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Originally posted by WildB:
Let us read what the Bible says.

[24] And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
[25] This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
[26] And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded(not taught) unto him the way of God more perfectly.

This was done privately. What you are doing does not resemble this in the slightest of way.

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Originally posted by WildB:

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Originally posted by Zeena:

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Originally posted by WildB:
1 Tim 2
[12] But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

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Romans 16:3
Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

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Your not helping anybody but yourself to a off topic argument. [/QB]

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Originally posted by Zeena:

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Originally posted by WildB:
1 Tim 2
[12] But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

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Romans 16:3
Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: [/QB]

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Originally posted by WildB:
1 Tim 2
[12] But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. [/QB]

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This statement is part of a series of present commands in this chapter (“I urge,” or “I am urging,” 2:1; “I want,” or “I am wanting,” 2:8 and unspoken in 2:9; and “I do not permit,” or “I am not permitting”). Unfortunately, the translation reads as if Paul actually wrote, “I never permit a woman to teach.” Also, the grammatical order in Greek for this phrase carries less force than the English one (“To teach, a woman I am not allowing”) and completes the thought about attentive learning in verse 11. The women in the Ephesian church were allowed to learn, but not to teach. Given the tension between the influx and recognition of women as fellow heirs of Christ within the church on the one hand, and the serious problems being caused by the false teachers on the other, Paul was affirming one right (to learn) while withholding another right (to teach) because of the condition of the church at the time. They did not need more teachers; rather, they all needed to return to the foundational truths of the gospel (2:3-7).

Some interpret this passage to mean that women should never teach in the assembled church; however, other passages point out that Paul allowed women to teach. Paul’s commended coworker, Priscilla, taught Apollos, the great preacher (Acts 18:24-26). In addition, Paul frequently mentioned other women who held positions of responsibility in the church. Phoebe worked in the church (Romans 16:1). Mary, Tryphena, and Tryphosa were the Lord’s workers (Romans 16:6, 12), as were Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2).

More likely, Paul restrained the Ephesian women from teaching because they didn’t yet have enough knowledge or experience. The Ephesian church had a particular problem with false teachers. Both Timothy’s presence and Paul’s letters were efforts to correct the problem. Evidently the women were especially susceptible to the false teachings (2 Timothy 3:1-9) because they did not yet have enough biblical knowledge to discern the truth. Paul may have been countering the false teachers’ urging that women should claim a place of equality for prominence in the church. Because these women were new converts, they did not yet have the necessary experience, knowledge, or Christian maturity to teach those who already had extensive scriptural education. In addition, some of the women were apparently flaunting their newfound Christian freedom by wearing inappropriate clothing (see 2:9). Paul was telling Timothy not to put anyone (in this case, women) into a position of leadership who was not yet mature in the faith (see 5:22). This deeper principle applies to churches today (3:6).

(Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus)

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Originally posted by Zeena:

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Originally posted by WildB:
This false teaching came into American churches through Watchman Nee and his book Spiritual Authority. Nee says on page 71, "If God dares to entrust His authority to man, then we can dare to obey. Whether the one in authority is right or wrong does not concern us. The obedient one needs only to obey. The Lord will not hold us responsible for any mistaken obedience, rather He will hold the delegated authority responsible for his erroneous act." In addition, he states, "We should not be occupied with right or wrong, good or evil; rather should we know who is the authority above us" (page 23).

So, What's Wrong With That?

Watchman Nee learned this concept of delegated authority from the ethics of Confucianism. Confucius taught that parents should always be obeyed, that they were never wrong, but if they were they should still be obeyed. Among Confucianists loyalty is one of the greatest virtues and can lead to the blind loyalty described in Nee's statement.

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This delegated Authority is from God WildB..

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Luke 10:3
Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

2 Corinthians 5:20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Romans 8:30
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

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Originally posted by WildB:
This false teaching came into American churches through Watchman Nee and his book Spiritual Authority. Nee says on page 71, "If God dares to entrust His authority to man, then we can dare to obey. Whether the one in authority is right or wrong does not concern us. The obedient one needs only to obey. The Lord will not hold us responsible for any mistaken obedience, rather He will hold the delegated authority responsible for his erroneous act." In addition, he states, "We should not be occupied with right or wrong, good or evil; rather should we know who is the authority above us" (page 23).

So, What's Wrong With That?

Watchman Nee learned this concept of delegated authority from the ethics of Confucianism. Confucius taught that parents should always be obeyed, that they were never wrong, but if they were they should still be obeyed. Among Confucianists loyalty is one of the greatest virtues and can lead to the blind loyalty described in Nee's statement.

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Originally posted by Michael Harrison:
Who will awaken you to the truth?

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Jesus will!

http://www.mikewellsdownload.com/16k.htm

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Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

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Originally posted by Michael Harrison:
To say that Watchman Nee took anything from confuseus is absurd to the point of sillyness. And when you have your arms cut off, woolyb (over the eyes), and you are still preaching Christ to the prison guards, and still you do not give up until they have decided to silence you by cutting out your tongue, then I will believe in you, wooly B. Because that is what happened to Watchman Nee. He is a martyr for Christ. Moreover, he went back into China to preach Jesus Christ to people who would not hear if he did not go, which he did not have to to. He ended up in Chinese prison where he would not quit preaching, where this atrocity took place. And this heathen that you have published should be ashamed. Dig some more dirt will ya? Then praise the Lord, huh? It is all you seem to understand. Who will awaken you to the truth?

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What the World Needs Now Is Love
By John Woodward
February 6, 2004

What the World Needs Now

One of the traditional themes of February is love. When Valentines Day rolls around, school kids exchange hearts created from colored paper and glue; couples hope to fan the flames of romance; singles may feel marginalized, widows and widowers revisit their grief.

Although love is the most sung about topic in popular music, it is also the most widely misunderstood. Greek scholars have noted the different uses of love in ancient literature. There is friendship love (phileo), family live (sterga), and romantic love (eros). However, these loves fall short of God's quality of love. The apostle John identified this as the unique characteristic of God and the spiritual influence He works in the hearts of His children: "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16; Cf. Rom. 5:5).

In order to describe this selfless love, the Holy Spirit led the New Testament writers to employ the word, "agape." Dr. J. I. Packer has noted the significance of this word choice: "The Greek word agape (love) seems to have been virtually a Christian invention--a new word for a new thing (apart from about twenty occurrences in the Greek version of the Old Testament, it is almost non-existent before the New Testament). Agape draws its meaning directly from the revelation of God in Christ. It is not a form of natural affection, however, intense, but a supernatural fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is a matter of will rather than feeling (for Christians must love even those they dislike--Matt. 5:44-48). It is the basic element in Christ-likeness."[1]

The classic description of love is given in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. Dr. George Mundell has outlined the qualities of agape love from this passage:

NEGATIVE

1. Self-sacrificing love never gets impatient. (V. 4)

2. Self-sacrificing love never gets jealous. (V. 4)

3. Self-sacrificing love never boasts. (V. 4)

4. Self-sacrificing love never gets conceited. (V. 4)

5. Self-sacrificing love never gets rude, discourteous, or unmannerly. (V. 5)

6. Self-sacrificing love never gets selfish. (V. 5)

7. Self-sacrificing love never gets irritated, touchy or resentful. (V. 5

8. Self-sacrificing love never thinks an unkind thought or pays attention to a suffered wrong. (V. 5)

9. Self-sacrificing love never is happy with sin or injustice. (V. 6)

POSITIVE

1. Self-sacrificing love is always kind. (V. 4)

2. Self-sacrificing love is always happy in the truth. (V. 6)

3. Self-sacrificing love is always gracious, overlooking faults in others. (V. 7)

4. Self-sacrificing love is always confident in the Word, believing the best in others. (V. 7)

5. Self-sacrificing love is always strong in faith. (V. 7)

6. Self-sacrificing love is always long suffering. (V. 7)

7. Self-sacrificing love is always victorious. (V. 8)

EXTRAS

1. Self-sacrificing love never worries.

2. Self-sacrificing love never criticizes, murmurs, or complains.

3. Self-sacrificing love never gets discouraged.

4. Self-sacrificing love always covers with silence.[2]

Although we admire this description, we may react to it with discouragement. "Where was that kind of love in my family, and among my social group?" Thankfully, in Christ we can discover the infinite, gracious love of God. The LORD declared through Jeremiah, "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you" (31:3). And the New Testament celebrates divine love in salvation: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1) Although we have experienced painful disappointments with human love, divine love is a healing balm. Dr. Charles Solomon notes, "God's love is the all-pervasive antidote to rejection."[3]

Through this vital experience of God's love, we are called to intimate discipleship with the Lord Jesus, who declared: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34,35). No wonder Dr. Francis Schaeffer identified love as the mark of the Christian.[4]

If you sense that you can't live up to this standard, you're not alone. But there's hope! Pastor Bill Freeman observes how every new glimpse of God's requirements for believers should lead them to a deepened reliance on "the supplied life" of the indwelling Christ: "Sometimes when we hear the truth from the Scriptures or from others, we may take it as a personal demand upon us and feel threatened with thoughts like, I'm not like that. I could never do that. Or, I can't imagine that I could ever feel that way. I just can't live up to that. When we have these kinds of thoughts and feelings, if we do not realize that the Christian life is a supplied life, we may conclude that this life is not for us and give up.

"But listen to this: Every word that God has spoken in the Bible, whatever it is, whatever apparent demand it brings, God wants to supply that very thing into our being. It is not that we are expected to measure up, or come up with the ability to perform in ourselves. No, God intends to continually supply Himself to us. We must understand the Christian life in this way, it is a supplied life. From beginning to end, it is supplied to us"(Cf. John 15:5; Col. 1:27; Phil. 2:13; Gal. 2:20).[5]

The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian believers, "For who makes you different from anybody else, and what have you got that was not given [supplied] to you? And if anything has been given to you, why boast of it as if you had achieved it yourself?" (1 Cor. 4:7, Phillips).

The popular songwriter has noticed "What the world needs now is love, sweet love; It's the only thing that there's just too little of." But, the only supernatural source of love is found in the One who is Love incarnate. This month and beyond, accept the supply of God's love in Christ and pass it on to those around you.

This is what the world needs now.

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[1] James Packer, Your Father Loves You, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986.

[2] George Mundell, "Self Sacrificing Love" - tract from Osterhus Publishing House, Osterhuspub.com 1-877-643-4229.

[3] Charles Solomon, The Ins and Out of Rejection, Solomon Publications, p. 191.

[4] Francis Schaeffer, The Mark of the Christian.

[5] Bill Freeman, The Supplied Life, Ministry of the Word, Inc., P.O. Box 12222, Scottsdale, AZ 85267 USA. (480) 948-4050 / (800) 573-4105 MinWord12@aol.com http://www.thechristian.org

[6] Burt Bacharach, "What the World Needs Now is Love." Lyrics online at http://www.lyrics.jp/lyrics/B020800020001.asp

Grace Notes (c) 2004 by John Woodward. Permission is granted to reprint this article for non commercial use. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version (unless indicated otherwise) (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Originally posted by Zeena:

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Watchman Nee's Testimony
By John Woodward
April 13, 1998

This week, we dip into Watchman Nee's biography. Doctors advised that a time of rest for him in the healthier climate of in China's Kuling Mountain would improve Watchman's lung condition. In 1929 he spent many weeks there to recuperate, meditating on God's Word and his perspective on the Christian life.

" 'When I first came to the Lord', he says, 'I had my own conception of what a Christian was, and I tried my utmost to be that kind of Christian. I thought a true Christian should smile from morning to night. If at any time he shed a tear he had ceased to be victorious. I thought, too, that a Christian must be unfailingly courageous. If under any circumstances he showed the slightest sign of fear he had fallen short of my standard'.

