TaylorOtwell
Puritan Board Junior
Last night I was speaking with a friend who attends PRTS. Who told me that before Dr. Beeke began preaching at the Netherlands Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, there was something like 1000 people attending and only 20 communicants. I found this to be astounding.
He noted that there were/are many in the congregation who love the Puritans/theology/etc. and live very "godly" lives but who do not consider themselves converted and many don't feel internal "liberty" to believe in Christ savingly. They feel it would be presumption. I told him the real presumptuous sin in a case like that is not resting in Christ immediately.
Is this kind of situation common on the HRC and Netherlands Reformed Churches? I've never heard of this concept of feeling the "liberty" to close with Christ internally. To me, it sounded like David Brainerd agonizing in his diaries, and some kind of Great Awakening style spirituality.
He noted that there were/are many in the congregation who love the Puritans/theology/etc. and live very "godly" lives but who do not consider themselves converted and many don't feel internal "liberty" to believe in Christ savingly. They feel it would be presumption. I told him the real presumptuous sin in a case like that is not resting in Christ immediately.
Is this kind of situation common on the HRC and Netherlands Reformed Churches? I've never heard of this concept of feeling the "liberty" to close with Christ internally. To me, it sounded like David Brainerd agonizing in his diaries, and some kind of Great Awakening style spirituality.