What do you think of God's grace as we age.

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earl40

Puritan Board Professor
The natural tendencey of people is to have an easier time resisting many sins as they age.

John Piper one time mentioned this may not be a virtue and I tend to disagree with him here.

Thoughts?
 
Can you elaborate and provide more context for Piper's comment?

Can't remember the specifics but it had something to do with the lust one feels. I wanes as we age and I see this as a grace The Lord gives us. I can think of many things that become less enticing as I grow older and I am grateful for such. :)
 
Maybe I'm not yet old enough to know, or just not holy enough, but... I'm not sure that sin, on the whole, gets easier to resist as we age. Yes, a few lusts might become less enticing. But others, if they've been indulged for a lifetime, just get more firmly entrenched as we become set in our ways. The time to repent is now; the earlier in life, the better. Fight sin before it grows deeper roots.

(And whatever Piper may have said, I'm sure he would agree with the need to fight sin now.)
 
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Maybe I'm not yet old enough to know, or just not holy enough, but... I'm not sure that sin, on the whole, gets easier to resist as we age. Yes, a few lusts might become less enticing. But others, if they've been indulged for a lifetime, just get more firmly entrenched as we become set in our ways. The time to repent is now; the earlier in life, the better. Fight sin before it grows deeper roots.

(And whatever Piper may have said, I'm sure we would agree with the need to fight sin now.)

I hear you and agree. The battle is eaiser in some areas and more difficult in others and the grace of becoming older makes some battles a lot "eaiser".
 
When I was a young Christian I had this advice of an old Pastor, be vigilant in old age
as old men do and think strange things! The temptations grow stronger not weaker.
His counsel was apposite, and worthy of all acceptation now that time has gone faster
than a weavers shuttle.
Ageing discovers the labyrinthian caverns in ones soul, where sins lurk that one never
realised were lodging there. Should not more knowledge discover more sin; should not
continually visiting Calvary show what sin did, and show the propensities latent within
us. It is a grace that we can uncover its presence and power, and be enabled by the
same grace to flee to that fountain opened for sin and uncleaness.
 
I heard a sermon once, where the preacher was relaying an occasion when he had gone to visit an old friend (his mentor in the faith) in a nursing home. This man (the resident in the nursing home) had also been a preacher and a very Godly man all his adult life. When they had private time together, this elderly gent confessed to his younger brother, of just how black his heart presently was and how temptations had come upon him and lusts risen up within his heart which he had believed were long since conquered. Grace is sufficient for the day, but only for the day!
 
"11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

Here we have Paul saying he learned and I strongly suspect this came with age. :)
 
Some sins may fall away as we age yet the older we get the more we need the LORD.
The reason is, we must die. "Young people can die but old people must die"
 
Some sins may fall away as we age yet the older we get the more we need the LORD.
The reason is, we must die. "Young people can die but old people must die"

Nice quote! As I age I am coming to the realization how weak my flesh is.
 
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