A. W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God

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Homer
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Re: A. W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God

Post by Homer » Sun Feb 25, 2018 6:54 pm

Hi Singalphile,

You wrote:
That doesn't make sense to me. In fact - strong language warning - that's ridiculous! Going beyond "the perimeter" is the temptation, and you cannot satisfy the sinful desires within the perimeter. If you could, they wouldn't be sinful desires!
I must say I am taken aback by your response. Perhaps we misunderstand each other. What I was saying is that the natural desires of the flesh can be satisfied within God's will (i.e. we keep his moral commandments and positive commandments. This does not mean we are satisfied to the point we will never be tempted to sin. But temptation itself is not a sin, only when we give in to temptation. Scripture informs us that Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are.

Paul, I believe, speaks of this in 1 Corinthians, chapter 7, where he says that if a person has the gift of being single as he was that's great but if you burn with passion the be married. Marriage is life within the will of God (the perimeter).

Singalphile
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Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:46 pm

Re: A. W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God

Post by Singalphile » Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:30 pm

Homer wrote:Hi Singalphile,

You wrote:
That doesn't make sense to me. In fact - strong language warning - that's ridiculous! Going beyond "the perimeter" is the temptation, and you cannot satisfy the sinful desires within the perimeter. If you could, they wouldn't be sinful desires!
I must say I am taken aback by your response. Perhaps we misunderstand each other. What I was saying is that the natural desires of the flesh can be satisfied within God's will (i.e. we keep his moral commandments and positive commandments. This does not mean we are satisfied to the point we will never be tempted to sin. But temptation itself is not a sin, only when we give in to temptation. Scripture informs us that Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are.

Paul, I believe, speaks of this in 1 Corinthians, chapter 7, where he says that if a person has the gift of being single as he was that's great but if you burn with passion the be married. Marriage is life within the will of God (the perimeter).
Perhaps I misunderstand. I'm sure Charles Finney, and perhaps others, expounded a lot more. As I see it, there are scores or hundreds of evil things that we are tempted to do, and as far as I can tell, there is no way to satisfy those temptations without giving in to them. We can escape them, but we can't satisfy them, imo.

But I am glad that the idea is helpful to you and others!
... that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. John 5:23

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steve
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Re: A. W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God

Post by steve » Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:00 pm

Homer wrote:
Long ago, reading Charles Finney, and perhaps others, I think I got a lot of help in this matter. The idea is that God has established a perimeter beyond which we sin. We can satisfy the desires of the flesh within that perimeter. For example, if we are hungry, eat but do not be a glutton. Share with those who have no food. Desire sex? Be married and do not lust, and so on.

Within that perimeter we have freedom in Christ. Beyond the boundary of His will we must not go. "Put to death the deeds of the body"; those that are beyond the perimeter.
Hi Singalphile,

The above is what you say did not make sense to you? It seems altogether uncontorversial. I wonder what you were reading it to mean.

There is no mention of satisfying "sinful desires" in Homer's paragraph. He correctly identified the desire for food and for sex as "desires of the flesh"—but no Christian would say those are sinful desires, unless they are unbounded and exercised beyond God's commandments. I am surprised to hear anyone who would find that even a little strange. It seems entirely mainstream.

Singalphile
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Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:46 pm

Re: A. W. Tozer - The Pursuit of God

Post by Singalphile » Wed Feb 28, 2018 12:02 am

steve wrote:Homer wrote:
Long ago, reading Charles Finney, and perhaps others, I think I got a lot of help in this matter. The idea is that God has established a perimeter beyond which we sin. We can satisfy the desires of the flesh within that perimeter. For example, if we are hungry, eat but do not be a glutton. Share with those who have no food. Desire sex? Be married and do not lust, and so on.

Within that perimeter we have freedom in Christ. Beyond the boundary of His will we must not go. "Put to death the deeds of the body"; those that are beyond the perimeter.
Hi Singalphile,

The above is what you say did not make sense to you? It seems altogether uncontorversial. I wonder what you were reading it to mean.

There is no mention of satisfying "sinful desires" in Homer's paragraph. He correctly identified the desire for food and for sex as "desires of the flesh"—but no Christian would say those are sinful desires, unless they are unbounded and exercised beyond God's commandments. I am surprised to hear anyone who would find that even a little strange. It seems entirely mainstream.
I just stopped my regular job for the day (a fun-filled 13 hour work day!), so I don't want to spend much time.

I understood "desires of the flesh" to mean sinful desires (as in Galatians 5:16, I think). If Homer just meant physical needs/desires, then that is where I misunderstood. (... although even the actual needs of the flesh cannot always be satisfied without sinning. Sometimes the choice is sin or die.)

Thank you.
... that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. John 5:23

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