August Totals

Had a great month, workout wise. In August I walked over 155 miles; performed 3800 pushups; and also 430 pull-ups and 430 kettlebell swings. Changed up the workout to go BACK to Monday to Friday workouts consisting of those three things, plus walking, and consequently in the middle of last month I dropped the HIIT (for the moment anyway)….and it feels GREAT. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

There were two reasons for his [Cain’s] annoyance: not just that he alone had been rejected but also that his brother’s gift had been accepted.—St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis

Catechesis: Justification

Without this High Priest (Christ) we cannot approach the Father.—Ap IV:333

Luther

As I have said, therefore, any Christian is a supreme pontiff, because, first, he offers and slaughters his reason and the mind of the flesh, and, secondly, he attributes to God the glory of being righteous, truthful, patient, kind, and merciful. This is the continuous evening and morning sacrifice in the New Testament. The evening sacrifice is to kill the reason, and the morning sacrifice is to glorify God. Thus a Christian is involved, daily and perpetually, in this double sacrifice and in its practice. No one can adequately proclaim the value and the dignity of Christian sacrifice.—Great Galatians

Patristic Quote of the Day

For his [the serpent’s] punishment is that he had in his power those who despise the commandment of God. The words by which sentence is pronounced against him make this clear. The punishment is the greater because he rejoices over this unhappy power, whereas before the fall he was accustomed to rejoice in the sublime truth, in which he did not remain.—St. Augustine, Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichaeans.

Luther

Behold, thus springs forth from faith, love, and a desire for God, and out of love a free, willing, and cheerful life spent in free service to our neighbor.—On the Freedom of a Christian

Catechesis: Justification

We should not be regarded as teaching anything new in this matter. The Church Fathers have clearly handed down the doctrine that we need mercy even in good works.—Ap IV:325

An oft heard comment…

…of those who have swum various rivers (let the reader understand): “Why would I trust the fathers on an arcane doctrine like the Trinity, but not on the invocation of the saints?” To which the proper response is: “I trust the fathers on the Trinity because they demonstrated this doctrine from the pages of Holy Scripture; I do not trust the fathers on the invocation of the saints, because they do not demonstrate this doctrine from the pages of the Holy Scripture.” Where is this written? That is the most important question we need to drill into the hearts and minds of our young people. Neglect it, and we open them up to a flood of nonsense that knows no bounds.

Patristic Quote of the Day

God, referring to the forbidden fruit, said to the first man whom he had established in paradise: “In the day that you shall eat of it, you shall die the death.” His threat included not only the first part of the first death, that is the soul’s deprivation of God; not only the second part of the first death, that is the body’s deprivation of the soul; not only the whole of the first death in which the soul, separated from both God and the body, is punished; but whatever of death is up to and including that absolutely final and so-called second death…in which the soul, deprived of God but united to the body, suffers eternal punishment.—St. Augustine, City of God 13.12

Luther

Holy Scripture has fine, clear eyes, and looks in the right way upon the worldly sword as that which must be merciless for mercy’s sake and exercise severity out of sheer goodness.—Sermon on the 5th Commandment, 1528

Catechesis: Love and Fulfilling of the Law

Nevertheless, scarcely a weak and feeble fulfilling of the Law happens even in saints.—Ap IV:290 

Patristic Quote of the Day

The gentle face of the earth, that is, the dignity of the earth, may be correctly viewed as the mother of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, who was watered by the Holy Spirit, who is signified in the Gospels by the term water.—St. Augustine, Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichaeans. 

Catechesis: Alms

We also grant this, that alms merit many favors from God, lessen punishments, and merit our defense in the dangers of sin and of death, as we have said a little before about the entire repentance.—Ap IV:278

Luther

But this is the town’s greatest and highest good, that it has many fine, scholarly, dignified, sensible, and honorable citizens, for they would be able to gather and treasure goods and keep them and use them aright.—To the Mayors

Patristic Quote of the Day

Just as the trees, the vegetation, the animals, the birds, and even humankind were old, so also were they young. They were old according to the appearance of their limbs and their substances, yet they were young because of the hour and moment of their creation. Likewise, the moon was both old and young. It was young, for it was but a moment old, but it was also old, for it was full as it is on the fifteenth day.—St. Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Genesis 1.24.1

