Augustine of Hippo was one such person.Have you ever heard of Augustine? He is known for his incredible conversion and his works the Confessions and The City of God are among his many writings. He was the Bishop of Hippo which is in modern Tunisia. Augustine was born in November 13, 354 and died August 28, 430. People have divergent views on him because both Catholics look to him as well as Protestants. Personally, I love the way he knew and loved God and His sovereign grace. Benjamin B. Warfield. In his book Calvin and Augustine, wrote: "The great contribution which Augustine has made to the world's life and thought is embodied in the theology of grace".
I love this man! Here is a sampling of quotes from him to encourage you and stir your soul like it has mine.
"Oh Lord, You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you."
""O Lord, that I may love you [freely], for I can find nothing more precious. Turn not away your face from me, that I may find what I seek. Turn not aside in anger from your servant, lest in seeking you I run toward something else. . . . Be my helper. Leave me not, neither despise me, O God my Saviour."
"But what do I love when I love my God? . . . Not the sweet melody of harmony and song; not the fragrance of flowers, perfumes, and spices; not manna or honey; not limbs such as the body delights to embrace. It is not these that I love when I love my God. And yet, when I love him, it is true that I love a light of a certain kind, a voice, a perfume, a food, an embrace; but they are of the kind that I love in my inner self, when my soul is bathed in light that is not bound by space; when it listens to sound that never dies away; when it breathes fragrance that is not borne away on the wind; when it tastes food that is never consumed by the eating; when it clings to an embrace from which it is not severed by fulfillment of desire. This is what I love when I love my God."
"I was astonished that although I now loved you . . . I did not persist in enjoyment of my God. Your beauty drew me to you, but soon I was dragged away from you by my own weight and in dismay I plunged again into the things of this world . . . as though I had sensed the fragrance of the fare but was not yet able to eat it."
Give me the grace [O Lord] to do as you command, and command me to do what you will! . . . O holy God . . . when your commands are obeyed, it is from you that we receive the power to obey them."
How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose . . ! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure, though not to flesh and blood, you who outshine all light, yet are hidden deeper than any secret in our hearts, you who surpass all honor, though not in the eyes of men who see all honor in themselves. . . . O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation."
Every man, whatsoever his condition, desires to be happy. There is no man who does not desire this, and each one desires it with such earnestness that he prefers it to all other things; whoever, in fact, desires other things, desires them for this end alone."
A man's free-will, indeed, avails for nothing except to sin, if he knows not the way of truth; and even after his duty and his proper aim shall begin to become known to him, unless he also take delight in and feel a love for it, he neither does his duty, nor sets about it, nor lives rightly. Now, in order that such a course may engage our affections, God's "love is shed abroad in our hearts" not through the free-will which arises from ourselves, but "through the Holy Ghost, which is given to us" (Romans 5:5).
"O Lord, my Helper and my Redeemer, I shall now tell and confess to the glory of your name how you released me from the fetters of lust which held me so tightly shackled and from my slavery to the things of this world."
"No subject gives me greater pleasure (than grace). For what ought to be more attractive to us sick men, than grace, grace by which we are healed; for us lazy men, than grace, grace by which we are stirred up; for us men longing to act, than grace, by which we are helped?"
"The whole life of a good Christian is a holy desire...The soul of men shall hope under the shadow of Thy wings; they shall be made drunk with the fullness of Thy house; and of the torrents of Thy pleasures Thou wilt give them to drink; for in Thee is the Fountain of Life, and in Thy Light shall we see the light? Give me a man in love: he knows what I mean. Give me one who yearns; give me one who is hungry; give me one far away in this desert, who is thirsty and sighs for the spring of the Eternal country. Give me that sort of man: he knows what I mean. But if I speak to a cold man, he just does not know what I am talking about. . . ."
'You are ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need. . . . You grieve for wrong, but suffer no pain. You can be angry and yet serene. Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same. . . . You welcome those who come to you, though you never lost them. You are never in need yet are glad to gain, never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts. . . . You release us from our debts, but you lose nothing thereby. You are my God, my Life, my holy Delight, but is this enough to say of you? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe betide those who are silent about you!"
Loving the God of Augustine,
Pastor Bill
1 comment:
Doesn't the bible say For God so loved the world?? Jh. 3:16 and that He died for the sins of the whole world? 1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. It doesn't say He died just for an elect group.
Also, doesn't forcing a belief first to have us "get faith" seem like God giving Grace to the non-humble yet His word says He gives Grace to the humble. This stuff does not make sense to what the Word of God clearly says.
I perceive Calvinism here and here is where Calvinism goes astray: No one is saved by the Death of Jesus!! We are saved by the Life of Jesus that comes into us by the Spirit of God when we believe on Him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And it is shown by Scripture that God reconciled the whole world to Himself, yet this does not save the world: 2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Note: in all these God says "the world" not the elect. You have to ponder this and ask God why He did this? Might it be that God does forknow who will be humbled by their sin and call on Him and be saved? Yes, they are "Dead" in sin, in being separated from God, yet not inactive. And I would state that a God of Love (God is Love: 1Jh 4;16) would not Force the Gift of the Grace of Jesus upon anyone. A "forced" gift is no gift at all, but actually a form of rape. I would say the man who came up with this "doctrine" either did not know God at all, or did not learn about God through the revelation of the Spirit of God. No one, not me not you, can learn about God but the Spirit Reveal God to us. Right? And if you have studied John Calvin evil government in Geneva, you would have to admit a lack of Love of God in His lack of Love to the people. God never called us to be Lord's over the flock. Calvin took that position, and became the "pope of Geneva". As I do not follow R.C. popes, I have learned to not follow this "pope either". Yes, the doctrines of mighty men can be enticing but they are not God's interpreters. The Holy Spirit is!!! I would be interested in your comments and wonder if your are open to explaining the objections to Calvinism as listed above.
I venture to say, if the heart of Calvin leads you, you will miss out on the Heart of God to your fellow human beings!! For the Bible reveals that in dying for the sins of all men of all time, that God loves all men the same in this dispensation of Grace!! This love, when it overflows ones heart allows us, me, to love the unlovable, because God loves them and that is the heart that is now in me!! God has done all to save all, but they must turn to Him. That is Love back to God. It takes a turn of one's will and God will not force that, for again, that would be rape. Looking forward to your reply. I will check the blog or you can send it to: "wantheaven4u@aol.com
God Bless and Sola Scriptura!!
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