Considering this idea a little further it is not difficult to understand that the Service we are discussing is directly the means by which we are preserved through Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are in voluntary Service to God through faith and - what has historically been referred to as - penitence: a word I find loaded with negative association. Yet, this inner remorse (that is the meaning of penitence) for one's own wrong doings, which previously I have written about on this blog as remorse of conscience, is clearly a defining characteristic of a regenerate soul. We are all prisoners of the flesh and the world, our will in bondage and slave to a depraved heart. Unless grace saves, we are lost; it's either the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Satan. This penitent aspect of our regenerate nature unveils, if only retrospectively (and somewhat painfully), the idiocy (sickness) of the ways of the Old man. So the Old man is subdued and we seek restoration with Christ through 'holiness of heart' - a property of Service that secures a true lively faith and covenant obedience (another word that disturbs self-will and worldly pride).Of the names of God, and there are many, perhaps the hardest to come-to and the most revealing is: Father, which is in Heaven. The direct simplicity of the name Father heralds the whole Christian mystery. When Christ said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (Mar 14:36) he showed all that would how righteous service is done. It is the revealed Will of Our Father that we should know Him, so that we may become partakers in His nature. His is a Will that loves, and by the sacrifice of itself makes others partakers of the grace of adoption, heirs of everlasting salvation.
And through this internal call to Service one cannot mistake the operation of the Holy Spirit: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,(2Co 4:6) and heaven opens to us here now.
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Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Interesting, this evening I was getting all worked up over some political things, and I thought of the verse: Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (There are some really, really nasty media types on American television these days who just mock and chain-yank to an intense degree; then there are political operatives on the Obama side who have the media totally on their side doing very disgusting things; so I'm imagining having them impaled on stakes and similar fates, but then I have to clear my mind...)
So anyway, that verse above is in Roman's 12, the very same chapter that has the verse on our 'reasonable service' that I quoted in a comment on Paul's Parzival blog. I didn't know it would be in the same chapter.
- C.
ps- As I finish up Crime and Punishment I think I've tidied up enough what I didn't do back in highschool and just after in terms of not finishing certain novels. I won't launch into yet another big novel. I have to read the Bible seven times complete.
pps- Bunyan, Spurgeon, and Pink are a unique triad of on-the-mark theologians. Pink's Divine Covenant might have a unique section that hits on the subject Paul was tentatively bringing up awhile back regarding us having to do something. I'd define covenant obedience as being in the third state of consciousness and higher. Or, doing the two conscious shocks, and all that that entails...
I've mentioned this before, but isn't it interesting A. W. Pink was very knowledgeable of and a sort of organizational higher up in the Theosophy movement at the turn of the century, then he turned to the Bible. He then set out to read the Bible complete, Genesis through Revelation three times a year for ten years.
Then just on his own, not attached to any group or denomination really, he began to produce very solid, on-the-mark writing on biblical doctrine. The kind of doctrine that mirrors - Calvinism - that mirrors the understanding people reach who are drawn to esoteric type teachings prior. The real mystic-like understanding of biblical teaching and practice.
Not that I sense Pink got into the practice part, but he may have. He was not understood by his biographers, and his course through life suggests the kind of separation one who truly practices what one learns in the School of Christ practices.
But with Bunyan, Spurgeon, and Pink you see the same strong, simple, on-the-mark writing and understanding, and all three have a very similar understanding doctrinally, which is unusual, but there is an on-the-mark take on biblical doctrine.
I knew Pink had an occult background but I didn't know he read the bible 3 x yearly for 10 years. High water mark for consistency there. Nor that his publications came 'out of nowhere' - that's all interesting. Pink is a great writer. Spurgeon is great but utterly Victorian English, flowery and long winded. You just know back then they didn't have multi-media centres with 5:1 surround sound systems and ADSL 20mb broadband connections pumping youtube in to their homes. Still, when the Ruskies pull the plug on our energy supply we'll all be running around hacking down specimen trees and wonderful botanical gardens to fuel the stove! And then book burning.
What I meant by his writings was he wrote them for a magazine that he published himself (more like a newsletter I think) that had a small circulation for its life. Most all his books published today are taken from the multi-installments taken from his little newsletter. He became influential after he died when Banner of Truth started publishing his writings in books. I havn't read a bio of him, so I may have some details off, but I think that is pretty much correct in general.
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