Full access comes how?

[Gail]

I am reading a short book by E.M. Bounds entitled, The Necessity of Prayer.

Now, Bounds comes from the era of the American Civil War. He was a chaplain in the Confederate side and was highly regarded as a man of prayer.

Of Christ he wrote:

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was, "holy, harmless, undefined, separate from sinners" (Hebrews 7:26), had ready access to God in prayer. He had this free, full access because of His unquestioning obedience to His Father. Throughout His earthly life His supreme care and desire was to do the will of His Father. This fact, coupled with another- the consciousness of having so ordered His life- gave Him confidence and assurance. It enabled Him to draw near to the throne of grace with unlimited confidence born of obedience, promised acceptance, audience, and answer." P.98, emphasis as in the book

How do you understand this? 

Is he saying that the confidence comes from our performance? Or does the confidence result from peace in the heart?

Is this legalism? 

 

[LifeHiscost]

20 minutes ago, Gail said:

I am reading a short book by E.M. Bounds entitled, The Necessity of Prayer.

Now, Bounds comes from the era of the American Civil War. He was a chaplain in the Confederate side and was highly regarded as a man of prayer.

Of Christ he wrote:

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was, "holy, harmless, (undefiled) undefined, separate from sinners" (Hebrews 7:26), had ready access to God in prayer. He had this free, full access because of His unquestioning obedience to His Father. Throughout His earthly life His supreme care and desire was to do the will of His Father. This fact, coupled with another- the consciousness of having so ordered His life- gave Him confidence and assurance. It enabled Him to draw near to the throne of grace with unlimited confidence born of obedience, promised acceptance, audience, and answer." P.98, emphasis as in the book

How do you understand this? 

Is he saying that the confidence comes from our performance? Or does the confidence result from peace in the heart?

Is this legalism? 

 

The way I found peace myself was recognizing when tempted I didn't have to nor a need to choose to follow the temptation, subsequently finding peace as a result of obedience (choosing to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit). Call it legalism if one will, would we rather follow that which is illegal? I am not saved by what I do, however I am saved by what Jesus does in and through me.

97O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine.… Psalms 119

165Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.....Psalms 119

12Here is a call for the endurance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.....Revelation 14

God is Love!~Jesus saves!  

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I think Edward Bounds was somewhat of a zealot.  I don't know that I'd have called him a "legalist," but I think some of what he wrote rather trended that way.

 One of his helpers wrote, "He often reprimanded me for asking the unconverted to sing of Heaven. Said he: 'They have no heart to sing, they do not know God, and God does not hear them. Quit asking sinners to sing the songs of Zion and the Lamb.'"

 

[Gail]

It is helping me to understand better the evangelical mindset. I think you might still find some of that sentiment in present believers.

I understand prayer as a heart cry. 

[Robert]

2 hours ago, Gail said:

Is he saying that the confidence comes from our performance? Or does the confidence result from peace in the heart?

Is this legalism? 

 

Sure reads legalistic to me....

[Robert]

8 minutes ago, Gail said:

I understand prayer as a heart cry. 

Two men went up to the temple to pray....You know the rest of the story.

One had his performance down solid - the other didn't.  

Who went home justified?

[Gail]

Quote

Prayer makes common things holy and secular things sacred. It receives things from God with thanksgiving and hallows them with thankful hearts and devoted service. p.120

I can agree with the second statement but wonder if the first shapes or reflects theology regarding Sunday sacredness and the eating of unclean foods. That is quite a big declaration! I have to think about that... 

I believe that Jacob's experience with the ladder going up to heaven and his subsequent desire to create a memorial was likely accompanied by a prayer and the place was sanctified. I believe that "sacred ground" situations can be created between people at certain times. But I don't imagine this to happen when working disobediently to one of God's commands, which is how I would view the topic of the seventh-day Sabbath.

[Gail]

And then, near the end of the book, he writes this:

Quote

Our Lord was a man of prayer. He magnified the Word of God and often quoted the Scriptures. Right through His earthly life, Jesus observed Sabbath-keeping, churchgoing, and the reading of the Word of God. His prayer intermingled with them all: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." (Luke 4:16)