Forside Articles The Fanfare of Gospel Freedom
The Fanfare of Gospel Freedom Udskriv Email
Skrevet af Jørn Nielsen   
Tirsdag, 10. september 2019 07:09



In either language, English or Danish (or German for that matter), the teaching of Romans almost makes me eloquent or articulate even though I never fathom how overwhelming its gospel language is.  That bends me low and makes me inarticulate after all.  And yet here I am on home ground and here I want to speak or be spoken to as long as it´s saturated with gospel truth.

I´m thinking of its teaching on our freedom in Christ,  untied from legalism and the power of sin.   I often dwell on Romans 7 and 8.  I agree with C.H. Spurgeon who says, "I have never known what it is to be out of Rom. 7 nor out of Rom. 8.  The whole passage has been solid truth to my experience."  And mine too!  I feel betrothed to its solid gospel truth.

It was in the U.S. as a young man its glory really dawned on me.  I spoke out about it and was opposed.  It´s still my bold fanfare, but religious and so called "charismatic" people don´t understand it.

I was just arrested by a phrase in the Danish rendering in Rom. 7:25:  "...as I am in myself."  In keeping with the Greek that translation is justified.   I see it this way: Rom. 7 teaches how helpless the believer is in himself no matter how "good" he tries to make his "flesh"  (our old nature).  The answer is Christ, and Rom. 8 which is sometimes called "the praise of freedom", proclaims what we are in Christ and on which ground  "the Spirit of life" operates.  I wish I could go more into that now, but please "go" yourself as the Spirit leads, for my written space is limited.

At one summer conference in Norway I listened to several young people who shared their experiences from a bible school in England (run by New Tribes Mission).  Bless their hearts, but I found it all rather boring and bland, until a young, married woman stood up and testified how her eyes had been opened to the truth of our position in Christ. At lunch time I went to her to tell her what a blessing her testimony had been to me.

Solid truth, indeed!  Liberating truth! Christ centered truth! In moments of darkness I´m learning to pray, "Make Christ great to me!"  I encourage other bewildered souls to pray likewise.  That prayer will be  heard as it was in Rom. 7:24 "O, wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me...?"  And in a flash the Spirit made it clear, "I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!"  v. 25.  Or as "the Living Bible" paraphrases it, "Thank God, it has been done by Jesus Christ, our Lord!"

Sept. 10, 2019 - jn

 
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