"But his serial reading of the New testament had brought him back and back again to Paul's autobiographical letter, 2 Corinthians, where he read ' as sorrowful...' and the words arrested him. A great Christian who shed 'many tears', who could be 'perplexed', and who could even 'despair of life itself' must be very human. Is it possible, he asked, that Paul despaired ? This was just where he himself had been! 'I discovered,' he says, 'that Paul was a man , and the very sort of man I knew.'

"There began to dawn on him the secret of Christianity that is summarized in the words: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.' Now as he learned to trust God hourly for his very life, he came to a new place of rest in Him."
-from Against the Tide, by Angus Kinnear (Victory Press) p. 107.

The previous year Nee had written his lengthy and profound book on The Spiritual Man . This shows that illumination in applying the deeper truths of the cross is an ongoing process. He had been blessed by the writings of T. Austin-Sparks and Jessie Penn-Lewis in the previous months before his recuperation at Kuling Mountain. His continuous reading of God's Word was vital to his spiritual growth and biblical insight.

This meditation on the deeper life, did not distract Watchman from a heart for evangelism. The couple who provided his daily lunch at Kuling opened their hearts to the gospel. Thereafter, he would read the Scriptures with them and provide food for their hungry hearts.

Father, help us to continuously read Your Word with a receptive, hungry heart. Grant us greater illumination to appreciate that You are the source of our sufficiency. We rest in You. In Christ's name, amen.

Scriptures cited: 2 Cor 6:4-10, 1:8-11, 4:7-10 c.f. 3:4-6

JBW

April 13, '98

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Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | 

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Watchman Nee's Testimony
By John Woodward
April 13, 1998

This week, we dip into Watchman Nee's biography. Doctors advised that a time of rest for him in the healthier climate of in China's Kuling Mountain would improve Watchman's lung condition. In 1929 he spent many weeks there to recuperate, meditating on God's Word and his perspective on the Christian life.

" 'When I first came to the Lord', he says, 'I had my own conception of what a Christian was, and I tried my utmost to be that kind of Christian. I thought a true Christian should smile from morning to night. If at any time he shed a tear he had ceased to be victorious. I thought, too, that a Christian must be unfailingly courageous. If under any circumstances he showed the slightest sign of fear he had fallen short of my standard'.

"But his serial reading of the New testament had brought him back and back again to Paul's autobiographical letter, 2 Corinthians, where he read ' as sorrowful...' and the words arrested him. A great Christian who shed 'many tears', who could be 'perplexed', and who could even 'despair of life itself' must be very human. Is it possible, he asked, that Paul despaired ? This was just where he himself had been! 'I discovered,' he says, 'that Paul was a man , and the very sort of man I knew.'

"There began to dawn on him the secret of Christianity that is summarized in the words: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.' Now as he learned to trust God hourly for his very life, he came to a new place of rest in Him."
-from Against the Tide, by Angus Kinnear (Victory Press) p. 107.

The previous year Nee had written his lengthy and profound book on The Spiritual Man . This shows that illumination in applying the deeper truths of the cross is an ongoing process. He had been blessed by the writings of T. Austin-Sparks and Jessie Penn-Lewis in the previous months before his recuperation at Kuling Mountain. His continuous reading of God's Word was vital to his spiritual growth and biblical insight.

This meditation on the deeper life, did not distract Watchman from a heart for evangelism. The couple who provided his daily lunch at Kuling opened their hearts to the gospel. Thereafter, he would read the Scriptures with them and provide food for their hungry hearts.

Father, help us to continuously read Your Word with a receptive, hungry heart. Grant us greater illumination to appreciate that You are the source of our sufficiency. We rest in You. In Christ's name, amen.

Scriptures cited: 2 Cor 6:4-10, 1:8-11, 4:7-10 c.f. 3:4-6

JBW

April 13, '98

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The Leading of the Lord: A Spiritual Autobiography
By Jessie Penn-Lewis
Undated

This is a testimony from a servant of God who had a fruitful through the Welsh revival and deeper Life devotional writings. She was born in 1861 in South Wales; even decades after her home-going, thousands of her books are sold yearly. In spite of her gender [in turn-of-the-century culture] and poor health, God used her to teach His Word in distant lands such as Russia, India, and North America. To what spiritual lessons did she attribute her usefulness to God's Kingdom? What can we learn from her ministry?

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I was brought up in the very heart of the religious life of Wales, for my grandfather was a Welsh divine, well known throughout the Principality in his day; and my father's house was a rendezvous for the ministers as they passed hither and thither on their Master's work. My childhood's memories gather round their visits and the great meetings of the Sunday-schools, when often I sat as a tiny child in the midst of the grave elders in the "big pew", listening with intense interest to the "hwyl" of the minister. "The mercy of the Lord is ... unto children's children; but as it is often with children brought up in the midst of religious surroundings, the true inward change of heart did not come until I had married and moved away to England. Then it occurred without the aid of any human instrument, but the day -- New Year's Day -- and hour are imprinted on my mind.

Only a deep, inward desire to know that I was a child of God; a taking down of my (too little read) Bible from the shelf; a turning over the leaves, and the eye falling on the words, "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" [Isaiah 53:6]; again, a casual turn of the sacred pages, and the words, "He that believeth hath eternal life"[John 6:47]. A quick facing out whether I did believe that God had laid my sins upon the Lamb of God on the Cross; a pause of wonderment that it really said that I had eternal life if I simply believed God's Word; a quick cry of "Lord, I do believe" -- and one more soul had passed from death to life [John 5:24], a trophy of the grace of God, and the love of Him Who died. The Spirit of God instantly bore witness with my spirit that I was a child of God [Rom 8:16], and deep peace filled my soul.

The new life bore fruit in that I sought to conquer my besetting sins, whereas hitherto I had found myself at their mercy, as I feebly attempted to restrain them. But my attempts still ended in abject failure, and the succeeding few months were a record of bitter repentance, and many tears over sins I could not conquer. At this point we removed to Richmond, Surrey, and found our way to Holy Trinity Church. The first sermon I heard from Rev. Evan H. Hopkins was an opening of heaven to my soul. I learned the secret of victory, and it was not long before I proved the power of God to deliver from the bondage of sin through the precious blood of Christ.

Under the Spirit-lit teaching of Mr. Hopkins, and the earnest, loving help of his noble wife, I learned the joy of full surrender and the possibilities of a Spirit-filled life [Eph 5:18]. But active service for Christ seemed far away from me, for from childhood my health had been frail, and now winter after winter was spent in increasing suffering from bronchial and lung attacks. It seemed as if my life was slowly ebbing away. Nevertheless, in 1890, with apparently only a brief span of life before me, I ventured to take the hon. secretaryship of the Richmond Y.W.C.A. Institute -- "If only for six months", I said, for my whole heart was drawn out in service for the King.

Gradually I learnt to draw upon the Lord for strength for His work, so that in spite of continued ill-health and suffering, I worked, and organised, and laboured incessantly. But after a time I became conscious that the spiritual results were not equivalent to the labour of the work. I began to question whether I knew the fulness of the Spirit. Without doubt I had received Him, and had "entered into rest" as concerned my own life and fellowship with God [Heb 4:10]; but, when I compared the small results of my service with the fruit given to the apostles at Pentecost, I could not but own that I did not know the Holy Spirit in the fulness of His power. My weekly Bible-class also was a great trouble to me, for I had no power of utterance. Organising work was much easier, but meetings were a sore trial. Self-consciousness almost paralysed me, and no practice ever made speaking less difficult. Others might have the gift of speech, but it was clearly not given to me, I said!

"But did God promise to us to-day as full an indwelling and outworking of the Spirit as in the days of Pentecost?" was my question, and I began to read book after book on the subject, until I was more and more confused. Finally, I put all on one side, and threw myself upon God to teach me Himself to know the fulness of the Spirit in power for service, as I had known Him for sanctification of life. For months I prayed, until my soul became "a furnace of intense desire", and I was ready to count all things loss, if God would but grant me that which I desired. I did not know then that He was already beginning to answer my prayers, by preparing me for deeper surrender to all His will. The more I prayed, the more there seemed to be a blight upon my much-loved work; and I was greatly perplexed. The fulfilment of my petitions seemed further away than ever. Then the Spirit of God began to question me, and to bring to light the "thoughts and intents" of my heart [Heb 4:12].

Why did I desire the fulness of the Spirit? Was it for success in service, and that I should be considered a "much-used worker"? Would I desire the same fulness of the Spirit if it meant apparent failure, and becoming "the offscouring of all things" [1 Cor 4:13] in the eyes of others? This had not occurred to me before, and I quickly agreed to any conditions the Lord should please to set before me.

Again came the question: Would I be willing to have no great experience, but agree to live and walk entirely by faith on the Word of God? This, too, was a new aspect, but I quickly answered "Yes". Then came the climax, when one morning I awoke, and, lo, I beheld before me a hand holding up in terrible light a handful of filthy rags, whilst a gentle voice said: "This is the outcome of all your past service for God" [Isaiah 64:6]. "But, Lord, I have been surrendered and consecrated to Thee all these years. It was consecrated work!" "Yes, My child, but all your service has been consecrated self; the outcome of your own energy; your own plans for winning souls; your own devotion. All for Me, I grant, but yourseIf all the same." Then came the still small voice once more, and this time it was with one little word -- "Crucified".

"Crucified!" What did it mean? I had not asked to be crucified, but to be filled. But since the Spirit of God kept ringing the word "Crucified" in my heart, He must know best. As a little child, I rested on the word thus given; and then, "it pleased God to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him" [Gal 1:15-16], I knew the risen Lord.

The Holy Spirit already dwelling in my heart had fulfilled His office, and revealed the risen Lord in full possession of His temple. "Glorious, indeed, is this Anointing! Where will it end? Waters to swim in -- no little trickling rivulet!" wrote Mrs. Hopkins to me on March 25, 1892. Immediately the living waters broke out as "torrents" in the work, and like a "tidal wave" lifted it, so to speak, on to a new plane, my fellow-workers coming into the tide with joy. The Bible classes were thronged; on all sides souls were convicted of sin, and brought to Christ. The converts became, in their turn, soul sinners. The dead prayer meetings were changed into times of blessed access to the Father. In such an atmosphere of the Holy Spirit none could be dumb. Answers to prayer rejoiced our hearts. Souls were won for Christ even at our social gatherings.

The usual trouble over finances changed into records of sometimes romantic answers to prayer; we learnt that where the Holy Spirit was free to work He provided the funds, and deficits in our yearly balance-sheets were things of the past.

We had sought to arouse missionary interest with difficulty, but in the atmosphere of the Spirit our hearts became enlarged. We began to pray for the whole world, and to ask that the living waters flowing amongst us might reach to the ends of the earth -- the Lord answering these prayers by the scattering of one and another to various parts of the world, whilst calls poured in upon me to carry the message of abundant life to other places in Great Britain.

Two years had I laboured in my own strength without the anointing Spirit, and four happy years afterwards was I permitted to watch what He could do, when we consent to be "crucified", and to give Him right of way through us to souls. My "six months" had been prolonged into six years by the wondrous grace of God. Then came the wider service which God had purposed for me, and which I had not dreamed of, when I sought the fulness of the Spirit -- and which, from physical frailty, it seemed impossible ever could be mine. But by this time the knowledge of my resources in God had grown, and I was able to cast myself in utter abandonment upon Him, and find all-sufficiency for all my need, at all times and in all circumstances.

