Quote:
Originally Posted by armourbearer  Unbelievers ought to think about and deeply consider the endearing qualities of Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour. This is not forbidden them until they "discover" a gift of faith in their souls. Their very thinking on Christ might be the means whereby the gift of faith is given.
Further, when assurance for a believer cannot be obtained by means of self-examination, it becomes necessary to turn the heart directly towards Christ as if one were an unbeliever; and here the process is the same as above. Christ is meditated upon in the various aspects of His redemptive work in order to work the heart into an acquiescence in Him. |
I agree with this to a certain extent. I think that the Guthrie statements seemed to me to be more about how an unbeliever comes to Christ. I don't think he can work himself into closing with Christ, even though I agree that he ought to be thinking about Christ. The Holy Spirit can use an amazingly diverse number of things to bring someone to Christ.
However, I must disagree that a believer must turn the heart towards Christ as if he were an unbeliever. Of course, he must turn his heart towards Christ. However, to say that he must do so the same way as an unbeliever would seems to me to avoid using the very foundation of one's assurance in seeking assurance: the fact that one is saved. I am reminded of the West Wing episode in which much was made of the President's re-election campaign basing itself on the fact that he already was president, and what an advantage that gave him. If a believer must act as though he were not a believer, then are we not stripping him of the best advantage he can have in this struggle?