John,
Last night’s reading was very good, as others have already said. I think this chapter is my favorite, although that could change as we continue. Almost every sentence is a Pearl. I particularly like the section on the saints’ warfare with the flesh. You have spoken on this matter many times over the years, but I think what you have written in Section 2 brings the point home more clearly.
This paragraph stood out to me:
“God’s life makes us foreigners to our old selves, our own human nature, and as new creatures in Christ, the warfare of God’s children on earth is a warfare against who they used to be and who their fleshly nature tells them they still are. As it was with Jesus, our warfare is not against any worldly power; it is a battle against the spirits of this age, including our own, to remain steadfast in who we are after we are created as God’s children in Christ (Eph. 6:12).”
It reminds me of Natalie’s testimony, “You can dig that old girl up, but you can’t make her live!”
Thank you for all the work you have put into this book. Like you have said, it is an encyclopedia of spiritual truth.
Tom