Section I : Freedom Now from the Bonds of Sin Review:

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2 Section I : Freedom Now from the Bonds of Sin Review:

3 Review Section 1 - Freedom Now From the Bonds of Sin Basic Considerations of True Spirituality The Law and The Law of Love 1. To know True Spirituality you first must be a Christian. 2. True Spirituality is only through Christ; "Christ Plus Nothing." 3. Law of Love Positive and negative aspects Not outward but inward Coveting - Envy vs. Giving Contentment & Thankfulness Longing in Love Transformation - Death/Life

4 Review The Centrality of Death 1. Negative & Positive Aspects Dead to Ourselves / Made Alive in Christ 2. Negative: Saying "No!" To the dominance of things / To self 3. Obstacles To Self Sacrifice Success Mentality "Mentality of Abundance" 4. Death to Self And The Death of Christ The Profession of Faith Required His Sacrifice and Our Own Changing Perspective: The Transfiguration The Prophesy of Our Redemption

5 Review Through Death to Resurrection The Transfiguration Proof Historical Fulfillment of the Prophets Actual Hands and Feet ("In the Flesh") Appearance to Disciples in Time and Space The Physical Ascension in Time and Space Gospel Revelation - Speaking in time and space in an earthly language. In the Spirit's Power Resurrection in Time & Space Two Strands The Mystical Union Of The Church Transfiguration - Example of the Mystical Church Union Christian Mysticism

6 Review Biblical Unity & True Spirituality The Supernatural Universe Against Naturalism Face to Face Relationship The Supernatural is Not Remote The Two Chairs Not A Mere Dialectic Or Good Philosophy Our Experience Is Not A Bare Supernaturalism Moment-by-Moment Practice of True Spirituality The Fruitful Bride The Bride's Calling Faithfulness We Are to Honor the Divine Guest The Empty Hand of Faith Reasons Why We May Not Be Bringing Forth the Fruit We Should Moment-by-Moment Relationship

7 Section II : Freedom Now from the Results of The Bonds of Sin. ~ Freedom from Conscience

8 Foundations We cannot have the biblical answer, the promises God makes to the Christian concerning freedom from the results of the bonds of sin in this present life, until two things are true: first, that we are truly Christians; and second, that we are acting upon the biblical teaching concerning freedom from the bonds of sin. That is why the first seven chapters of this book must be the base of what we begin to consider now. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality We cannot have the biblical answer, the

9 In Contrast To A Psychological Trick At this point we come into very sharp conflict with the intellectual thinking of the second half of the twentieth century. ~ Schaeffer, True Spirituality (1971 version, edited out in Complete Works) ~ Schaeffer, True Spirituality Any meaning becomes only a psychological trick, a cruel illusion, unless certain things are true objectively true or are propositional truths, to use the twentieth-century terminology. What are these facts which must be objectively true? ~ Schaeffer, True Spirituality

10 In Contrast To A Psychological Trick #1 The Objective Reality of a Supernatural View of the Universe - The first is the objective reality of a supernatural universe, and the reality of salvation in the biblical sense. Without these, modern man s effort to reach out and scoop some of the blessing off the top of Scripture, as it were, can be no more than a psychological trick. But behind this truth there stands a yet more basic truth, ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality #1 The Objective Reality of a Supernatural

11 In Contrast To A Psychological Trick #2 The Existence of a Personal Infinite God in whose image man is made -...the existence of a personal-infinite God in whose image man is made. And as we have been created by Him, in His image, there is a reality to the concept of human personality. This is in contrast to all deterministic concepts, which say that we are merely a set of psychological or chemical conditions. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality #2 The Existence of a Personal Infinite

12 In Contrast To A Psychological Trick #3 The Truth About the Human Dilemma - The third thing that must be understood is the truth about the human dilemma. The biblical answer is that the dilemma of the human race, this dilemma that twentieth-century man is wrestling with so much, is moral. The basic problem of the human race is sin and guilt a real moral guilt, not just guilt-feelings a real moral sin, because we have sinned against a God who is there and a God who is holy. In opposition to neo-orthodoxy and all the other modern theologies, we must understand that sin and guilt are really moral. They are not simply due to certain metaphysical or psychological limitations. Man is really guilty before a holy God who exists and against whom we have sinned. Except on these bases, the hope given by Scripture concerning freedom now from the results of the bonds of sin is only a cruel illusion. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

