The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum On the matter of Total Depravity

The examples I gave were actually with individuals who were members of the NRC, not the FRC, although some of the older members within the FRC who came out of the NRC had similar issues regarding faith and assurance.

I do have some resentment with one particular individual in the FRC who lied and sold me down the river and who assured me if I 'trusted' him and submitted to his counsel all would go well. The reality of things turned out to be opposite and I regret having trusted the man. Yet, looking back I can see God's hand in the entire matter (of course God's providence is behind ALL things) and thus I have peace in that regard.

1. I am not familiar with "OCD".

2. Your personal struggles with sin and the world, which I have before discussed with you are typical of Christians in general. If I were to tell you I don't have struggles in my own particular things, albeit not the same, I would be a liar. Thus if I were to dwell on my down fallings, I would be most miserable and sink into deep depression. But the fact that you are not only aware of these sins and desire to be rid of them is a definite mark of grace, which an unregenerate person does not have. Paul certainly struggled with his past and present sins which he wrote in Romans 7. There should be a red flag go up IF you simply accepted those sins and had no remorse over them and never confessed them before the Lord and resolved new obedience with the Spirit's help. Let's be honest... we all are going to have reticent sins throughout our life and never even approach perfection. Our hope lies NOT in our conquering the old man but in the perfect righteousness of Christ which God in His infinite mercy and grace imputed to us when we first believed in Him.

As I tried to point out, ever so briefly, relying upon the "evidence" of grace for assurance is to fall back into a works salvation. This too Paul addressed in his letter to the Galatians and also to the Colossians. We may confess we know this to be true and even claim we aren't guilty of doing such, but in reality we do exactly that... e.g., if only I could finally rid myself of xxxx sin(s), God would be much more pleased with me and thus my assurance would be firm. The fact is no Christian is capable of meriting God's grace through a righteous life. For, 1) a perfect life whether absolute or relative can change our relationship with God. Either He has loved us from eternity as damnable sinners who are inseparably united with Christ and who have been clothed with His righteousness. Or, we are alienated from God and liable to judgment as detestable sinners who are slaves of sin. 2) Even our "good works" are marred with sin and thus have no value in themselves.

Our calling is to "fight the good fight", to "run the race", etc. It is that "war" that wages within that evidences are effectual calling and the existence of a new man which strives to be conformed to the image of Christ. This, as I have said before, is one of the marks of grace which contributes to assurance. Sometimes, sometimes, I say, it is simply a matter of saying "No!" in putting off the old man. There are other times when the war is so severe and our wounds so deep that it takes time to heal before getting back to the battle. In all these things we must therefore "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." and not look back nor rely upon the 'old ways of the world', that baggage that clings to us in the old man for comfort.