Catechesis: Justification

The doctrine of repentance—because it not only commands new works, but also promises the forgiveness of sins—necessarily requires faith.—Ap IV:272

Luther

We Christians must understand that all worldly rule and power, until its time is run, is grounded in an ordinance or a commandment of God and in that prayer of Christians.—Exposition John xiv, xv

Gleanings from Luther’s Postils, Trinity X

Epistle: 1 Cor. 12:1-12

When Paul here speaks of calling Jesus accursed, he does not only have reference to openly blaspheming or cursing Christ’s name or person after the manner of heathen and of ungodly Jews; with them Paul has nothing to do here, nor are the Corinthians supposed to be of that character. Paul refers rather to the Christian who, though boasting of the Holy Spirit, does not preach Christ as the ground of our salvation as he should, but neglecting this truth, points the soul away to something else, pretending that this substitute is of the Holy Spirit and is something better and more essential than the common doctrine of the Gospel. CP VIII:207

The tongue of a minister of Christ—the language he employs—must be of that simplicity which preaches naught but Christ.—CP VIII:207

For instance, they exalt Mary as the mother of Jesus and Anna as his grandmother. But they have they thus torn men’s hearts away from Christ, turning over to Mary and the saints the honor due to him alone, and teaching the people to invoke these as mediators and intercessory having power to protect us in the hour of death. This is substituting dumb idols for Christ. No saint has ever taught such things; still less does the Word of God enjoin them.—CP VIII:208

Gospel: Luke 19:41-48

For we learn here of the very terrible wrath and judgment that befell Jerusalem. From it we must conclude that whoever persists securely in his wickedness and sins should never think that he can outrun the punishment. For as God did not excuse that proud and privileged city—because it had his Word and did not repent—so each individual should take note, leave off his sinning, and repent, for there’s no escaping God’s wrath and punishment if he doesn’t.—HP II:375

To put it another way, Do not just listen to what God says and then fail to improve the way you live, sinning the same way you did before, regardless of what anyone says or does. The punishment for that sin will most certainly come, even it may be a long time in coming. No one who despises God’s Word escapes punishment.—HP II:366

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that God will overlook it if we continue to commit that same sin.—HP II:366

The sin which God considers the greatest sin of them all, the one that he condones or tolerates less than any other, is the sin of his people not acknowledging his Day of Judgment.—HP II:368

There is no advice or help for the person who refuses the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God.—HP II:370

But to those who accept God’s Word and change their ways, this account is a source of comfort and learning. They learn that when God delays punishment, he does this for their benefit and peace, that God wants to graciously forgive their sins, if they just repent by changing their ways, if they just fear and love God. It is not surprise that we are sinners, but if we defend our sins, stubbornly continue in them without repenting, that is something God will not allow. He would rather totally destroy such people, especially when he comes to them with the gracious warning of his Word, pleading for us to repent and we just stubbornly refuse to listen.—HP II:374

But if Christ be no longer with us, our hope will vanish; and wherever this beloved guest is rejected, and his Christians no longer tolerated, government, peace, and everything shall perish.—CP IV:330

And thus it will also go with the world; as its people despise and persecute God’s Word, and become so hardened and blinded, they will blame no one as the cause and merit of their destruction but the precious Gospel itself; which nevertheless alone preserves, thank God, what is still preserved; otherwise all things would long since lay in one common heap of ruins. And yet it must bear the blame for everything that the devil and his clans transact.—CP IV:334

Luther

See, then, how in like manner, under the great diversity of the various states and persons called for in this life and ordained by Him, God has created one being and one unity with this intent, that each one in fulfilling his ministry shall do the work allotted to him as his state demands, performing it with that humility which regards all states and persons as equal before God, as being all created equal and having the one as much favour with Him as the other, so that no one may pride himself before God and his neighbor.—Sermons, 153

Catechesis: Justification

First, the Law cannot be obeyed unless we have been reborn through faith in Christ, just as Christ says in John 15:5 “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”—Ap IV:256

Patristic Quote of the Day

“‘Another Paraclete,’ however, is what he calls the Spirit who is from the essence of the Father and from his own essence” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Ancient Christian Commentary: John vol. 2, p. 178, translated by CLS’s own Dr. David Maxwell).

A respectful disagreement

On ALPB Forum, which I no longer post to, but do still read, an erstwhile Lutheran who is now a Roman priest posted an absolutely lovely and stunning (musically speaking) youtube of Salve Regina. You can listen here. But as beautiful as the music is, I cannot but cringe at the words: 

Queen, mother of mercy:

our life, sweetness, and hope, hail.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To you we sigh, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears.
Turn then, our advocate,
those merciful eyes
toward us.
And Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb,
after our exile, show us.
O clement, O loving, O sweet
Virgin Mary.

The other day I posted from our Symbols:

Now we grant that the blessed Mary prays for the church. But she does not receive souls in death, conquer death, or give life, does she? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary performs all these things? Even though she is worthy of the highest honor, nevertheless she does not want herself to be made equal with Christ, but instead wants us to consider and follow her example. The fact of the matter is that in the court of public opinion the blessed Virgin has completely replaced Christ. People have called upon her, trusted in her mercy, and through her have sought to conciliate Christ, as though he were not the propitiator, but only a dreadful judge and avenger.—Apology XXI:27, 28

This prayer, so beloved of our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, exemplifies the truth of the Apology’s words in spades. In fact, it is almost certainly what Melanchthon had in mind when he penned the above! What I have found particularly curious is that the early Lutherans, recognizing the loveliness of the words and the melody, realized that to keep it, they would need to reassign the whole to our Lord Jesus, for this would make the words not merely beautiful and moving, but beautifully and movingly true. And this was not merely done for Lutherans of the 16th century! Loehe includes it in his Seed-grains of Prayer (p. 118). I’ll cite the Lutheran version of this prayer from there:

All hail! King of mercy. 

Hail! Thou Who art the life, the joy, and the hope of our souls. 

We miserable children of Eve cry unto Thee. 

We long for Thee, sorrowful and weeping in this vale of tears. 

Hail, therefore, O Lord Christ! 

Thou who dost intercede for us with God, 

turn Thine eyes, beaming with mercy, upon us  

and show Thyself unto us, 

Thou blessed Son of God and of Mary, 

when the days of our misery shall have passed, 

O gracious, gentle, sweet, and lovely Jesus Christ. Amen. 

There you have the beautiful phrases of the prayer addressed to the one that the New Testament tells us is the one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; who by the way it also calls our Advocate. He can and will receive such supplications and delight to answer them. 

Absolutely lovely and stunning the music no doubt is, but even more lovely and stunning is the truth that we may cry directly to our Jesus and that Scripture contains command to do so, many promises about doing so, and numerous examples of such; whereas, the Spirit-inspired Scripture is utterly silent on any command to, promise concerning, or an example of invoking the Mother of God. 

Patristic Quote of the Day

Let us glorify the Master Craftsman for all that has been done wisely and skillfully, and from the beauty of the visible things let us form an idea of him who is more than beautiful. And from the greatness of these perceptible and circumscribed bodies, let us conceive of him who is infinite and immense and who surpasses all understanding in the plenitude of his power.—St. Basil the Great, Hexameron i.11

Luther

He could also give you corn and fruit without your ploughing and planting, but that is not His will; neither is it His will that your ploughing and planting should produce corn and fruit; but you must plough and plant and say a blessing on your work and pray: Now help, O God; give us now corn and fruit, dear Lord; for our ploughing and planting will not yield us anything. It is Thy gift.—Exposition of Psalm cxlvii 

Catechesis: Justification

From these things it is clear that James does not contradict us. He criticized lazy and secure minds that imagine they have faith, although they do not have it. He made a distinction between dead and living faith. He says that faith that does not bring forth good works is dead. He also says that a living faith brings forth good works. Furthermore, we have shown already several times what we mean by faith. For we do not mean passive knowledge, such as devils have. Instead, we mean faith that resists the terrors of conscience and encourages and comforts terrified hearts.—Ap IV:127, 128

Patristic Quote of the Day

So let no one think that there is anything allegorical in the works of the six days. No one can rightly say that the things pertaining to these days are symbolic, nor can one say that they were meaningless names or that other things were symbolized by their names. Rather, let us know in just what manner heaven and earth were created in the beginning.—St. Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Genesis 1:1

Luther

Work you should and must, but do not ascribe the fact that you have food to eat and that your house is furnished to your work, but to God’s grace and blessing alone. For where it is ascribed to a man’s own work, covetousness and worry immediately raise their heads and the thought that much work will mean many possessions. Hence the strange contradiction occurs that some, who work extremely hard, have scarcely enough to eat, while others who work leisurely are blessed with all good things.—Exposition of Psalm cxxvi

Catechesis: Justification

Harmony in the Church cannot last unless pastors and churches mutually overlook and pardon many things. —Ap IV:243

Patristic Quote of the Day

Christ, Son of God, who was born of the Holy Virgin Mary, hath come as grace into the world; because by means of grace He hath made us alive, He that fashioned all things. Now that Christ is born into the world, doth all creation dance.—St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, Homily Concerning the Holy Mother of God

Selections from Lutheran Symbols Touching on the Blessed Virgin Mary

Likewise, it is taught that God the Son became a human being, born of the pure Virgin Mary, and that the two natures, the divine and human, are so inseparably united in one person that there is one Christ.—AC III:1,2

Now we grant that the blessed Mary prays for the church. But she does not receive souls in death, conquer death, or give life, does she? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary performs all these things? Even though she is worthy of the highest honor, nevertheless she does not want herself to be made equal with Christ, but instead wants us to consider and follow her example. The fact of the matter is that in the court of public opinion the blessed Virgin has completely replaced Christ. People have called upon her, trusted in her mercy, and through her have sought to conciliate Christ, as though he were not the propitiator, but only a dreadful judge and avenger.—Apology XXI:27, 28

Thus, the Dominicans invented the rosary of the blessed Virgin, which is mere babbling, as foolish as it is wicked; it nourishes a false confidence.—Apology XXVII:53

Therefore, we believe, teach, and confess that Mary did not conceive and give birth to a child who was merely, purely, simply human, but she gave birth to the true Son of God. Therefore, she is rightly called and truly is the Mother of God.—FC Ep VIII:12

Christ Jesus was in one person at the same time true and eternal God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and a true human being, born of the most blessed Virgin Mary, as it is written, in Romans 9:5, “from them [the patriarchs] according to the flesh comes the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever.”—FC SD VIII:6

Because of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, gave birth not to a mere, ordinary human being, but instead to a human being who is truly the Son of God the Most High, as the angel testifies. He demonstrated his divine majesty in his mother’s womb, in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity. Therefore, she has remained truly the Mother of God and at the same time a virgin.—FC SD VIII:24

Catechesis: Justification

Peace cannot be maintained unless people overlook and forgive certain mistakes among themselves.—Ap IV:232

Luther

And again you must know, that you have been given your state that you may humble yourself and serve others, as a nobleman serves his prince at court or at war, or a manservant or maidservant their masters and mistresses. All this you must do because it is God’s Will.—Sermons, 1544

Patristic Quote of the Day

For even though the Spirit exist in His Own Person, and is conceived of by Himself, inasmuch as He is the Spirit and not the Son, yet is He not therefore alien from Him; for He is called the Spirit of truth [John 15:26], and Christ is the Truth [John 14:6], and He proceedeth from Him, just as from God the Father.— Third Letter of St. Cyril of Alexandria to Nestorius, read and accepted at the Council of Ephesus, 431.

I always like to share this…

…when August 15th rolls around. This year I posted it up on the Eve of the Dormition on Gottesdienst. 

A fun day with dear friends

 

Where does the time fly?

Today is our oldest daughter’s 35th birthday. She’s halfway to 70 (as I keep reminding her!). Happy birthday, Lauren Elizabeth. We love you and are so proud of you! 

It’s 1:30

And it feels like a full day has already happened! Up at 5:30 (working on Wordle and Quordle) as I made coffee. Then prayed Treasury with Cindi for St. Lawrence’s Day. Privately prayed Matins with morning’s psalms, Jeremiah 49, Te Deum, Acts 9, Benedictus and then prayers from Lutheran Prayer Companion. A bit of meditation on the wounds of Christ with the Jesus Prayer. Reading from Day by Day (your daily bit of Luther), Larger Catechism, and a section from the Apology, and wrapped up with C. S. Lewis. Workout as I listened to Ezekiel (some of the racier bits today!) and did 200 pushups, 24 pull ups, 24 45 lb KB swings. Then out for a walk and what a delightful morning it was: the birds were belting out their own joyful Matins and Lauds! Home for shave and quick shower, after which I walked around a bit more inside the house to get miles up to 5. I love to have the five miles under the belt before 9 a.m., but it wasn’t till 9:10 I finished today. Still, I’ll take it. Then down to LPR studio to record a promo and three shows (with a Starbucks stop on the way). Home to cut grass, grab a bite to eat, and then write the next podcast. I debated getting in the pool, but it’s barely 80 and cloudy. Think I’ll pass on that today. So now I’m sitting here with a glass of wine and aimlessly blogging. 

I did decide to revert to older workout schedule. My intent going forward is to do the 200 - 24 - 24 on Monday-Friday, and to aim for at least 5 miles of walking Monday-Saturday. Sunday I’ll settle for 2.5. 

Still coming up is Vespers (evening psalms; Jeremiah 50; Magnificat; Hebrews 13; Nunc Dimittis; and Gerhard’s daily prayer), Dinner, and God willing, a game of Liverpool in which Dave, Lois, and Cindi will behave themselves (that is, let me win!). 

Gerhard’s Model Daily Prayer

This is provided in his marvelous, multi volume Schola Pietatis. 

O holy and righteous God, merciful Father, You are One, eternal, true God in three distinct Persons. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I confess and lament from the bottom of my heart that I, a person conceived and born in sin from my infancy on up to this present hour, have sinned against You daily and frequently. I have sinned knowingly and unknowingly, inwardly and outwardly, in thought, word, and deed. I have sinned against the first and the second table of Your holy Ten Commandments. I have never kept them properly and perfectly. Instead, I have sinned against all of them. I confess that I additionally have made myself a partaker of various sins. As a result, all creation accuses me before Your judgment. Also, my own heart and conscience cause me anxiety for so shamefully abusing Your manifold, great blessings with my sinning. Also, I have stirred up against me Your righteous wrath. And I pray You, O Lord and God, from the bottom of my heart, that You would forgive me all this for the sake of Your beloved Son, my true Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the sake of His precious merit and His perfectly availing payment.

Along with this, I thank You, O gracious and faithful God! I thank You for all Your blessing which You have so richly and abundantly shown me, that You have so wondrously formed me in my mother’s womb and allowed me to be born into this world alive. I thank You that You have graciously sustained me and provided for every need of my body and life in a fatherly fashion. That You have redeemed me from sin, death, devil, and hell through Christ, that You have sent Your only begotten Son into the flesh for my benefit and gave Him up into death—even death on the cross—for me. That You, through Your holy Word, have called me into the fellowship of Your kingdom of grace. I thank You that You waited with great patience for my conversion, that my heart’s conversion through the Holy Spirit was so mighty. That by grace all my sins are forgiven. That You have sustained me with good resolution and have richly bestowed on me all sorts of blessings in body and soul. That in Holy Baptism, You received me as Your dear child into Your covenant of grace. Also that You, in the holy Lord’s Supper, have fed and given me to drink of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. That You up to now have protected me from many kinds of dangers and misfortunes and that You, by grace, have given me the sure promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus, my Savior.

Furthermore, I ask of You, almighty God and Father, that You would subdue and kill off the old man in me. Give to me and increase in me faith, love, hope, humility, patience, meekness, chastity, and all other Christian virtues. Grant that I, in my heart, spurn temporal thins and truly long for eternal things. Through Your Holy Spirit’s implantation of Your grace confer on me that I may deny and overcome the world. May I at all times find comfort amidst tribulation, true rest for my soul. Grant that I overcome in every adversity. May I be guarded against the devil’s power and cunning. Grant that I may finally depart from this life in peace and joy, and someday arise on Judgment Day to eternal life.