In 1896 we removed to Leicester, and at once came a call to Sweden. Another crisis in my life had come. Raised from the grave, so to speak, for the Lord's service, my husband felt, with me, that my life was a trust from God to be used only for the Master's Kingdom. With one mind we yielded that life anew to Him Who claimed it, that He might make the fullest possible use of the frail vessel. Not disobedient to the heavenly vision, I crossed the North Sea to Stockholm for the first Scandinavian Conference of the Y.W.C.A. Delegates from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, gathered together, and the devotional meetings held in a beautiful hall were thrown open to the public. It was my first experience of speaking through an interpreter, and on the last day I saw the Holy Spirit move upon the large audience in a remarkable way; at the close of the afternoon meeting many broke out into prayer at the same time, each in his own language -- yet there was no discord. It seemed to me like the music of a rippling brook. Was it thus at Pentecost?

The year after this came a call to Russia, where I went for a few weeks two winters in succession, visiting Finland for a few days, and Denmark, twice, on my way home. In 1898 I went for a second visit to Finland for a great Conference held at Helsingfors, when about eighty delegates were present from all parts of the country. Most of the devotional meetings were entrusted to me, and on the last day I gave the Lord's message, morning, afternoon, and evening, with two translators -- Swedish and Finnish -- the power of God upon us making the message as clear and full as if it were the original language of the people.

In the summer of 1900 the way opened for a brief tour in America, where I held meetings amongst the people of God in Canada and the United States, visiting Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Chicago (Moody Bible Institute), Northfield, Philadelphia, and New York City. Again, during the early months of 1903, I visited Southern India, giving Bible-readings in Bombay, Madras, Bangalore, Coonoor, and Ootacamund.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN THE WIDER SERVICE THUS GIVEN TO ME?

The change in my own life as a Christian worker -- working without and with the fulness of the Anointing Spirit -- has been so definite and marked, that from the time of my own emergence into liberty, Christian workers have been the burden of my heart. From the hour the Spirit of God whispered "Crucified" to me, I also saw clearly the principle of death with Christ as the basis for the full working of God through the believer. It was as great a revelation to me as when at the first I saw my "iniquity laid upon Him" on the tree [Isaiah 53:6]. In one instant I understood that if my sins were there, they were not on me. In like manner when I was seeking, with all the intensity of my being, the fulness of the Holy Ghost, after the word "Crucified" came, I understood very quickly the key to the full possession and outworking of the blessed Spirit in co-operation with our surrender, trust, and obedience.

"Crucified with Christ," there is room for Him to fill us; and we have only to consent to be out of His way on the Cross, and yield implicit obedience to His workings. How simple the plan, yet how deep, for it gives no place to the creature to glory before God [1 Cor 1:31]!

The light given of God that day has never since been unseen or questioned. The Lord had revealed to me a principle which, if applied and acted upon, would lead out into unknown realms of blessing and undreamed of possibilities. We speak of "applied chemistry". What discoveries are made in the laboratory of the scientist as he applies the principles he knows! So in the spiritual realm. The Lord had mightily sealed His Word to me with a glorious out-flowing of the rivers of life; but this would not do to rest upon as a basis for future service. The "experiences" varied and changed, and passed away from my memory; but the principle upon which God would work out His purposes through me never changed. I found it "work" in every circumstance; every new test; every new aspect of life. Every fresh call to wider service was only a fresh occasion for proving the secret I had learned. When each "impossible" thing confronted me, or trial of any kind, I would simply appeal to God to prove His own Word that I was crucified with Christ, and then in childlike faith I would cast myself upon Him to undertake the service, or meet the need through me [2 Cor 4:10-11].

I found also that, as I thus "continued in the faith, grounded and settled" [Col 1:23], the Holy Spirit wrought deeper and deeper into my inner life, unveiling aspects of one's being hitherto unknown; but all was met with the word "Crucified", and as I thus consented daily to be made conformable to the death of the Lord Jesus, I found richer and fuller outgoings of the Spirit of God to others [Phil 3:10]. The words of Paul became aglow with light --"Death worketh in us, and life in you" [2 Cor 4:12]. Clearer and clearer grew the wondrous plan. Crucified with Christ, the risen Lord takes the inner throne, and leading us on into ever-deepening fellowship with Him in death, He manifests His life in glorious power, working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight; fulfilling His promise that out of the depths of our being shall be poured forth torrents of living water [John 7:38].

Thus I was led on, until in the fulfilment of His greater purposes He took me again to the place called Calvary, and gave me such an unveiling of His death, that it eclipsed all the previous revelations of Himself. The Holy Spirit had whispered "Crucified", and revealed to me the Risen Lord; but now the glorious Risen One Himself poured the light upon His death, until my cross was lost in the sight of His. I could only cry, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world hath been crucified to me, and I unto the world!" [Gal 6:14].

Then I knew the purpose of the wider service He had given me. I saw, as never before, the "Word of the Cross" to be the power of God, and determined henceforth to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified [1 Cor 2:2]. He had spoken the word "crucified with Him" [Rom 6:6], and I had proved the deliverance it brought to me; but now I saw what Calvary meant to Him, and yielded myself afresh to the Eternal Spirit for the special service of proclaiming the Cross and the passion of the Son of God, that He might see the fruit of His travail, and be satisfied [Isaiah 53:11].

From this time I was kept under the "burden" of this message, increased by watching the darkness that was slowly creeping over our beloved land at the very same time that the light of God in His people was burning brighter and brighter. The increasing darkness, on the one hand, seems to intensify the light on the other.

Can it be possible that the Most High God will look on, without giving His people a renewed and mighty testimony to the Gospel of Calvary?

May God the Holy Spirit lay upon every messenger of God to-day, at home and abroad, the supreme need of proclaiming the "Evangel" --the Gospel of the atoning death of the Son of God -- and clothe each one with the Holy Ghost to preach the Cross in all its aspects, as Paul the Apostle preached it, ere the Lord returns for His own.

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us --unto HIM be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen." [Eph 3:20-21].

written for "The Christian" 1903

edited by John Woodward; Scripture references added

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Grace Teaches--Love Compels
By J. Strombeck
February 11, 2002

IN PART two [of Shall Never Perish], it was shown that the doctrines of the grace of God cannot be understood and fully accepted without the acceptance of the truth of eternal security. This section deals similarly with eternal security in its relation to godly living, or practical Christianity. [1]

The great and widely accepted charge against the teaching of eternal security is that it leads to carelessness in the lives of Christians and robs the Church of its spiritual power. It is said that to teach that one who has been saved cannot be lost is to offer a licence to sin. Incidents from the lives of individuals are cited as proof of this contention. The argument is always founded upon human observations and judgments.

In reply, much evidence might be offered both from the lives of living Christians and from history to refute this charge. The lives of the Puritans, who held this truth, are outstanding illustrations which might be used with considerable effect. But in a discussion of an issue as infinite as this, finite observations and often fallible conclusions based upon them,cannot be considered as conclusive evidence. The only evidence that can be admitted as final is that which is taken from God's own revelation, the Bible. That is absolute and infallible. Those who make the charge that teaching eternal security is to offer a licence to sin never support their charge with any scripture passage.

The fact is, the charge that teaching eternal security leads to carelessness in Christian living is a direct contradiction of God's word. Many of the strongest appeals in the Bible for a pure, holy, righteous and godly life are based on statements which definitely teach the eternal security of the believer. This being true, as will be shown extensively in the following chapters, it is those who deny the eternal security of the believer and thereby rob these passages of their true and full meaning who are contributing to the low state of standards of Christian living. This can hardly be overstated.

God does not, as is the popular conception, make righteous living the condition for eternal life and glory with Him. That, as has already been shown, is a matter of pure grace [Eph. 2:8,8; Rom 4:5]. It is the fact of eternal life and assurance of glory and all that these include that is the incentive to holy living. It is what God has already done through the operation of his sovereign grace. It is the doctrines of the grace of God which have been shown to demand the doctrine of eternal security upon which God rests his appeal for practical righteousness. Men who teach against eternal security do not fully understand these doctrines and therefore cannot appeal to holiness on God's own basis.

It is not God's holiness nor His righteousness; it is not the law, nor is it the threat of condemnation (being lost) that teaches Christians to live soberly, righteously and godly. It is his grace that does so. Paul wrote to Titus giving instructions as to what he should teach as rules of conduct. Then he gave the reason in these words: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:11,12).

[Notice how the challenge in Romans 12:1,2 follows the chapters that expound God's grace in salvation: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."]

Thus those who limit the grace of God by denying the eternal security of the believer, limit that which God says teaches godly living; while those who magnify his grace are teaching that which God says teaches believers how to live lives that please Him.

It is important to be guided, not by what man's judgment or conclusions teach, but by that which God's word reveals.

THE LOVE OF CHRIST COMPELS US

As the grace of God teaches how to live as children of God ought to live, so it is the love of Christ that compels the saved one so to live. Paul says "For Christ's love compels us" (2 Cor. 5:14 NIV). Therefore, fear of the wrath of God (being lost) cannot be the dynamic of holy and righteous living. Neither can it be said that it is the righteousness or holiness of God that is the compelling influence.

[Isaace Watts' hymn says this well:

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all."] [2]

It is that love that was expressed when Christ died and rose again. It was through that death and resurrection that all old things passed away, yes even the curse and the condemnation of the law, and the believer became a new creature in Christ that cannot die [2 Cor. 5:17; John 5:24]. It is that love of God which He manifested when he was in Christ on the cross, reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:15-19). It is that love of God from which the believer cannot be separated [Rom. 8:28-39], and which guarantees the eternal security of everyone that has become the object of it.

If Paul's statement is true, then to proclaim that love, to magnify it, to call attention to its eternal and unchanging nature is to open the hearts and lives of Christians for that which compels them to be what God would have them be. ["The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you'"- Jer. 31:3.] On the other hand, to deny the unbroken flow of this love, by saying that one who has been the object of it can be lost, is to hinder God's own dynamic from operating in the life of the saved one.

This is undoubtedly the greatest charge that can be brought against the teaching that those whom God through infinite love, expressed in the death of his Son, has saved, can be lost.

It is grace that teaches and the love of Christ that compels believers to live as God would have them live. The need of the Church today is a clear teaching of this.

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Grace Notes Vol. 5, #6 - Feb. 9, 2002

End Notes:

[1] "Grace Teaches--Love Compels" is chapter 18 of the book, Shall Never Perish, by J. F. Strombeck. Language style revised by Ian Green (1992). Originally published in Philadelphia: American Bible Conference Association, c. 1936. Edited by J. B. W. with NKJV quotations; [ ] content added.

[2] From "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," Isaac Watts (1707).

For further teaching on assurance see Grace Notes, "How to Have True Assurance."

Bible quotations from the New King James Version (c) 1979 by Thomas Nelson Inc.

The Complete text of Shall Never Perish is available at Southvalley.org

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How Can a Little Clay Pot Express His Glory?
By Orville Swindoll
Undated

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:17,18, NKJV.

Reading this Scripture portion, I want to catch your attention by asking this question about verse 18. Is it we who are looking into the mirror, or is it that God is looking into us—for we are the mirror? As we shall see, this is important. It is unfortunate that the translation in the Authorized version is not really clear. Almost any other version gives you a clearer picture of verse 18. I'd like to read this verse as J.B. Phillips renders it: "All of us who are Christians have no veils on our faces, but reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord."

