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Author
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Topic: God, I thank You that I am not like other men
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
Yes, oneinchrist, I agree that participating in discipleship is and can be a humbling experience. Sometimes just writing Topics and posts for or about God on this CBBS can be...well...humbling, even on this CBBS.
May God help us to love each other,
Eden
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oneinchrist
Advanced Member
Member # 6532
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posted
Good morning Eden,
We both are describing how humility expresses itself. You are describing the taking off of pride and acknowledgement of our sin and I am describing the submitting to Gods will. Neither of us is wrong, but we both join together to show a fuller picture. Discipleship is following Christ and heeding to His words. It is counting the cost, but willing to take the risk because it trusts in Gods promises. With love in Christ, Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
Hi, oneinchrist. You said:
"So how does God desire that we express this humility?.... by humbling ourselves in obedience to the call of discipleship."
Eden here:
And this call to discipleship is, what....?
But I was also saying in my Topic and post above that by actually saying, on a regular basis, "God, be merciful to me a sinner", then I am being humble already, in that I am aligning myself with God's opinion of myself, namely that I am a sinner thru and thru and that I only deserve to say, "God, have mercy on me a sinner".
So, oneinchrist, let me repeat what you said:
"So how does God desire that we express this humility?.... by humbling ourselves in obedience to the call of discipleship."
It seems to me that merely saying what God wants me to say, namely, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" is what makes me humble, the very saying and acknowledging of my sinfulness is what, in God's eyes, makes me humble or puts me in a humble position vis-a-vis God, not "the call to discipleship"?
May God help us to love each other,
Eden
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oneinchrist
Advanced Member
Member # 6532
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posted
Hi Eden,
I agree with you on the importance of humility (of course Jesus being the greatest example). He humbled Himself in obedience to the will of the Father all the way to the cross.
So how does God desire that we express this humility?.... by humbling ourselves in obedience to the call of discipleship. " If anyone desires to be my disciple, let him deny Himself, take up his cross, and follow me". This means that we make God's will #1 priority in our life.
Surely, by heeding to His call, the Lord will provide us with what we need in order to accomplish His will.
With love in Christ, Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
God does not want us to say to Him what the Pharisee said:
Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican.
God wants us realize that we all have fallen short of the glory of God and that in our flesh dwells no righteousness and that our righteousness is as as filthy menstrual rags.
The Pharisee and the publican and the extortioners and unjust and adulterers, all are descendants of Adam and Eve and have fallen short of the glory of God and have no righteous of their own.
Therefore the only thing that the descendants of Adam and Eve are allowed to say to God is to say only what the publican said:
Luke 18:13
13 But the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but he smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Then Jesus said about the Pharisee and the publican:
Luke 18:14
14 I tell you that this man {the publican who said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”} went down to his house justified rather than the other man: for everyone who exalts himself shall be abased; but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
I’m afraid many of us Christians are still saying to God, whether we are verbally saying it or just thinking it:
Luke 18:11
.... “God, I thank You that I am not like other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or like this publican.
Eventhough we are Christians, and sometimes even because we are Christians who is helped by the counsel of the Holy Spirit we think we can now say to God, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men are.
But even with the Holy Spirit helping us we are still only sinners saved by grace, and God still tells all the believers to only say to God what the publican sinner said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
Once we realize that and acknowledge that to God, then God can start to give us His fruits of the Spirit, once we have become aware that we oursevles HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FRUITS in our OWN spirit.
2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
2 Corinthians 10:18
18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends {is approved}.
Wow, only the man whom the Lord commends is approved? And whom is it who the Lord commends?
Then the Lord Jesus said about what the Pharisee had said and what the publican had said:
Luke 18:14
14 I tell you that this man {the publican who said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”} went down to his house justified rather than the other man: for everyone who exalts himself shall be abased; but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
May God help us to love each other,
Eden
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
The following verse from Psalms probably refers to Jesus when Jesus was in Israel:
Psalm 18:35
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation: and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great.
And,
2 Corinthians 10:1-3
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
One thing I have noticed recently is that these fruits of the Spirit are gifts or talents that God gives us. Psalm 18:35 says so: “Your gentleness has made me great.”
I think we saved Christians tend to think that we can manufacture some of this gentleness ourselves,. Whereas, it is God who gives us these fruits of the Spirit:
2 Corinthians 9:10
Now He who ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.
Ephesians 5:8-10
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
God even does not want us to say to Him:
Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican.
God wants us to acknowledge that the descendants of Adam and Eve have no fruits of righteous of their own, so that the only thing Adam and Eve’s descendants are allowed to say to God is:
Luke 18:13
13 But the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but he smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Then Jesus said:
Luke 18:14
14 I tell you that this man {the publican who said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”} went down to his house justified rather than the other man: for everyone who exalts himself shall be abased; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
When the sinner sees that there is NONE and NO righteousness in him, then the saved sinner should really only be crying out: “God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
I’m afraid that many of us, myself also included, still say to God, either verbally or by thinking it:
Luke 18:11
The Pharisee … prayed thus with himself, saying, “God, thank You that I am not like other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or like this publican.
No doubt the Pharisee could have thought of a few other “unsavory” characters to name but thought that these 4 sufficed to make his point to God. “I thank you, God, that I am NOT like other men are.”
Don’t most of us still think like the Pharisee? But Jesus said:
Luke 18:14
15 I tell you, that this man {this publican who said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”} went down to his house justified rather than the other man {the publican who said, “God, I thank You that I am NOT like other men are”}; {then Jesus said} For everyone who exalts himself shall be abased; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
How do we humble ourselves. By acknowledging that “no good thing dwells in us, that is, in the flesh”:
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Therefore let us join the chorus of the publican sinner, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
Then God can start giving us some of His fruits of the Spirit, as we are able and as we are listening to the Spirit instead of the soul.
Because Adam and Eve do not have it "in them" to create these kinds of fruits of the Spirit.
The Pharisee said:
God, I thank You that I am not like other men.
Is that what we still think too?
2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
2 Corinthians 10:18
18 For not he who commends himself is approved, [b]but whom the Lord commends[b].
Oh wow, whom the Lord commends...
With love also received from Him,
Eden
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