Douglas continues his series on The Imitation of Christ, today looking at Desiring Eternal Life.
For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.
The 29th podcast (11 mins) in our series is "On Desiring Eternal Life" (Book 3, Chapter 49).
Scripture: Phil 1:23-24; Jas 1:17; Rom 8:21; Luke 22:18; Josh 1:6; Eph 4:24; Isa 61:3; Phil 1:20.Powerful sentences: * "It's not by your own meditating and striving that you receive these gifts, but solely by the gracious mercy of my supreme grace and divine care."Help me to see you, Lord, not depending on my own strength or strategies. * "My friend, fire often burns with more smoke than flames... Sometimes you imagine you are praying earnestly and sincerely, but you are not pure or perfect, but praying out of your own selfish desires."Help me to burn with holy fire... * "You must often do what your nature doesn't want to do and not do what your desires want to do."Father, purify my heart and mind and will, thoughts and words and deeds and desires—making me a new person. * "There is scarcely anything that is harder to deny and die to yourself than seeing others be elevated while you are commanded to do things which seem of little or no importance."My God, do whatever it takes to make me humble. * "But consider, my friend, the exceeding rewards for these brief earthly labors in my eternal kingdom."Clarify and sharpen my vision of eternity, O Lord.
Next: "On Not Resting on Goods and Gifts" (Book 3, Chapter 21), "On Delight Above All Things" (Book 3, Chapter 34), and "On the Free Spirit" (Book 3, Chapter 26)