If sin be not mortified in its guilt …

Yesterday was a full day of study and prep for me for my new women’s retreat on fear:

I’m up to 70 or so pages of content and illustrations, so I should be nearing “the end” for what I will research before I take a first swing at actually lining out each session’s handouts and questions for discussion. What a privilege it is to study this material! I am being helped so much. And I dearly pray that I will get to serve the women in Iowa (in April) well too.

Here’s are two quotes from my research yesterday that were sweet reminders for me:

“To the degree that we feel we are on a legal or performance relationship with God, to that degree our progress in sanctification is impeded. A legal mode of thinking gives indwelling sin an advantage, because nothing cuts the nerve of the desire to pursue holiness as much as a sense of guilt. On the contrary, nothing so motivates us to deal with sin in our lives as does the understanding and application of the two truths that our sins are forgiven and the dominion of sin is broken because of our union with Christ.” Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin

“If sin be not mortified [put to death] in its guilt, it cannot be subdued in its power.” Robert Haldane’s Commentary on Romans as cited by Jerry Bridges in The Discipline of Grace

Preachin’ it! Good stuff. No peace if we don’t remember THAT.

Oh—and I wanted to explain why I haven’t been as consistent with new blogs each morning. (A few of you have reached out with gentle, “Are you OK, Tara?” emails. I appreciate that! But yes, I’m OK.) I’m just spending more time with Fred and the girls in the morning (helping with breakfast, making Fred’s lunch, participating in their discussion of Proverbs, etc. And I started working out again. (Hard to believe I’m sure! But that Wii Fit is actually a fun addition to my standard workout of elliptical trainer / abs / stretching / weights.)

So I’m trying to still fit in a blog here or there, but you’re not just imagining it … I’m becoming a flakier blogger. Can’t believe so many of you still stick with me. THANKS for that! I hope to serve you to the very best of my abilities.

Happy Friday!

Yours,
Tara B.