Who Said It?!?!

I think for the first time ever I am launching a competition for one day only. I am going to give you a quote and the challenge is to GUESS who said it! The only person who can't enter is Pete Day because I texted him last night as I was so excited when I heard/saw/read it (*delete as appropriate). The prize? Just the sheer joy of knowing you were right! :) It won't be that hard if you read this blog regularly - you'll know the sorts of people that I listen to and read!

Here it is;

"(Genesis 21:10-11) - "She said to Abraham; Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac". The son of the bondwoman is men's own righteousness, which is the son of the first covenant, given at Mount Sinai, which is Hagar. And Isaac, the son of the free woman is Christ, as applied to the soul by faith; he is the child of promise and Sarah the mother of Isaac, that urges the casting out of the son of the bondwoman - so tis the church in it's ministry and ordinances which is our own legal righteousness.

Tis Christ that is the heir of the blessings of the covenant; tis his merits only that have a right or title to those blessings. We must cast out our own righteousness, and not have any manner of regard to that, as though that had a right, or as though a right came by that. "And the thing was very grevious in Abraham's sight because of his son" (v11) - which signifies how very hard and grevious it seems to persons wholly to cast out their own righteousness, the sons of the legal covenant from Mount Sinai - because they are our own works, our own brats, that are dear to us, as Ishmael was to his father Abraham".

Don't get too caught up worrying who said it - because Lydia had a very good point when I posted a quote some time ago. Why do some authors, preachers, theologians have an air of "respectability" and "acceptance" and others do not? Now I will always be thankful for Ephesians 4 Ministries as they are gifts from God to us to help us into understanding this gift of righteousness. And this morning I stand amazed once again - that a very familiar verse is opened to me by revelation from God through - this particular servant!

Guess away - but more importantly let this truth sink into you. "Our own brats that are dear to us". What works of righteousness are dear to us I wonder? Getting up early in the morning? A prayer and fasting day? Reading the Bible through in a year? All "spiritual disciplines" to be sure - but the Bible is clear. Anything without faith is SIN.