"With this hope in our hearts, we are quite frank and open in our ministry. We are not like Moses who veiled his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing his fading glory. But it was their minds which were blinded, for even today when the old agreement is read to them, there is still a veil over their minds, though the veil has actually been lifted by Christ. Yes, alas even to this day there is still a veil over their face, when the writings of Moses are read. Yet if they turn to the Lord, the veil would disappear. For the Lord, to whom they could turn, is the Spirit of the new agreement. But wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men's souls are set free. But all of us, who are Christians, have no veils on our faces, but reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord. We are trans-figured in ever-increasing splendor into His own image. And the transformation comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:12-18 Phillips

I really appreciate this translation of verse 18. You'll notice again, please, that it's not we who are looking into the mirror; it is God who is looking into us—for we are the mirror. We are transfigured in ever-increasing splendor to His own image. When you look in a mirror, you're not looking for the mirror. You're looking for the reflection of your own face.

When God made man, and in all of God's turning to look at man, do you know now what kind of response He's expecting? A reflection of Himself! When He made man, He said, "Let us make man in our own image" [Gen. 1:26]. In other words, God made man with a faculty which the Bible calls spirit, human spirit, whereby man, the human being, is capable of reflecting God. But then ,this verse takes us a step further than the reflecting and shows us that God is after something really much deeper than that, something much fuller than that. As we reflect His image we are being transformed into that image.

Now as long as I look at a mirror, I can see my image; but I can't transform the mirror. But we are uniquely designed in the plan of God. As He looks at us, two things happen: firstly, God sees Himself; secondly, we are transformed.

I've come to feel that in the Lord's dealings with man, He always has this in view—that He might see Himself. If this is true, the thing that should concern us is that we might adequately and properly reflect His image, reflect what He is.

Now if you have a mirror at home that doesn't reflect too well, you're not going to paint the picture of your face on that mirror so you can see yourself better. Something must happen to the mirror! You've got to change the mirror so that it gives a precise reflection of yourself.

Often, something clouds the mirror. There was a veil over Moses' face.;God put it there. Do you know why? It was because Moses was so beautifully reflecting the glory of God that the Israelites couldn't stand it! They were too far from the character of God.

The Scriptures tell us that a veil is over the minds of those who don't know the gospel. What does this mean? It means that they are unable to reflect the character of God. They are unable to reflect His image. The Scriptures also tell us that when a man's heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away; and you behold the Lord.

But there's something even more wonderful than our beholding the Lord! It is that, as the Lord looks at us. He beholds Himself. Is this—I repeat—is this our consuming concern?

You know most of us find we are motivated in our Christian life by what we can get from the Lord. We are motivated by the thought of. "Well, what is there in it for me?" And we even minister the gospel to people on this basis. We insist, "If you'll come to the Lord, you will feel good. Come to the Lord, and you'll be happy. Come to the Lord, and He'll heal you. Come to the Lord, and He'll do this or that." The whole emphasis is what you can get out of it.

It's quite surprising to find that in the Lord's dealings with man, His emphasis is very different. Man can know satisfaction and fullness only as the Lord is satisfied. God deals with man so that there is a precise reflection of Himself, not so the "mirror" can say, "0h, isn't this wonderful! It makes me feel so good," but rather that the purpose of God is fulfilled in man!

Now if you don't have a mirror, you can't see your face. Isn't that right? And this brings us to one of the things that the Lord is ultimately after—the increase of Himself. He purposes the embodying of Himself in a vessel here, there, there, there; and thus the Lord is increasing. He's not simply increasing people; He's increasing Himself.

When God told Adam to be fruitful, to multiply and replenish the earth;,the thought in view was not simply a lot of people. Rather the primary intention God had was that Adam was filled with God, his wife filled with God, his children filled with God, his grandchildren filled with God—all would be reflecting the image of God. Thus, God would find the increase of Himself in the earth.

Now we'll digress just a minute to consider an important side issue—what the Lord is after in this! We know the Lord has had an arch-enemy on this earth. Did you ever wonder, Why doesn't the Lord just make a clean sweep of the whole thing and wipe him out? This is one of the problems that many Christians face. They are puzzled as to why God doesn't enable them to avoid their difficulties. They ask, "Why does the devil come against me. Why doesn't the Lord take care of the devil?"

In one aspect we can say, well, through all of this the Lord is sharpening us. But there's something even deeper than that and much more important. Did you ever stop to think that the Lord will possibly never deal directly with Satan? I'm not throwing this out as dogmatic doctrine, but I want to challenge you a bit! There is a reason why God hasn't just finished him off. The Lord has purposed to so fill the universe with Himself that the enemy has no more ground. He's just crowded out, as all his ground is taken from him. God has never had to deal with him directly.

When I think of this, I wonder if this isn't the picture set forth when Joshua led the children of Israel into the conquest of the Land. God stated specifically, "I will not drive your enemies out! I will be in you, moving them out one by one. If you leave any there, I'm not going to take care of them. They're going to be thorns in your sides. You move them out! You take their ground from them."

As you know Israel went so far, and then quit! I'm reminded that many, many years after the conquest of the land, there was still a tribe of Jebusites that held a stronghold in a mountain right in the middle of Canaan's land. There they were—a threat! A constant challenge. A reproach to the name of Jehovah, God of Israel. For years the Israelites never did a thing about it. They just left them there. Then David came along, and said in his heart, "I can't stand this reproach. I'm going to take this mountain. I'm going to take the ground of those Jebusites. I'm going to wipe them out." And he did. And when he did, he built his house right up there in that mountain, which later came to be known as Mt. Zion.

This Hill of Praise is where the ground was taken from the enemy. Now ,God doesn't do it for you; rather He works in you, and moves through you into that ground. It is quite interesting that as you move in to occupy the ground, you go just so far, then you discover a weakness in yourself, something that is keeping you from taking ground from the enemy. The trouble is that there is ground in you that hasn't been surrendered to God. The devil, your enemy, is quick to remind you, You can't have this ground because I have it. And until this ground in you is given over to the Lord, you can't take that ground! So as you move in, the Lord is accomplishing a two-fold purpose. First of all. He's getting ground in you, and second, as He gets ground in you, He moves the enemy out!

This principle is all through the Scriptures. Jesus said to the disciples, "Occupy! Take this ground." Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, "Satan shall be put under your feet, shortly." Now when God is increasing Himself, He certainly has as one of the ends in view, not only to increase Himself, but to move His enemy off the scene. Here is a thought worth considering: will the Lord ever move directly in this situation, or will He perhaps move exclusively within the Church? Whatever the answer, it is only as we give the ground up to God that the enemy is moved off the ground.

Essentially, this is what happened in the life of the Lord Jesus. Satan kept trying to get ground in Him. He kept moving in to possess something, but he couldn't touch Him at any point. At the close of Jesus' earthly ministry, just before the Passion, Jesus said, "The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me!" Terrific words of victory! And just about the same time He said, "Now is the judgment of this world." "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out!" Do they not go together? Satan couldn't get any ground in Jesus. Because God had all the ground in the Lord Jesus, Satan could have none. Jesus said, "Now is the judgment of this world." Don't restrict this to the future. He said, "Right now, at Calvary, is the judgment of this world." So stand on that ground. Yield all your ground over to God, and the result will be an increase of the Lord in your life. You will find yourself reflecting the glory of God.

Now let us consider how the Lord is daily transforming us! This implies a process. Our walking with the Lord always results in this transforming which means He sees Himself reflected in us more perfectly. We could express this intention in many ways. And if this is the end in view, then all ministry must be directed to this end: a precise reflecting of the glory of God, and a transforming of the vessel of the individual personality so there is more and more of His increase in us.

If this is ministry, then 2 Corinthians 4 explodes with new meaning. Let me again use J.B. Phillips' translation here: "This is the ministry... which God in His mercy has given us, and nothing can daunt us. We use no hocus-pocus, no clever tricks, no dishonest manipulations of the word of God. We speak the plain truth and so commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. If our gospel is 'veiled', the veil must be in the minds of those who are spiritually dying. The spirit of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them. For it is Christ Jesus as Lord whom we preach, not ourselves. We are your servants for His sake. God, who first ordered light to shine in darkness has flooded our hearts with His light. We now can enlighten men only because we can give them knowledge of the glory of, as we see it in the face of Jesus Christ"(vv. 1-6).

In this chapter there are three principles that are essential in all spiritual ministry: The first is honesty, or openness. The mirror's finest quality is perfect reflection. Clear! With no flaws! What God is after in our lives, first of all, is a basic honesty, a frankness, an openness. If ministry does not spring out of, and result in, openness, honesty, and frankness, it never can really lead us to the full purpose of God in our reflecting adequately the image of God. Conse-quently, every ministry must be an expression of honesty and openness, so that when God turns the mirror in any direction, the only reflection is God in the man. The Lord moves me to Argentina, or moves me to Africa; but the primary thing He is interested in is that wherever He puts me, the reflection is Himself in me.

Now any veneer—any front that I put up will hinder that reflection of the image of God. Professionalism will hinder it. Anything that I add to the reflection of God will hinder that reflection of God. Ministry must involve no clever tricks. As Paul says, "no hocus-pocus." There must be no dishonest manipulation of the Word of God. Paul could say, "I am what I am by the grace of God." He never would say, "I am what I am by the training of Gamaliel." Or, "I am what I am because I have prestige." Paul summed up all that which he was by natural heritage and said. "I count the whole thing a heap of garbage. I'm just plain Paul, by the grace of God" [Phil 3:8].

You couldn't see anything in Paul's life that wasn't either the recipient of, or the expression of, the grace of God. We've painted him up, added robes, made him wonderful and well-trained; but you never can bring Paul to the confession of anything other than the grace of God. He's just frank and open.

I'm convinced more and more that one of the surest signs that God is working in us is that He is pressing us to be completely honest! All the profes-sionalism has to go. Sometimes when we pray we're not quite honest. We pray with the intent that another will be impressed and recognize that we really know how to pray. We display our activities that So and So will receive some impression which we inwardly know is not quite true. We want him to get the best picture—to see the good side of us. So we've got a good side and a bad side. The only one who sees the bad side is our wife or husband, and sometimes the children! We surely wouldn't want anybody else in the church to see that dark side.

You know what happens when God breaks us down to complete honesty? First of all, it is a terribly embarrassing thing when others begin to find out that we are not really what we have pretended to be.

When the Lord begins to do this deep unveiling in one, and then another, and finally several together, it often seems to be the breakdown of everything. But, eventually, you come to realize that it is the beginning of everything. You can't go forward with God until there is this frankness, this openness, transparency and honesty. So God must break you down until you are willing to be utterly exposed.

The Lord wants to get me exposed until I am willing that you know exactly how I act on the job, how I act behind the closed walls of my home, how I act under pressure with my children—because, it is the same way I act in the church. Finally I realize I am to get off "my little stage" and quit acting. Every hour of every day in every place there must be a transparent seeing of "me."

You know, if this should really happen in the churches in this land today, most of them would fall to pieces. What a shock we would get—and what a shock we would be to others around us. For example, here is someone whom the church considers to be the most agreeable person around. Outsiders do not know what goes on at home, but his children do and his wife does. Many seem to question why his wife and children do not draw closer to the Lord. Why do they seem so cool and unresponsive to spiritual things? The reason is quite obvious when you get beyond the outer veneer. They have seen through the sham—the unreality. Wife and children are unmoved because father has not been inwardly moved—to live in real honesty. So God must devote His time to stripping away all our pious superficiality. He must get us down where we're just plain Joe —without any glossy varnish; just plain Mary—without any bright, artificial makeup.

Perhaps you have been impressed by your winsome preacher—his effectiveness in the meeting, but wonder at his complete failure as a husband or father. You see him as seemingly responsible in the pulpit, but everybody knows he doesn't handle responsibility well at home or on the job. Or—maybe nobody knows about these failures, yet inwardly he does; and he secretly despises this sham and hypocrisy. For all of this God has just one answer: complete exposure!