13 Schaeffer s 3 Christian Worldview Essentials #1 The Objective Reality of a Supernatural View of the Universe (Elsewhere called "The Universe and its Forms") #2 The Existence of a Personal Infinite God in whose image man is made #2 The Existence of a Personal Infinite (Elsewhere Schaeffer elaborates on this component of man's situation as the "mannishness of man"). #3 The Truth About the Human Dilemma

14 Schaeffer s 3 Christian Worldview Essentials ( Cont.) The supernatural universe is absolute We are made in the image of God We are fallen in need of redemption

15 The Classic Christian Perspective

16 Perfectionism Since the Fall man has habitually fooled himself. We fool ourselves deep inside our subconscious and unconscious nature. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

17 Perfectionism ( Cont.)...there is any real victory in my life, it must not be thought of as my victory or my perfections. Such a notion does not fit the scriptural picture of man, nor God s dealing with us since man has sinned. It is not my victory, it is always Christ s victory; it is never my work or holiness, it is always Christ s work and Christ s holiness. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

18 Deep Wells The more the Holy Spirit puts his finger on my life and goes down deep into my life, the more I understand that there are deep wells to my nature. Modern psychology has dealt with these under the terms unconscious and subconscious,, and though the philosophy behind modern psychology is often fundamentally wrong, surely it is right in pointing out that we are more than merely that which is on the surface. We are like the iceberg: one-tenth above, nine-tenths below ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

19 Not Looking Lightly On Sin In the Westminster Catechism there is the emphasis that we sin daily in thought, word, and deed. This is not wrong, but it can be distorted by our sinful hearts into something which is exceedingly wrong. As we teach our children that we sin daily in thought, word, and deed, we must be very careful to warn them of the danger of thinking that they can look lightly or abstractly at sin in their lives. ~ Dr. or abstractly at sin in their lives. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

20 When Sin Reenters And then sin reenters. For some reason my moment-by-moment belief in God falters; a fondness for some specific sin has caused me at that point not to draw in faith upon the fact of a restored relationship with the Trinity. The reality of the practice of true spirituality suddenly slips from me. I look up some morning, some afternoon, some night and something is gone, something I have known; my quietness and my peace are gone. It is not that I am lost again, because justification is once for all. But as far as man can see, or even I myself, at this point there is no exhibition of the victory of Christ upon the cross. Looking at me at this point, men would see no demonstration that God s creation of moral, rational creatures is not a complete failure, or even that God exists. Because God still holds me fast I do not have the separation of lostness, but I do have the separation from my Father in the parent-child relationship. And I remember what I had. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

21 Biblical Realism The Bible is always realistic: it is not romantic, but deals with realism with what I am. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

22 Constant Restoration Admitting Sin Confessing Sin Accepting Chastening/Discipline Having Fatherly Respect Saying I want your will in reference to the specific sin we acknowledge Expressing Thankfulness for Christ s (our advocate s) work Rushing to the Throne of Grace (Judging Ourselves) Stilling our Conscience

23 Judging Ourselves For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:31, 32). This teaches us that we do not need to wait to be chastened before our fellowship with God can be restored. God s chastening is not a punishment. The punishment is altogether dealt with on Calvary s cross. It is a correction to bring us back to fellowship with Himself, and we do not need to wait to be chastened before our fellowship can be restored. The chastening of a child of God does not have a penal aspect. That was finished on the cross. There is no double jeopardy when the holy God is the judge. Our guilt is gone, once and forever. Therefore if we judge ourselves, we are not chastened ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

24 A Tender Conscience It is, of course, natural and right that as we become Christians our consciences should become ever more tender. This is a work of the Holy Spirit. However, I should not be bowed down by my conscience year after year over sins which are past. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

25 Stilling Our Conscience For myself, through the thirty years or so since I began to struggle with this in my own life, I picture my conscience as a big black dog with enormous paws which leaps upon me, threatening to cover me with mud and devour me. But as this conscience of mine jumps upon me, after a specific sin has been dealt with on the basis of Christ s finished work, then I should turn to my conscience and say, in effect, Down! Be still! I am to believe God and be quiet, in my practice and experience. My fellowship with God has been supernaturally restored. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

26 Freedom From Conscience So God means us to have, as one of His gifts in this life, freedom from a false tyranny of the conscience. ~ Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality