New Students
gfiblog | July 24, 2008 11:17
We appreciate those who have enrolled in GFICI lately. These new students include:
- Lucas Boersma (The Netherlands)
- Larry Moore (Kansas)
- Elaine Warkentin (Alberta, Canada)
- J. Evelyn Sousa (California)
Welcome and God bless your equipping process with us!
Miles Stanford's view of old man vs flesh
gfiblog | June 05, 2008 14:20
John,
I am finishing up some books I wanted to be sure to read from the Devotional Literature course, and I am on "The Complete Green Letters." This morning, I read chapter 49 "Reckoning in Galatians 2:20", and it raised a question.
Stanford says, "Nowhere does the believer go farther astray than by reckoning self dead! For, if the old man died at the Cross, it would mean he was annihilated. To reckon self to be dead results in the error of eradication. But every honest Christian knows only too well that the self-life is very much alive within...On the other hand, we are to view the old man as having been *crucified*: nailed to the cross, helpless, but not *slain*." (p.219 in my copy)
This takes me completely by surprise (if true), for I don't know what to do now with the verses which say our old nature, old man, is dead. Does it just mean "dead to me," meaning I don't recognize it anymore?
At the end of the chapter, he gives an allegory of a sea captain who is charged with a capital offense, put in chains, and replaced, and how he attempts to continue to exert his power, but it has been stripped from him. This helps me to understand what Stanford means here, but the concept troubles me because this is the first I have heard it put this way and I wanted to dialog with you and see what your opinion of it is. Is the old nature only dead *positionally*, as Stanford would put it, and we need to allow the Spirit to make it true *conditionally* by reckoning it daily?...
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing back from you. Have a great day!
~ D. B.
~~~~~~~
Hi ,
Thanks so much for writing.
I appreciate your discernment in this matter. Although Stanford's book has a wealth of good teaching, he--like many others--gets fuzzy in this area. Perhaps because he didn't use diagrams, he confused "old man" and "flesh / self." This is why he falsely charged us with teaching "one naturism."
Technically, were are to "deny" self, not kill it off (Luke 9:23). The "old man" (Rom. 6:6; Col. 3:9), on the other hand, is who you were in Adam legally and spiritually. That person was actually--legally and spiritually-- crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).
So the analogy of the chained sea captain may refer to the self-life or the Sin principle. In that case, the old man was swallowed by a great white whale! :-) Am I talking like Herman Melville now?
Note these clarifications at
http://www.gracenotebook.biblemessages.com/pub/363
http://www.gracenotebook.biblemessages.com/pub/373
http://www.gracenotebook.biblemessages.com/pg/9
The more accurately we "know" of the old man's co-crucifiction with Christ (Rom. 6:6), the more effectively we can "reckon" on this truth personally (Rom. 6:10,11).
In Christ,
John
New edition of GFICI web site
gfiblog | June 05, 2008 14:11
Please excuse the delay in posts to the school's blog. There is a newer edition of the GFI Counseling Institute web site that was published a few weeks ago. If you have feedback, suggestions, or editing suggestions concerning the site, please contact me. Thanks!
Due Dates!
gfiblog | January 11, 2008 11:40
Memo to GFI Counseling Institute students:
After observing the pace of many students and getting some suggestions, we are introducing a new policy. As of June 1, 2008, courses that were postmarked to the student before February 1, 2008 will be considered overdue for completion. This will not jeopardize the course work and credit. However, a $20.00 course extension fee will be added when the course is graded. This four month due date per course will serve to provide a completion goal, some accountability, and financial incentive.
So use this new year to reaffirm your goals for the Biblical Counseling courses. Go for it!
Credential available
gfiblog | December 22, 2007 12:15
Many who have attended the GFI training events and/or the GFI Counseling Institute (distance education program) have shown interest in earning a credential. As of November, GFI offers certification in Clinical Discipleship. This requires the four foundational courses in GFICI curriculum and completion of a clinical track. The latter includes the GFI Workshop. For more information on becoming a Certified Clinical Discipler, see the downloadable brochure at http://www.gficounselinginstitute.com / Approach.
Two graduate with Diploma
gfiblog | December 18, 2007 19:22
We congratulate the first graduates of GFI Counseling Institute! On November 4, 2007 Bob Lewis and Teresa Long were awarded the Diploma in Biblical Counseling. The graduation event was included in the Sunday evening at 1st Baptist Church, Powell, TN (see http://www.fbcpowell.com). Their graduation photos are at http://www.kodakgallery.com/gfi.
New audio message online
gfiblog | August 01, 2007 11:50
One of the pages at the GFICI site offers "Resources." I'm pleased to announce that a new audio message is now online. This talk was presented at the Solomon School in Pigeon Forge, TN. Glenn Dean testifies of how God led him to salvation, the deeper life, and eventually to a vocational Biblical Counseling Ministry. Glenn and his wife Bobbi are GFI alumni and serve with Amazing Grace Ministries in Pigeon Forge, TN
New version of the Web site!
gfiblog | June 27, 2007 09:32
There is a new version of the school's web site that is now online! You will notice the new look and layout. The MP3 messages will be uploaded soon. If you have suggestions or notice a broken link, please send me an e-mail. You can visit it via this blog's link section.
New Blog for GFICI
gfiblog | June 22, 2007 07:24
In the few years of the school's ministry, we have not been able to have a forum online to efficiently update students, guests, and inquirers. Thanks to Christianblogsites.com we are testing the waters with this venue. I would like this blog to encourage communication about the courses, resources, students and related issues of GFI Counseling Institute. If you have suggestions about the categories and administration of this blog, please e-mail me directly: john@gracenotebook.com. Thanks for visiting!
Congratulations!
gfiblog | June 21, 2007 15:11
If you can read this post, it means that the registration process was successful and that you can start blogging
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