Many sinners acknowledge the necessity of Regeneration
without being profited thereby,
because they confound it with Reformation of Life.
Reader, beware of this error.
Remember, it is not sufficient to die to sin,
if we be not raised into newness of life.
It is a little thing to say,
“by the grace of God I am not what I was,”
if we cannot add, “by the same grace,
I am what I never have been.”
It is a little thing to be able to say,
“I am no swearer, drunkard, unclean person;
I do not walk after the flesh:”
unless we feel at the same time
that we walk in the straight path
of faith, hope, and divine love.
John Fletcher. The New Birth p. 31
If you enjoyed these readings, there’s a lot more where they came from. The “Rise” readings this week come from Volume 1 of “Seeds: A Scattering of Groundbreaking Ideas,” edited by J.D. Walt. You can get it digitally or in print here.
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