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ANSWERING A CRITIC
Critic's Statement
“Some of these writings [the classic authors of contemplation and mystical practices] have questionable and downright unbiblical teachings. Yet there is still a lot of truth in them. However, a young believer should not read these things from the original writings.”
Response from the Editor
This admission of error sprinkled with good things in the genre’s authors is the evidence that we cannot use these extra-biblical sources to teach truth. As people who have had to repent of a false prophet whose writings are a mixture of gross error mixed with truth, we understand that only Scripture can reveal Truth. Admitting extra-biblical sources of knowing God’s will dilutes our trust in Him and His unfailing promises. Our own minds and imaginations are fallible. God’s Spirit convicts and teaches us as we submit our minds to His word and present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices for His service, allowing His Word to transform us by renewing our minds (Rom. 12:1-2).
Critic's Statement
“Spiritual formation teaches that contemplative prayer is but one means of grace that God uses to transform us. In my book, I describe and give examples of over eighty different disciplines that God can use to transform us.”
Response from the Editor
The epistles are filled with gospel “indicatives”, the statements declaring what God has already accomplished in Jesus on our behalf. These indicatives provide the foundation for the gospel “imperatives”, the commands describing how we live as born-again Christians. For example, Colossians 2:6 illustrates this pattern: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord [indicative], so walk in Him [imperative].” In other words, Christ Jesus forgave our sins on the cross and rose from death; He made us His as we receive His sacrifice for our sin. We walk in Him exactly as we received Him: by grace through faith, not by performing disciplines. Rather, we are transformed by beholding the glory of the Lord. “This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).
Copyright 2014 Life Assurance Ministries, Inc., Camp Verde, Arizona, USA. All rights reserved. Revised April 28, 2014. Contact email: proclamation@gmail.com
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VOLUME 14, ISSUE 4