I wonder sometimes how much wisdom we miss in the gathered wisdom of earnest believers in years past. We all know names like Calvin and Luther, but how many other Saints joyfully proclaimed the truth of the Gospel and are never read?<\/p>\n
In that vein, I was reading a not-so-old-but-not-contemporary book on Romans by William R. Newell, published in 1938. It happened to be on my shelf, and several sections really caused me to pause and think… in a good way.<\/p>\n
So I share a couple of sections with you, from Newell’s Romans Verse By Verse<\/span>, pp. 246-247.\u00a0May they also cause you to reflect on the wondrous grace that has been poured out on us in Christ!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “A FEW WORDS ABOUT GRACE”<\/strong><\/p>\n [The first two sections\u00a0were also good, but I’ve left them out for space constraints.]\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “III. The Proper Attitude of Man under Grace<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 To believe<\/em>, and to consent to be loved while unworthy<\/em>, is the great secret.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 To refuse to make “resolutions” and “vows”; for that is to trust in the flesh.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 To expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more lack of worth.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 To testify of God’s goodness, at all times.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 To be certain of God’s future favor; yet to be ever more tender in conscience toward Him.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0 To rely on God’s chastening hand as a mark of His kindness.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 A man under grace, if like Paul, has no burdens regarding himself; but many about others.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n IV.\u00a0 Things Which Gracious Souls Discover<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 1. To “hope to be better” is to fail to see yourself in Christ only<\/em>.<\/p>\n 2. To be disappointed <\/em>with yourself, is to have believed <\/em>in yourself.<\/p>\n 3. To be discouraged <\/em>is unbelief<\/em>,-as to God’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.<\/p>\n 4. To be proud<\/em>, is to be blind! <\/em>For we have no standing before God, in ourselves<\/em>.<\/p>\n 5. The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief<\/em>, and not from failure of devotion<\/em>.<\/p>\n 6. Real devotion <\/em>to God arises, not from man’s will <\/em>to show it; but from the discovery that blessing has been received <\/em>from God while we were yet unworthy and undevoted<\/em>.<\/p>\n 7. To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is to reverse God’s order, and preach law, not grace<\/em>. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion; Grace confers undeserved, unconditional <\/em>blessing: our devotion may follow, but does not always do so,-in proper measure.”<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I wonder sometimes how much wisdom we miss in the gathered wisdom of earnest believers in years past. We all know names like Calvin and Luther, but how many other Saints joyfully proclaimed the truth of the Gospel and are never read? In that vein, I was reading a not-so-old-but-not-contemporary book on Romans by William … Continue reading A Few Words About Grace<\/span>