This complete honesty—so imperative in spiritual ministry—is not something you have on Sunday. It's not something you have just in the prayer closet. It is not something outward, for God requires "truth in the inward parts." Once you begin to walk in complete honesty, you find out what a necessary and beautiful thing it really is. And what a relief not to have robes to wear around all day! The farce is gone; you are living an open life—transparent before others all the day long. No longer are you afraid to be unveiled—for now you have nothing to hide or cover.

Again and again in the meetings in Santa Fe, Argentina we've prayed: "Lord, take away all pretension; just let us be unpretentious." Often it takes a pretty long while to work all that pattern of deception, strategy, maneuvering and artificiality out of us. But the Lord is working Why? So He can see Himself!

And now let us consider the second essential in spiritual ministry. Verse seven speaks of this priceless Treasure we hold, so to speak, in a common earthen jar. What a shock to our ego. We are just a common clay pot, not even a pretty earthenware jar. Surely not an antique! But look at what we have in this clay pot—a priceless Treasure: the Lord Jesus, Himself.

Oh, this is something! Think! We have Him—this priceless Treasure in a common earthenware jar. And the reason becomes so clear: we are to show that the splendid power within (the jar) belongs to God; it is not of us.

Paul explains: "We are handicapped on all sides, but we are never frustrated" [v.8]. Yes, if there is anything that frustrates people, it is handicaps. Listen—as the talk often goes something like this: Well, you know Sister So and So. She's just wonderful; but me, I've got three children. What can I do? I'm so handicapped. They just drag me—wear me to a frazzle! It's more than I can handle. And so the handicaps seem to eclipse all else—and the little clay pot forgets about the Treasure within.

Again, it is so natural for another to reason: Sure, after all Brother So and So hasn't anything to do but preach, sleep and eat. But poor me! I've got to work ten hours a day. I have reason to be downcast and frustrated. If I could just move into some different circumstances—like his—I'd be spiritual too.

But now listen to Paul's words: "We are troubled on all sides..." He was encompassed in pressure, difficulty, persecution and misunderstanding. But don't stop! Paul also adds, "We're never frustrated." What was his secret? Simply this! Paul had come to realize that you can't expect anything more from a clay pot than handicaps—so quit stewing—quit worrying!

"But if I just had a pretty pot to put that Treasure in," another has confided. "If I could just put it out in a nice vase like her—or him. Now that sister over there ... she has charm, a magnetic personality that draws. That brother over there has polish, training, influence, contacts. But me, plain Joe—what can I do? How can I ever serve God? You see, my very commonness haunts me. This is why I'm frustrated and about to faint."

Now, Paul surely knew he was nothing more than a clay pot, so he testifies for all generations to come: "I don't expect anything more than handicaps, so this doesn't overwhelm me. I'm not frustrated. I can never expect to be any different than a clay pot, but I've discovered that the only thing of any value is not the clay pot; it is the Treasure within. That Treasure is lovely—beautiful—worthwhile."

You see, if you are only occupied with the clay pot, you're always going to be under a cloud. If you only gaze at your handicaps you will always live in the shadows of gloom and despair. This doesn't mean that you deny you have any. You admit you have them, but manifest to others that you are not overwhelmed because your preoccupation is with the Treasure within.

Paul continues: "We're puzzled, but never in despair"[v.8] Have you ever been utterly puzzled? You groaned. Oh, if there weren't so many things impos-sible to understand. I could surely walk with God.

And others around you are filled with the same bewilderment. One testifies: "I was walking along all right with the Lord, and bang! It happened! I could only cry out, "Where is God? What's going on?"

One of the interesting things about the Christian life is this constant pathway of paradoxes and seeming contradictions. First there is clear revelation of the Lord, and then there follows shadows and darkness. The Lord is so clear on one point, and (seemingly) so vague on another.

A few years back I thought that the epitome of the Christian life, the highest peak that you could reach, was to have all your puzzles solved. I assumed that the flooding in of His light would mean answer for every situation. I would never need to say again. "I don't know." But I have never in all my life been forced to admit, I don't know, so often as in the last few months since the Lord has been so very real and precious. Things may change down the road, and I'll see much more clearly. But I'm at rest. In this pathway I don't get all my puzzles solved, but that no longer throws me into despair.

Perhaps you have, at times, sighed, "How-dear Lord- can You ever do anything in me? My clay is so set, so unmoldable, so brittle and unresponsive." Well, remember that is the Lord's choice and His business. When the Lord began to deal with me, He knew what He was getting-just a clay pot.

My problem was that I thought He was getting something much better. I thought He was getting a polished fellow—you know, one who knew music, knew people, could speak well and influence others; well, that's what I thought. Yet, all these years the Lord has been concentrating on one thing: breaking me down to help me realize He didn't get anything but a clay pot. He's never been deceived; I've been deceived. Now the truth comes out; things are crystal clear, and there's no anxiety connected with my future.

But let us go on as Paul continues: "We're persecuted, but we never have to stand alone." It is the loneliness that makes a person feel dark when his friends and family turn against him. You feel that people just don't understand how much you're trying to walk with God. If they did they wouldn't persecute or seek to destroy you. Yet, once again, this only helps you realize that you're not standing alone—He is standing in you.

When I first went to Argentina, I suffered several knock-downs. I argued, "Well, what's the use! Might as well throw in the towel; just as well quit." But something in me whispered, "You can quit." I read Paul's words: "We may be knocked down, but we are never knocked out." But so far as you're concerned—you have been knocked out —knocked way out of the ring. You have completely exhausted all strength; there is no fight left. Yes, in spite of all that has been written—and all you've known and stood for, this is the hour. You're down—down for good. Brother, Sister, until you get to this place in your ministry, you can't really serve God. You'll never see anything last because it has always been your own energy, your own strength and promotion—but really nothing of Him.

And then something so very strange seems to happen. You can't explain it, but somehow you seem to be rising up. The Lord is raising you up out of death. Suddenly, all things become new; a whole new world dawns around you! Once you wanted God to come over and walk with you. Now you've discovered you are walking, but He is walking in you.

So every day the little clay pot is experiencing something of death working through its being, but that is simply to allow the power of His life to be released. Paul insists: "We who are living are always—(daily)—being exposed to death for Jesus' sake!" [2 Cor. 4:11]. Oh, that is so hard to take. We want a once-for-all blow of death, but not a thousand deaths—every day along the way. We are always wanting to get around where there is some joy, some peace and blessing.

How often we have announced: "Oh, if I could just get over there! If I could just go to that Bible conference; if I could just get into that Bible school. Surely, I'd have victory over there! Then I'd be able to experience the joy, the glory and the victory of walking with God unhindered."

God insists. You must stay put in that kitchen. You just keep changing those diapers. You keep on driving that old car. You stay right there in that shop.

"But Lord! I just die a thousand deaths" And He answers that it is all a necessary part of your training. There are no shortcuts; it is a continuous exposure to death. It is only out of such circumstances that you really discover what HIS LIFE really is. This is His way—the way He has chosen to work in you. If everything were sweet and wonderful all the time, you'd never know what overcoming is. Even as the Lord Jesus overcame—so you must overcome. It is the only means by which you can know more and more of His life flowing through you.

Beloved, I want to alert you to something: whenever you see a channel that God is using to bring life to others, you mark it down, that channel is experiencing death after death! Death works in you—but life in others [2 Cor. 4:11].

Now apply this to yourself! You've been wanting your sons, your daughters, your friends, your relatives and your contacts to know this life. Yet, continually you've been dodging this way of helping them into Life. You've been dodging these difficult things everytime they confronted you. The pattern is almost set—your dodging, escaping, running. And you wonder why they aren't touched. The Lord is not getting to you. If the Lord ever really gets to you. He'll get to them—through you.

We have thus far considered how the first essential was a frankness, an openness, an honesty. Secondly, we have seen how the working of death means humiliation and breaking. Thirdly, we come to see how to experience the supply of grace.

You know, this thought came to me the other day. Where does God give the grace? I suddenly realized that grace is not for the Treasure within. The supply of grace is for the clay pot. The Treasure doesn't need the grace. It's you—the little clay pot—you need that supply of grace. And the more grace God can give, the more thanksgiving rebounds to Him.

This is why Paul tells the Corinthians: "I want you to see what a benefit this is bringing to you, while I'm getting more grace too. But also more thanksgiving is rising to the Lord as I'm drawing more upon His life. Oh, it is so wonderful! These trials don't seem to bother me. Sure! I'm having a terrible time, but I'm getting to experience more grace all the time."

You know the Lord has said, "As thy day demands, so shall thy strength ever be." The interesting thing is that beforehand, He doesn't tell you, "Now, watch out because tomorrow at this time you're going to get some terrible news. But that's all right—don't be alarmed; I'm going to give you sufficient grace." He never tells you that; The news comes as a surprise. It shocks you down to your feet. And as you are about to collapse you sense the Lord's presence and undergirding. A full flow of His grace begins to move in.

You see, you'd never have known, never have experienced His grace if everything were smooth. Learn to stand still; don't run or turn aside out of His way. The Lord is simply dealing with you, training you, repairing you, bringing out the reflection of Himself through your little clay pot.

Have you said it to yourself? Oh, if I could just can up enough grace to last me through this whole week. If I had just enough to make sure I could make it to the end of this trying week! Well, you see, you couldn't handle that any more than you could handle the food for seven days at one meal. I've often thought of of a fellow coming in and telling his wife. "Honey, fix me enough food for seven days. I haven't got time to eat the rest of this week." Oh—you say—that's ridiculous, but it's just as ridiculous to come to the meeting of the saints on Sunday and say, "I've sure got to get a touch from God; I've got to get enough to last me a whole week. I just haven't enough time to seek God each day. I haven't time to draw upon His supply through the hours ahead—I must store it up." Foolishness! How ridiculous! His supply of grace flows just moment by moment. The supply is always at the reservoir—not in you. This grace-which is His presence—can only be experienced moment by moment as each situation arises. That keeps you wholly dependent upon Him.

If you could can it up for a week. pretty soon you'd want to can it up for a month. If you could can it for a month, then you'd want a reserve supply for a year ahead; and pretty soon you'd be wholly on your own. What need would you have of God?

Well, the Lord isn't going to give enough for a year ahead. You'll never get God in one big experience. You'll never get God in ten easy lessons. He'll come to be your resource day by day and moment by moment. As He works into your life through trials, He dispenses Himself as grace. It is no wonder these lovely verses by Annie Johnson Flint have become a favorite melody of so many:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.

To added affliction He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed 'ere the day is half done:

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,

Our Father's full giving, Is only begun.

The testimony of every servant of God echos the same message. With every divine charge God gives sufficient grace for carrying out what He has committed. You remember in the wilderness journey how God gave Moses a great responsibility, but He also gave a commensurate measure of grace for it. In due time when that responsibility was divided among seventy men, Moses didn't need all that measure of grace, so the Scriptures explain that God took of the Spirit that was upon Moses and distributed that measure on the seventy who were to rule. How clearly you see God's transferring that grace to wherever the responsibility is. Let this be your inner confidence: when God sets a task for you to accomplish, He so works that, though you may go through insurmountable obstacles and trials. He will always be there to measure out sufficient grace. But we had better be sure we have accepted the task from Him, not given birth to some fanciful project of our own.

There is a reason Paul reminds us, "we are never to collapse." Many a better man than Paul has collapsed under lesser trials. Many have come home from the mission field to go to the mental institution. The other day I read where a Christian psychiatrist said, "One out of eight North Americans spend some time of their life in a mental institution." One out of eight; evidently plenty of these are Christians. Why are they collapsing? The Treasure can't collapse. That old clay pot has collapsed. Why? They have not drawn from the resources of His grace.

