Marrow of Modern Divinity - Fisher - X - Chapter 3 continued

Required reading
Marrow of Modern Divinity  by Edward Fisher (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue Chapter 3 by reading the three sections entitled 'Efficacy of faith for holiness of heart and life'; 'Use of means for strengthening of faith'; and 'Distinction of the law of works, and law of Christ, applied to six paradoxes'.

My summary
This week we firstly look at how faith is effective at producing a holiness of heart and life.  Faith is effective because it derives power from Christ ingrafting a man, who is by nature a wild olive branch, into Christ as the natural olive.

Secondly we are told the means that the Spirit loves to use for strengthening faith:
(i) prayer;
(ii) the preached word;
(iii) the read word;
(iv) meditation upon God's promises;
(v) the Lord's Supper.

Thirdly, Neophytus asks whether these six statements are true:
1. That a believer is not under the law, but is altogether delivered from it.
2. That a believer does not commit sin.
3. That the Lord can see no sin in a believer.
4. That the Lord is not angry with a believer for his sins.
5. That the Lord doth not chastise a believer for his sins.
6. Lastly, That a believer hath no cause neither to confess his sins, nor to crave pardon at the hands of God for them, neither yet to fast, nor mourn, nor humble himself before the Lord for them.
Evangelista answers that they are paradoxes because 'for in one sense they may all of them be truly affirmed, and in another sense they may all of them be truly denied; whereof if we would clearly understand the truth, we must distinguish betwixt the law as it is the law of works, and as it is the law of Christ.'

What grabbed me
Great quote about the response of the Christian towards God's gifting him with good works: 'So that, although he be endowed with excellent gifts and graces, and though he perform never so many duties, he denies himself in all; he does not make them as ladders for him to ascend up into heaven by, but he desires to "be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ," (Phil 3:9). He does not think himself to be one step nearer to heaven, for all his works and performances. And if he hear any man praise him for his gifts and graces, he will not conceive that he has obtained the same by his own industry and pains-taking, as some men have proudly thought; neither will he speak it out, as some have done, saying; These gifts and graces have cost me something—I have taken much pains to obtain them; but he says, "By the grace of God I am what I am; and not I, but the grace of God that was with me," (1 Cor 15:10).'

We cannot boast in anything we do as Christians - any good we do is simply further evidence of God's grace towards us.

Next week's reading
Conclude Chapter 3 by reading the six sections entitled 'The use of that distinction in practice'; 'That distinction a mean betwixt legalism and Antinomianism; 'How to attain to assurance'; 'Marks and evidences of true faith'; 'How to recover lost evidences'; 'Marks and signs of union with Christ'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.