At present, we are working with the light of truth presented by Dr. Francis Schaeffer from his book True Spirituality where we are discussing the basic considerations of the Christian life, or true Christianity.

Continuing from yesterday…. 

For myself, through the twenty years or so since I began to struggle with this in my own life, I rather picture my conscience as a big black dog with enormous paws, which leaps upon me, threatening to cover me with mud and devour me.  But as this conscience of mine jumps upon me, after a specific sin has been dealt with on the basis of Christ’s finished work, then I should turn to my conscience and say, in effect, “Down! Be still!”  I am to believe God and be quiet in my practice and experience.  My fellowship with God has been supernaturally restored.  I am cleansed, ready again to resume the spiritual life, ready again to be used by the Spirit for warfare in the external world.  I cannot be ready until I am cleansed, but when I am, then I am ready.  And I may come back for cleansing as many times as I need, on this basis.   

This is for many Christians the point of reality.  All of us battle with this problem of reality.  Men go to strange extremes to touch reality, but here is the point of it:  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 ESV.  

This is the point of reality for me personally.  If I lay hold upon the blood of Christ in faith, reality rests here, not in trying to live as though the Bible teaches perfectionism.  That is no basis for reality; that is only a basis either for subterfuge or despair.  But there is reality here:  the reality of sins forgiven; the reality of a certainty that when a specific sin is brought under the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is forgiven.  This is the reality of restored relationship.  Reality is not meant to be only credal, though the creeds are important.  Reality is to be experienced, and experienced on the basis of a restored relationship with God through that finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.  (con’t tomorrow)  🙂

Thoughts developed or used directly from the work of Schaeffer, Francis. True Spirituality . Tyndale House Publishers, Inc