The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear. But every day the inner man receives fresh strength. If you'll quit hoping for anything better for the outward man, you'll be a lot more settled. As the inner man gets stronger and stronger he supports this outer man. This is where a "divine seeing" is so imperative. If we have "seen" this available reservoir of His Life within our little clay pot, we have a hope which springs eternal.

Shall we pray. We thank You for allowing us to see ourselves as we should see. Father, we do come to a new measure of rest in recognizing this little clay pot is merely to allow Your glorious Treasure to be expressed. Help us never again to be so occupied with the little pot when the Treasure alone is worthy of our attention. In Jesus' Name. Amen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is one of four chapters in the book, Designed to Express His Life. For ordering information, please contact Grace Fellowship International: cathgfi@aol.com

Orville Swindoll and his wife Erma Jean, following a brief term in Mexico as missionaries in 1957, went to Argentina in 1959 with two pre-school daughters. A third daughter was born to them in Argentina in 1961, and then a son was born in the USA during a visit in 1964. They continued to serve the Lord in Argentina until April, 1991, when they moved to Miami, Florida as a strategic base to serve Latin American Christian groups in various countries in both Central and South America. (He is the older brother of radio teacher, Chuck Swindoll.) Thanks to brother Swindoll and Sure Foundation for permission to reprint this conference transcription book.

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Posts: 749 | From: Toronto, Canada-EH! | Registered: Jun 2008  |  IP: Logged | 

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Originally posted by Eden:
Dear sister Zeena, how great are the adopted brothers and sisters and sisters and brothers in the family camp of God?


You also wrote (within the camp):

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The Transforming Power of God's Grace
By John Woodward
February 7, 2000

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The few paragraphs I read were pretty good; what has John Woodward done for your Christian life, Zeena?

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His disciple, Tim, has revealed the heart of God towards me.

Gracious is the Lord!!!

Through Tim's witness [The Father, Son and Holy Spirit in him] I was able to behold a broad view of our Lord, and be quickened by knowing my identity in Christ.

It's all I've recieved so far, as you can see I'm rather still a babe when it comes to 'righty dividing' and such. BUT it is a SURE foundation indeed!!!

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I've lately read "Make Love Your Aim" by Eugenia Price and now I'm reading "Just As I Am", by Billy Graham. Each time I grow a little more in Christ.

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MORE of JESUS reflecting in and through Saint Eden!

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immersion in Christ-related things, that I think is the key, that is...baptism onto sanctification. immersion in all things Christian is like baptism.

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Yes, immersion in Christ Jesus.
For He is our Life, and gives us the wonderful opportunity to abide in Him and witness His Life in us on a moment by moment basis.

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The Transforming Power of God's Grace
By John Woodward
February 7, 2000

love, Eden

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Jesus Loves you in and through me Eden, and I in Him.

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Originally posted by Eden:
John Woodward wrote, as posted by Zeena:

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But I wonder if we are just excited about the transforming power of God's grace for His children. Is this grace adequate to enable believers to grow to spiritual maturity and to gain freedom from unresolved conflicts and besetting sins?

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Regarding the words I bolded, this grace IS adequate, but it requires TWO PARTNERS, the Jesus-Holy Spirit and the believer. The grace is adequate, but if the believer is NOT ATTENDING CLASS, the Holy Teacher can wait ALL DAY can no one learns a thing yet.

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I'm just now posting another article regarding this exact topic!

This one is rather long, but articulate, and wastes not precious little time in making it's point.

Take your time, as God leads you will see it through, eventually.

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So John Woodward wrote:

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But I wonder if we are just excited about the transforming power of God's grace for His children. Is this grace adequate to enable believers to grow to spiritual maturity and to gain freedom from unresolved conflicts and besetting sins?

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It takes two for a class to occur.

love, Eden

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Posts: 749 | From: Toronto, Canada-EH! | Registered: Jun 2008  |  IP: Logged | 

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But I wonder if we are just excited about the transforming power of God's grace for His children. Is this grace adequate to enable believers to grow to spiritual maturity and to gain freedom from unresolved conflicts and besetting sins?

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But I wonder if we are just excited about the transforming power of God's grace for His children. Is this grace adequate to enable believers to grow to spiritual maturity and to gain freedom from unresolved conflicts and besetting sins?

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The Transforming Power of God's Grace
By John Woodward
February 7, 2000

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The few paragraphs I read were pretty good; what has John Woodward done for your Christian life, Zeena? I've lately read "Make Love Your Aim" by Eugenia Price and now I'm reading "Just As I Am", by Billy Graham. Each time I grow a little more in Christ.

immersion in Christ-related things, that I think is the key, that is...baptism onto sanctification. immersion in all things Christian is like baptism.

The Transforming Power of God's Grace
By John Woodward
February 7, 2000

love, Eden

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The Transforming Power of God's Grace
By John Woodward
February 7, 2000

"The Transforming Power of God's Grace"

Back in the fall of 1976 I enrolled as a student at Northeastern Bible College in New Jersey. I remember driving in that area and sometimes catching a glimpse of the Twin Towers of World Trade Center; their absence is now a haunting memory. During that summer New York City was haunted by a terrible crime spree occurring in that metropolis. A serial killer left a note after his deadly acts which read, "I am a monster. I am the Son of Sam." When the police finally captured the murderer, David Berkowitz, his picture was plastered across newspapers everywhere.

Over twenty years later, in August 1999, this same criminal was featured on the program, "Larry King Live." Chuck Colson commented on that interview, which took place at a New York prison:

" ... We saw a different Berkowitz ... and those who tuned in saw the former Son of Sam boldly witnessing to King about his faith in Christ, and even leading viewers in a prayer. The interview took place because of a new movie about Berkowitz, called Summer of Sam, which dredges up the whole nightmare again. But the film leaves out one of the most remarkable parts of Berkowitz's story--one he did not miss the opportunity to share with Larry King. About ten years ago, Berkowitz turned his life over to Jesus Christ. Berkowitz says he now wants nothing more than to lead others to Christ, and he's made two videos for that very purpose ... In a video called Son of Sam, Son of Hope, Berkowitz lifts his hands and says, 'At one time, these hands were being used by the devil to destroy. But I thank God today for His great mercy that these hands are being used to touch lives.'" [1]

Praise God for the gospel of Christ, which is "the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

The human author of those words in the book of Romans is another example of the transforming power of God's grace. As Paul declared in his testimony, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained MERCY because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the GRACE of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained MERCY, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life" (1 Tim. 1:4-16).

We celebrate such amazing conversion stories, and rightly so. The angels also rejoice when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10).

But I wonder if we are just excited about the transforming power of God's grace for His children. Is this grace adequate to enable believers to grow to spiritual maturity and to gain freedom from unresolved conflicts and besetting sins? We know that it is God's assured purpose for every true believer to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29; 10:9-13). Do you believe He can successfully do this in your life in the here and now, as well as at the final installment in the hereafter?

Notice this comparison: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). In other words, if God was willing to give Jesus on Calvary to redeem us when we were "lost," how much more is He willing to supply for our ultimate needs now that we are "found"! We have the Father justifying us, Christ interceding for us, and His Spirit indwelling us (Rom. 8: 9-11; 33-34). NOTHING can separate us from God's love (Rom. 8:38-39). No wonder we are declared to be "more than conquerors THROUGH HIM Who loved us"! (Rom. 8:37).

Not only is God's grace the dynamic for changing sinful ones into saved ones, it is the dynamic to change unfruitful saved ones into FRUITFUL saved ones! (John 15:5).

Testifying of his missionary work, the apostle Paul wrote: "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the GRACE OF GOD I am what I am, and His GRACE toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the GRACE OF GOD which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:9-10). We see here that God's grace kept Paul humble and grateful. Also note that he was not passive. Paul labored as a pioneer missionary and church planter; he cooperated with divine grace. We too are to live and labor BY GRACE.

The following episode from the life of a medical missionary illustrates the necessity having God's resources: "Dr. Paul Brand was speaking to a medical college in India on 'let your light so shine before men that they may behold your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.' In front of the lectern was an oil lamp, with its cotton wick burning from the shallow dish of oil. As he preached, the lamp ran out of oil, the wick burned dry, and the smoke made him cough. He immediately used the opportunity. 'Some of us are like this wick,' he said. 'We're trying to shine for the glory of God, but we stink. That's what happens when we use ourselves as the fuel of our witness rather than the Holy Spirit. 'Wicks can burn indefinitely, burning brightly and without irritating smoke, if the fuel, the Holy Spirit, is in constant supply.'" [2]

God also stressed this truth through the prophet Zechariah. After Israel returned from Babylonian exile, they faced the daunting task of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. In order to succeed they needed an awareness of the sufficiency of God's strength. The prophet declared to the governor of Judah,

"This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).

And what was the purpose for this power? Was it only to make this leader more happy? No, there was a task waiting to be accomplished.[3] So this promise of power was a practical one:

"Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"(Zech. 4:7).

The mountain of obstacles in the path of doing God's will was NO MATCH for His almighty power (Cf. Matt. 17:20).

This was confirmed with another promise:

"The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you" (Zech. 4:9; cf. Haggai 1-3).

Within four years the shouts of joy were heard in Jerusalem! The rebuilt temple of the LORD was completed on March 12, 516 B.C.

Just as this governor needed to rely on God's power for his responsibilities, so must we. As believers, we are the New Testament temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19,20). In a way, however, we are still "under construction." God is in the process of growing us up spiritually, strengthening our faith, hope, and love. The final "capstone" will be put in place when we are glorified together with our Savior: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). Let's rejoice in the transforming power of God's grace!

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Notes:

[1] from "Breakpoint Commentary" Sept 2, 1999 issue by Chuck Colson http://www.breakpoint.org

[2] "Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching," ed., Craig Larson, p.260.

[3] The temple, which was destroyed in 586 B.C., was still in ruins. Although they had initially begun to restore God's House, opposition stopped its reconstruction. This opposition led to complacency, selfishness, and doubt. For 16 years the temple continued to lay in ruins.

David Berkowitz's testimony is online at http://www.forgivenforlife.com

Grace Notes (c) 2000 by John Woodward. Permission is granted to reprint this article for non commercial use. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Posts: 749 | From: Toronto, Canada-EH! | Registered: Jun 2008  |  IP: Logged | 

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Hi Bob.

I would agree with that translation.

So, where exactly does that leave us?

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Let's stop using "inspired" "writings" in inappropriate strings of words.

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Would you mind elaborating a little on this exhortation?

In order to "stop" doing something, must one first be aware that they were 'doing' it, yes?

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Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

Posts: 749 | From: Toronto, Canada-EH! | Registered: Jun 2008  |  IP: Logged | 

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2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

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Every God-breathed writing is helpful for enlightment, for guidance, for correction, for instruction in right living,

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Posts: 449 | From: Rockford Illinois | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged | 

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If your soul died, eden, we would not be talking to each other.

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Jesus died in our stead, yes?

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Passing the Tests of Temptation, Part 1
By John Woodward
January 10, 2003

When students are taking a course, they usually have to study to pass their tests. Even so, in the "school" of Christian discipleship we need to do some studying to prepare for the temptations that face us in a fallen world. Evidently, this instruction has been essential in parental training among the people of God for thousands of years.

In Proverbs 1:10-19 we have a vivid example: "My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, 'Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse' -- My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners" (Prov. 1:10-19). This is preventative and remedial counsel that is still relevant today.

Discipleship Journal readers responded to a survey regarding issues of temptation. They ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them this way:

1. Materialism.

2. Pride.

3. Self-centeredness.

4. Laziness.

5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness.

5. (Tie) Sexual lust.

