly and with abandon.” – page 103
“First, we’ve misunderstood the nature of New Testament prophecy if we think of it as primarily predictive in nature. The purpose of the gift is less foretelling the future than forth-telling the heart of a God for a particular person.” – page 180
“If your heart needs joy, and whose doesn’t, dive into God’s word. Immerse yourself in its refreshing, sin-killing, joy-energizing power.” – page 189
“Prohibition is always easier than regulation. It is always easier to legislate against something than it is to repair it and make it useful for the people of God.” – page 213
“Satan is happy with either error. He would as much have us fall into a lifeless formality as he would that we were stirred and energized by affections [emotions] unrelated to truth. We must never forget that whereas there is more to true spirituality or religion than affections, ‘yet true religion consists so much in the affections, that there can be no true religion without them’ [quoting Jonathan Edwards].” – page 229
posted by Mark D. Smith | 3:48 PM
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