I've been in the OT a lot as of late. I'm preaching through the book of Psalms for our mid-week service, I'm underway in a preaching series through the Minor Prophets (we started Hosea this week), and an I'm going through Isaiah with an elder in our church. With all this OT I've been immersed in in recent weeks and months, I have found God's glorious and majestic character unveiled in magnificent ways.
I have convinced myself (again!) that a proper understanding of self, sin, salvation, sanctification and every other theological doctrine must begin with a proper understanding of who God is. A person can't be saved without understanding the holiness and righteousness of God. A person can't realize he's a dead and hopeless sinner apart from a proper perspective of God's righteous standard of perfection. Furthermore, no one can be sanctified without properly understanding who the Holy Spirit is and the utter incapacity we have of sanctifying ourselves and the absolute dependence we have on God the Holy Spirit working in and through us and thereby sanctifying us.
At any rate, this is a simple post encouraging you with what I've been encouraged with in recent months, namely, to simply read your Bible more. And not only your Bible (and do that!), but your OT as well. Don't neglect the first two-thirds of your Bible. Don't neglect the glorious love that Yahweh reveals in the OT. Don't forget to read the Bible for your own soul's food and nourishment. Without it, you'll never grow and, in reality, you'll starve yourself and you'll despair in discouragement.
Therefore, the solution, I believe, is to read your bible more.
I have convinced myself (again!) that a proper understanding of self, sin, salvation, sanctification and every other theological doctrine must begin with a proper understanding of who God is. A person can't be saved without understanding the holiness and righteousness of God. A person can't realize he's a dead and hopeless sinner apart from a proper perspective of God's righteous standard of perfection. Furthermore, no one can be sanctified without properly understanding who the Holy Spirit is and the utter incapacity we have of sanctifying ourselves and the absolute dependence we have on God the Holy Spirit working in and through us and thereby sanctifying us.
At any rate, this is a simple post encouraging you with what I've been encouraged with in recent months, namely, to simply read your Bible more. And not only your Bible (and do that!), but your OT as well. Don't neglect the first two-thirds of your Bible. Don't neglect the glorious love that Yahweh reveals in the OT. Don't forget to read the Bible for your own soul's food and nourishment. Without it, you'll never grow and, in reality, you'll starve yourself and you'll despair in discouragement.
Therefore, the solution, I believe, is to read your bible more.