7. Envy.

8. Gluttony.

9. Lying. [1]

Which would you identify as your vulnerable issues? Is there an area of temptation where you keep "failing the test?" How can believers live in consistent victory over intentional sin?


The anatomy of Temptation
Perhaps it will help to examine just how we end up failing these tests. James explained, "each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death" (James 1:14,15).

Notice that temptation itself is not sin! Christ, after all, was tempted in every area, yet remained sinless (Heb. 4:15). Yet the Tempter, Satan, tries to deceive us by accusing us of guilt even before we have yielded to the temptation. However, by learning how to say "no", we can pass these tests.

Areas of attack: the world, the flesh, and the devil

The apostle John counsels us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:15,16).

Sadly, Genesis records how Eve was originally deceived by this three fold temptation. The forbidden fruit was good for food (the lust of the flesh), pleasant to look upon (lust of the eyes), and desirable to make one wise (the pride of life) -Gen. 3:6.

1 John 2:16 mentions two of our key sources of temptation--the flesh and the world. Behind both is the third nemesis, the devil. Let's define these dangers.

The "world" in this context is humanistic society arrayed independently of God. A typical snare of the world is the love of money. Paul warned, But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition" (1 Tim 6:9). Those who have a gambling addiction or who have sacrificed relationships in pursuit of wealth can testify to this indictment.

The "flesh" can be defined as the interface of body and soul that contains the depraved tendencies, values, perceptions, and conditioning of living independently of God. The flesh is distinct from the "old man" (who we were before salvation-Rom. 6:6); it is in us (Rom. 7:18), yet is not essentially us (believers-Rom.7:20,22). Our essential identity is "in Christ" and our essential nature (in the redeemed human spirit) is holy (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 7:22). The apostle Peter wrote, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11).

The spiritual source behind the world system is the Tempter--The devil (1 Thess. 3:5). He is a fallen angel who is called the "god of this world," "the prince of the power of the air," "the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2; 6:10,11; 2 Cor. 4:4). Although he is ultimately a defeated foe, this chief adversary is permitted during this age, to "prowl around as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).

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Passing the Tests of Temptation, Part 2
By John Woodward
January 17, 2003

The Test in Temptation

It has been puzzling to me that there is only one Greek word for "temptation." Greek is a precise language and often there are a few synonyms for each important term, yet "peirazo" means both temptation (enticement to sin) and testing (trial). Why is this? Essentially, whether we face a temptation (such as to lust) or a trial (such as sickness), both are a TEST.

James clarifies, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone" (James 1:13). Commenting on this verse, W.E. Vine wrote, "James refers to temptation, or trial, arising from within, from uncontrolled appetites and from evil passions [the flesh] Mark 7:20-23. But though such temptation does not proceed from God, yet does God regard His people while they endure it, and by it tests and approves them." So, technically, God does "test" His people for their learning and growth. For example, the LORD tested Abraham when He asked him to sacrificed Isaac (Gen. 22:1); Christians can expect to suffer trials (tests) and afflictions (Cf. 1 Pet. 4:12-19). But, God never tempts someone to sin.

The main test in temptation is to "let go" of the wrong idea. Someone has said, we win the battle with temptation in the THRESHOLD of the mind, not IN the mind. One of the Reformers quipped, "I cannot prevent a bird from flying over my head, but I can prevent it from making a nest in my hair!"

The example of trapping monkeys shows the need to "let go" of sin's enticement: "Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ringtailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it's simple. They've been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method the Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. But he can't get free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and nab him."[2] Even so, victory requires a Spirit-filled decision to say "no!" to temptation.

Charles Spurgeon counseled, "What settings are you in when you fall? Avoid them. What props do you have that support your sin? Eliminate them. What people are you usually with? Avoid them. There are two equally damning lies Satan wants us to believe: 1) 'Just once won't hurt.' 2) 'Now that you have ruined your life, you are beyond God's use, and might as well enjoy sinning.' Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin."


Precious Promises
To equip us for godly living, the Lord has given us in His Word, "many exceedingly great and precious promises" (2 Pet 1:3). Let's study some so we can claim them!

1. 1 Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

We learn several lessons here. 1) although we may feel like our area of temptation is unique, it is not; others struggle in this same area. 2) God is faithful. We can depend on Him to give victory. 3) God will limit the degree and intensity of temptation so that it is not insurmountable. Your ability is based on the power of the Holy Spirit in you. 4). There will always be a way of escape; look for it and take it!

2. Galatians 5:16
"...Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

So how do we "walk in the Spirit"? One step at a time by faith. As we yield full control to Him, and depend upon His grace, He overcomes sin's tugs! In other words, as we yield to the indwelling Spirit of God and trust Him to express divine life through us, the flesh will be overruled. For example, say you have a glass half filled with water. Let the air symbolize sin and the water represents the control and power of God's Spirit. How do you get the air out? By a vacuum operation? No! You fill the glass with water; the water displaces the air. Even so, the Spirit-controlled live is empowered to say "no" to temptation.

3. Romans 6:14
"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

All true children of God have been set free from the authority of sin! "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin" (Rom. 6:6,7). That doesn't mean sin is out of calling distance, nor that we will be sinlessly perfect this side of heaven. But we are assured that--due to our participation in Christ's death, burial, resurrection and ascension--we share in Christ's victory over sin, His power over the grave, and His authority over this world and its prince.

Consider this allegory. Imagine you live in an apartment building managed by a cruel landlord, Mr. Law N. Flesh and owned by an evil man. The landlord bribes you with gifts to disregard the government's laws and causes conflict between you and the other tenants. He manipulates you to his own advantage. Then, happily, the apartment building is sold to a righteous man. The old landlord is fired; a new landlord, Mr. Grace N. Spirit, is hired. He upholds the principles of the rental contract, resolves conflicts with other tenants, and enables you to live in peace. From time to time Mr. Law N. Flesh shows up and starts conniving like he used to. What will you do? Don't get sucked into the old arrangement! Remember that he's NOT the landlord anymore; he has no authority over you. Identify with the new landlord--Mr. Grace N. Spirit--and cooperate with him. Heed the new landlord for your well being and to respect the new owner.

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom 8:2).

4. Ezekiel 36:27
"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

Here God prophesied through Ezekiel the wonderful blessings of the New Covenant. As was just mentioned, believers in this age are not not "under Law" but "under grace." This freedom is not a license to sin, but a freedom to live consistently with the new nature we have in Christ (Cf. 2 Cor. 3:17). Andrew Murray expounds on this: "He [the Spirit of God] is the power of the supernatural life of true obedience and holiness...As the light of the new Covenant promise dawns upon you and you see how Christ is all--faith all, the Holy Spirit in the heart all, and the faithfulness of a Covenant-keeping God all--you will feel you have one thing to do. In utter weakness you must yield yourself to God. In simple faith you must count on Him to perform what He has spoken. In Christian experience there may still be the Old Covenant life of bondage and failure. In Christian experience there may be a life that gives in entirely to the New Covenant grace and spirit. When a Christian receives the true vision of what the New Covenant means, a faith that rests entirely on the Mediator of the New Covenant can immediately enter the life which the Covenant secures."[3] So, obedience is not a matter of self-effort and rule-keeping, but of abiding and cooperating.

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The Christian's Confession of Sins
By John Woodward
Undated
How wonderful it is that God judicially pardons believers in Christ of all their sins--past, present, and future--when they are saved: "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses"( Col. 2:13).

Some grace teachers, therefore, believe that confession of sin in the Christian life is unnecessary and legalistic.

I trust we are agreed that God still requires righteousness in the disciple's attitudes, words and actions: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1). Can we retain the majority, evangelical view that Christians still need to confess their sins, while avoiding a legalistic works-oriented view of it? I believe so.

The traditional evangelical view has scriptural support and wide endorsement. Dr. Griffith Thomas put it this way: "God forgives us once as a Judge, but many times as a Father."

The New Testament epistles indicate that known sin requires repentance. Christ admonished the wayward Ephesian believers,"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent" (Rev. 2:5, Cf. v.16).

Neglecting or suppressing such repentance,

grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19),
hinders prayer (1 Pet 3:7),
hinders our usefulness to God (2 Tim 2:20-22),
mars our testimony (Col 3:17).
robs us of potential reward (1 Cor 9:24-27)
and brings God's corrective discipline (1 Cor 11:29-32).
1 John 1:9 declares, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." With the commendable aim of avoiding an installment plan/legalistic view of confession in the Christian life, some now interpret 1 John 1:9 as referring only to the initial confession at salvation. However, we can maintain the traditional interpretation of this verse without falling into legalism. The use of "forgive" here is not judicial forgiveness (which has already been granted - Rom. 8:1; Titus 2:14), but paternal forgiveness (restoring full communion - 2 Cor 6:17,18).

1 John 1:9 can be translated: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and [even/that is] to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness." "And" in the Gk. is "kai," which is translated 108 times in the KJV as "even," with this meaning. So, the word "cleansing" may be a more accurate term to describe the sinning Christian's repentance and restoration to intimacy with God. But using the term "forgiveness" in this way is not incorrect.

Andrew Murray, widely respected for his writing and influence through the Christ-centered, grace-oriented deeper life, acknowledged the role of confession in the believer's fellowship with God: "Too often the confession of sin is superficial, and often it is quite neglected. Few Christians realize how necessary it is to be sincere about the matter. Some do not feel that an honest confession of sin gives power to live the life of victory over sin. But we, in fellowship with the Lord Jesus, need to confess with a sincere heart every sin that may be a hindrance in our Christian lives." [1]

Most teachers use the word "fellowship" to describe an unhindered quality of communion with the Lord. However, since the Greek term for "fellowship" (koinonia) overlaps the concept of "relationship," some are uneasy with a disobedient Christian saying, "I am out of fellowship," or even, "my fellowship is hindered." Therefore, the term "communion" may be more accurate for the condition of intimacy with God.

Now, back to the concept of paternal forgiveness. Obedience is linked to the full appreciation of God's fatherhood: "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 'I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty'" (2 Cor. 6:17,18).

In Hebrews 13:15, "praise" is literally, "confess," (Gk. - "homologeo"); it is used here as expressing the Christian's worship to God. It seems appropriate that "confession" in worship would include resolving any issue of unrepentance (John 4: 24; Psalm 51:6).

The word "forgive," (Gk. - aphiemi) is used of the Christian's relationship with God (cleansing) in the Lord's Prayer (Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4). To avoid a misuse of this discipline, however, some hold that the Sermon on the Mount does not apply to believers after Pentecost--in this dispensation of grace. Yet, James 5:15 still uses "forgive" related to the Christian's walk: "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." James qualifies as being in the present dispensation.

The confession of sins in the Christian life should not involve morbid introspection. Then, what are valid indications of the need to repent and confess sin?

We look to God, who will convict us by His Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11; Psalm 139:23,24).
If our conscience is violated, we have sinned and need to make it right: "But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith [in a matter's acceptability] is sin" (Rom.14:23).
God's Word is the plumb line of His righteous standards. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16,17).
Also, we should also be receptive to the loving admonition of a fellow believer who may point out a "blind spot" of disobedient actions in our lives. "Exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:13).
Let us depend on God's enablement for righteous living. Abundant life includes repentance and confession of known sins, since disobedience grieves His Holy Spirit.

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1] Andrew Murray, God's Best Secrets. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1998. (earlier edition: Biola Book, 1923). section one: "Fellowship," reading 10: "Confession."

revised 10/05

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The purpose of Grace Notes is to highlight the dynamics of abundant living as summarized in Galatians 2:20. Back issues are available at the Web site. Please pray for God's blessing on these articles. Your comments are welcome: john@gracenotebook.com.