Last of all, I commend to You, O faithful God, Your holy Christian Church. May You graciously uphold it, increase it, and rule over it. Give us faithful teachers and preachers in schools and churches in order to open the hearts of the hearers, and direct them to follow Your Word with child-like obedience. Also, may You also grant that rulers and subjects, house fathers and house mothers, children and relatives, servants and maidens all faithfully fulfill their duties and Your will. I especially commend to You the authorities over me, my relatives and benefactors. May You please reward them for all the good they have shown to me. I also pray to You for all my enemies and persecutors. May You please overcome and convert them. I pray to You on behalf of all those in need. May You graciously grant counsel, comfort, and help to anxious and sorrowful hearts. Also, in general, may You have mercy upon all mankind. O faithful God and Father, would You please give ear to this prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son and our Savior and Redeemer. Amen. Schola Pietatis II:128-131 (I cannot commend the purchase of these volumes from Repristination Press highly enough!)

Oops! Yesterday I missed…

…posting on this fine young lad’s TENTH birthday! Goodness, how did that happen so quickly? Happy birthday (a day late), Sawyer Dean, oldest grandson! Love you much!

Merry Christmas…to us!

This weekend we received last year’s Christmas gift from the kids: a weekend together at a location of our choosing. We selected Kentucky Dam Village because it was the closest location. The Herberts camped there all week, joined on Thursday by the Ibisches. The Weedons (younger and older) arrived Friday and were housed in cottages (neither of us being great fans of camping out). We enjoyed a meal together (sort of) in the Harbor Lights Restaurant the first evening. Then spent the morning at the pool all together. Some quiet time in the afternoon, getting the kids out of the sun. For supper, we congregated at David and Meaghan’s cabin, feasted on pizza and adult beverage (well, the adults did anyway), and played some Secret Hitler. This morning we met at 8 a.m. at Cracker Barrel and had two tables for all 19 of us. Then off to St. Paul’s in Paducah (with its East wall altar), where we had the joy of witnessing both an adult baptism and an adult confirmation, heard a Gospel drenched sermon (on the historic one year series, no less! Thank you, Pr. Appold!!!), sang LSB Divine Service 3 in harmony, received the Supper with joy, got to see and hug Craig Stroh (former member of St. Paul’s, Hamel) and Kim Sales (bonus: got to hear Kim do a great job on the organ!), and then headed our separate ways. It was wild and crazy as all our family gatherings are, but thanks be to God for the time together. A few pics for you and they’re all in a jumble; sorry!:

Patristic Quote of the Day

The books that are opened are indicative of the deeds and of the conscience of each person. There is but one book of life in which the names of the saints are written.—Andrew of Caesarea

Catechesis: Justification

We never satisfy the law! So we must always run back to the promise.—Ap IV:164, 165

Luther

The discipline of the flesh follows, to mortify its coarse and evil lust and win peace and rest. Such lusts must be overcome with fasting and watching and work. Thus we learn why and how much we should fast, watch, and work…. Therefore I leave it to every man to choose for himself the days, the food, and the amount of fasting, but he must not leave it at that, but keep watch over his flesh; inasmuch as he finds it lascivious and wanton, he should discipline it with fasting, watching, working, and more.—Sermon on Good Works, 1520

Patristic Quote of the Day

One might interpret the birds in a negative way and regard them as the transgressing angels. Having led their followers into destruction, these angels are said to have fulfilled their evil desire and to be filled with the flesh of the lost.—Primasius on Rev. 19:21

Luther

Hence there are few who acknowledge and believe that they are sinners. For how can a man confess he is a sinner if he cannot bear a word directed against his actions and plans, but immediately flies into a temper and swears that he is sincere and is doing good, and that it is wrong to oppose him and perverse to reject him?—Commentary on Romans

Catechesis: Justification

Paul is writing about faith that receives the forgiveness of sins in a terrified heart and flees from sin. Such faith does not remain in those who obey their desires, neither does it dwell with mortal sin.—Ap IV:144

For in this life we cannot satisfy the Law, because the sinful nature does not stop bringing forth evil inclinations and desires, even though the Spirit in us resists them.—Ap IV:146