Wednesday, February 27, 2008

living by grace - part 2


On love and bondage, Hordern writes:

"If we accept God's love with a loving trust, inevitably we desire to please God, because it is of the very nature of love that it wishes to please the loved one. And here is true freedom from bondage.

When the law commands us to do certain things under the penalty of punishment for failure to comply, or with the hope of reward if we obey, we are still under bondage.

The fear of punishment and the hope of reward restricts us, so that we cannot do what we truly desire to do. But where we act because of love we can act willingly, gladly and freely." - pg.109

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.We love because he first loved us." - 1 John 4:18,19

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Absolutely.

Hordern's main argument in the book is that repentance, faith, and obedience only exist if they come inspired by the gospel of free justification.

Enforced repentance is not repentance, enforced worship not worship, and enforced obedience is not obedience.

We are adulterers because we are adulterers inside.

Sin is not a choice, and neither is grace, nor obedience.