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Unblocking the Springs
By John Woodward
April 10, 2000
One of the vivid metaphors the Lord Jesus used to describe the abundant life is that of "rivers of living waters." As Jesus declared, "'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39). Although the Holy Spirit was "with" the disciples, at Pentecost He would be "in" them, baptizing believers into the Body of Christ (John 14:17).

I recall taking a trip when I was a boy with my grandfather Young. We went for a drive in the Blue Ridge mountains of Georgia. When we reached a certain spot, he shut off the car. We got out and walked over to a spring flowing from the side of a hill. We each had a refreshing drink. What a delight! Then he filled a jug with the fresh water for us to take home. (This was around 1962--long before buying bottled spring water was popular!)

This reminds me of 2 Chronicles 32. The people of Judah were being threatened by the invading army of Assyria. (This invasion scattered the northern tribes of Israel in 722 B.C.). As a defensive tactic, King Hezekiah of the southern kingdom of Judah, "consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him. Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, 'Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?' And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside..." (v.3-5). Because of the arid conditions of the land, water supply was of critical importance to an invading army.

What is not recorded here is that Hezekiah's workmen accomplished a great engineering feat. They dug a tunnel from the spring of Gihon (that supplied Jerusalem with fresh water) and routed it underground to an upper pool within the walls of the City of David. While enemy soldiers would be without water, the inhabitants of Jerusalem would have plenty to drink!

It so happens that this tunnel was rediscovered in 1880. An inscription inside it testifies of the difficulty of this project: "It was cut in the following manner... axes, each toward his fellow, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through, the voice of one man calling to the other was heard, showing that he was deviating to the right. When the tunnel was driven through, the excavators met man to man, axe to axe, and water flowed for 1,200 cubits [1,800'] from the spring to the reservoir. The height of the rock above the heads of the excavators was 100 cubits [150']" Wow!! [1] The workers went to a lot of trouble to ensure a safe, continual water supply.

The comparison to the Christian life is significant. God has taken great and successful measures to ensure the believer's continual supply of "rivers of living water." The Christian must have sustaining GRACE to live as he/she is called to live. So our Lord promises us that, "He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble'"(James 4:6).

But, alas, too often the "springs" are blocked up like in the case of the conduits outside the walls of Jerusalem. Although the Holy Spirit seals and empowers us in Christ, He is often hindered in our lives. What causes this "blockage?

First, our springs can get stopped up by SINNING against the Lord. Because the Spirit of God is a PERSON, He can be grieved: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). For example if the Christian husband treats his wife unkindly, his prayers will be hindered (1 Pet. 3:7) It seems safe to assume that this relationship principle applies to the wife also. Likewise, as the Spirit prompts us to do His will we are to cooperate with Him, lest He be quenched: "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thess. 5:16-19). Confessing known sin in repentance restores unhindered communion with our Source of grace (1 John 1:9; Rev.2:5). [2]

Second, we may "block our springs" through UNBELIEF. How easy it is to view God, others, and ourselves through the lens of circumstances, feelings, and opinions. Instead, we need to renew our minds with God's Word. Rather than regarding ourselves "according to the flesh" (2 Cor. 5:16), we are to view ourselves as being IN CHRIST. This glorious position has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Him (Eph. 1:3) As a believer you are God's child, a new creation, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and a saint! (John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Cor. 1:2). As we take God's Word for it and walk by faith, our values, attitudes, words, and actions will tend to reflect our spiritual identity.

Ruth Paxson wrote of the significance of our position in Christ: "To be 'in Christ' is to share what Christ has. All that Christ possesses we possess. Every spiritual blessing in Him--joy, peace, victory, power, holiness--is ours here and now. If we are a child of God, then we are His heir and a joint-heir with Christ, so that all the Father had given His Son, the Son shares with us... Do you believe you are a spiritual millionaire? Are you living like one? ... Most of us live like spiritual paupers ... To be a Christian is to have Christ the Life of our minds, hearts, and wills so that it is He who thinks through our minds, loves through our hearts, and wills through our wills. It is to have Christ filling our life in ever-increasing measure until we have no life apart from Him. Does He so fill you?" [3]

Christ is our spring of spiritual life!

Third, we would also be wise to avoid the blockage of PRAYERLESSNESS. Since Christ lives in us and He modeled the life of spiritual fullness, we should value His example. Jesus totally depended on the Father to live in and though Him; likewise we are to totally depend on Christ, by the Holy Spirit, to live His life through us (John 5:19; Gal. 2:20).

As the perfect man the Lord Jesus demonstrated the way prayer expresses complete trust and unhindered communion with the Father. For example, Christ prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21), before choosing the twelve apostles (all night intercession--Luke 6:12), when the crowd tried to force Him to be a political king (John 6:15), the night before Calvary (John 17), and even on the Cross (Luke 23:34,46). If the sinless Son of God needed ongoing verbal communication with the Father, how much more are WE in need of being "online" spiritually! As Paul instructed us, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17).

When the Lord convicts us of "blockages" to the springs of His grace, we are to take these issues to the Cross; then we will continue to find God's supply of living waters more than adequate for the difficulties of life.

Ruth Paxson gave this example of trusting Christ as our source of Life: "For several weeks I lived in a boarding house kept by a little woman who weighed only eighty-five pounds. She was kept from falling into a heap by a brace worn at her back. She had lived on the third floor for two years with no outlook but the blue sky above and a patch of green grass a few feet square below. But her eyes shone like stars. Upon her face was a smile that the affliction and adversity she suffered could not remove, and mirrored in her countenance was a radiance that one never sees on land or sea except where the Light of the world dwells in undimmed brightness. Christ was the Life of her life." [4]

Of Mt. Zion's dignity it is written, "Both the singers and the players on instruments say, 'ALL MY SPRINGS ARE IN YOU'" (Psalm 87:7). How much more can the one indwelt by the Holy Spirit find continual resources of grace:

"He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper" (Psalm 1:3).

Are "all your springs" in God? Then, live as a vessel of living water by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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[1] The New Bible Dictionary, s.v. "Siloam." (cubit=about 18 inches)

[2] 1 John 1:9 is descriptive of the true believer who acknowledges willful sin as he/she repents. This confession is not a request for pardon; that has been accomplished once for all at salvation, based on the finished work of Christ (Heb. 10:10; Col. 2:13,14). For a more detailed study, see "The Christian's Confession of Sin" at GraceNotebook.com / Clarifications.

[3] Ruth Paxson, "Rivers of Living Water," p. 63-65.

[4] Ibid., p. 69.

"Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation!" (Isaiah 12:3).

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Originally posted by Michael Harrison:
On point number two, I have to say that I have confidence that scripture as we have it in the KJV is perfectly fine

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Originally posted by Michael Harrison:
If your soul died eden, we would not be talking to each other.

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Originally posted by TB125:
1. The Bible is the written and compiled record of God’s revelation to man and a somewhat brief history of the responses of certain individuals and groups of people to this revelation through centuries of ancient experience.

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2. Although the original documents were completely “inspired” by the Spirit of God to the authors of these records, the subsequent translations of these documents from their original languages have not always been as completely “inspired” as were the originals. Various translators have obviously been influenced by their current cultures and religious traditions in their selection of specific words that they have used to translate the meanings of the various copies of the ancient manuscripts with which they were working. Any “sound teaching” of the Bible must reflect an understanding of this process and some expertise in biblical linguistics or at least a recognizable ability to discern between what is “sound” and what is “unsound” in the wording of any biblical text. Good Bible dictionaries and commentaries can be helpful in this process of discernment and learning.

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As is a lexicon and the study of the language in which the text were originally writ.

I have not had opportunity to study neither hebrew, greek nor aramaic, but I have spent extensive time with lexicons in Hebrew and Greek, as I'm sure most avid Bible students would, for it is prudent.

Though, I have a LOT to learn!

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3. It is the Holy Spirit who is the author, guide, teacher, and convicting counsel for all of God’s “truth". Jesus did not leave his initial disciples or us with a compiled collection of documents as the guide or manual for their or our walks of faithful discipleship and fruitful service. He left us all with the Spirit, who has always been the basic agent for God’s revelation of his glory, will, and wisdom. If we want to express “sound teaching” in our postings regarding the Bible and its words of truth, we should each be dependent upon this Spirit in our postings.

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Indeed!

However, there is a quandry with such in that we, as born again believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, may be DECEIVED!

Malachi 1:14
But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

2 John 1:7
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.


The Holy Spirit is Willing to bring us back into right relationship via confession and cleansing, but we must be willing to submit, which is not always the case when our Father has allowed us to be deceived.

Romans 1:28-32
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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4. The original documents of the Bible were not each organized into specific numbered chapters and verses, but they were compiled as longer statements in manuscripts or “books”.

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This means that all “sound teaching” of the Bible must start with the context of any biblical statement apart from the specific words that are written in the original languages or their various translated versions.

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5. It is not a “sound” procedure for the teaching of the Bible and its divine truth to string together a list of selected biblical verses that according to their vocabulary are interpreted by the user to support a certain doctrine or religious opinion. This common practice of using long lists of Scriptures to “prove” specific points of doctrine or one’s interpretation of biblical truth is not really biblical.

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I don’t believe that Jesus used such a procedure in his teaching discussion with Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:1-21. In his dialogue with Nicodemus Jesus mentioned the “Son of Man”, which is a reference to a divine figure who is identified by Daniel in his prophecies (see Dan 7:13-14). Then he referred to an incident involving Moses and the Israelites in their struggles in the wilderness when they experienced God’s judgment from “venomous snakes” and Moses was instructed to “lift…up” a snake’s image on a pole to save individuals (see Numbers 21:4-9). So Jesus used only two references to biblical passages to make his teaching point to Nicodemus. (For a commentary on this dialogue see my sermon on this discussion on my website at http://www.christianityetc.org/trying_to_teach_worldly_people_heavenly_truth.php) I don’t believe that either Paul or Peter used this procedure of “proof-texting” Scripture in their teachings.

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6. It would be very helpful if we could practice “sound teaching” in our postings on this Forum by following these principles, avoiding the “proof-texting” of Scripture, and keeping our specific posts to a single point that is clearly made in a positive way. Long quotations, even from some excellent teachers of the Bible, are probably not the most helpful.

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I hope that these principles are helpful. There is lot that we can do to encourage each other in our lives of faith and to lead others to Jesus in our postings on this Forum. It is one of the best Christian forums on the Internet.

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Now, it is hard to discuss it past this point because you still insist on the spirit of man 'receiving', or 'hearing' from God. Man's spitit is dead. It died when Adam and Eve sinned.

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In my opinion, this is not true. Because we are descended from Adam and Eve, the soul has been accustomed to operate this body for almost 6,000 years. It takes a lifetime to "unlearn" this habit of trying to "take the reins of our body back into our soul hands":

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Yes, but abide in what? Abide in the Word of God, abide in Christian books, abide in having laid down soul rule and the soul is now listening to what the spirit of man is hearing from the Spirit of God, and then what the spirit of man has heard from the Spirit of God, the spirit of man conveys to the soul (spiritual to physical; the spirit has sending instruments and the soul has receiving instruments and inbetween is a converter), and then the soul ONLY executes the body with what the soul has heard from the spirit of man, which in turn heard it from the Spirit of God (if one is saved, otherwise the spirit of man is idle).

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Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007  |  IP: Logged | 

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6. It would be very helpful if we could practice “sound teaching” in our postings on this Forum by following these principles, avoiding the “proof-texting” of Scripture, and keeping our specific posts to a single point that is clearly made in a positive way. Long quotations, even from some excellent teachers of the Bible, are probably not the most helpful.

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You overlook that one must abide, in order to bear fruit, or to ask what they will.

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You overlook that one must abide, in order to bear fruit, or to ask what they will.

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