Soul Transformation - Donald W. Ekstrand

Descriere Soul Transformation - Donald W. Ekstrand

The three steps of salvation in a nutshell are these - becoming a Christian; living the Christian life; and going to heaven. Theologians refer to these three steps as Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. The first and third steps are instantaneous experiences, but the second step (sanctification) is a life long process whereby the Holy Spirit works in the believer's life to bring about practical holiness and transform his character into the likeness of Christ. It is this second step of salvation with which the believer struggles, because it requires putting to death the deeds of the body (saying no to our sin nature), and obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit (saying yes to God) - this is the essence of spiritual warfare. Sadly, most churches in the West today pretty much ignore the issue of Sanctification, and just focus on Justification - either out of ignorance about what Scripture teaches, or out of fear that living a holy life is essentially legalism. But living a life of obedience to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with legalism - legalists think they gain favor with God by being good, but believers obey Christ out of gratitude because they already have favor with God! The key to sanctified living is gratitude! The Bible emphatically describes God as being both loving and holy, yet western Christianity primarily focuses on God's love, and says almost nothing at all about His holiness. As such, the central message of most churches is one of love and forgiveness, with scarcely a word being said about holiness and death to sin and self. Satan is thrilled with our one dimensional Christianity, because it essentially leaves believers lukewarm, impotent and ineffectual. This book presents God's blueprint for spiritual development and portrays the transformational experiences every believer goes through in life - they include ups and downs, highs and lows, peaks and valleys, joy and suffering, victory and defeat - these experiences are the norm for every believer; none of us get a painless, trouble-free road to glory. Incidentally, the material presented in this book reflects the teachings of the most respected Christian theologians since the reformation - individuals the evangelical community has long recognized as being pillars of the faith. To our lamentable regret, however, these teachings no longer have a prominent place in the vast majority of churches in the West. It is time for believers in

Detalii

Brand

Xulon Press

Categorie

ENSTK

EAN / GTIN

9781624194429

Magazine

1

Disponibilitate

in stock