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Author
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Topic: The Flesh VS The Spirit (title fight)
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
I enjoied reading your reply. I couldn't agree more.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
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oneinchrist
Advanced Member
Member # 6532
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posted
Hi again MentorsRiddle,
I am in complete agreement with you on where we need to keep our focus....on the Lord Jesus. I believe that He deserves our faithfullness.
I also agree with you that the message of the cross has been distorted by many, especially when it does not bring a higher consciousness of sin. Since we are unable to come into the presence of God without a covering ( the atonement) , we ought not to consider the sufferings of Christ to be vain by allowing sin to rule in our life.
Now true repentance is not only confessing our sin to the Lord, but a deliberate willful turning away from sin. We cannot be saved without true repentance...for the gift is received through repentance. Jesus said that a man must be born of water and spirit. The water signifies the baptism of John which stood for a repentant heart. Jesus signified the truth of Johns baptism by coming to Him and being baptized...not because Jesus needed to repent, but to bear witness that John did indeed speak the truth and paved the way for the coming of Christ. For the sake of our souls, we do need to change our attitude towards sin in the light of the gospel message. What did Jesus preach?...Repent, and believe for the kingdom of God is at hand.
But lets move on because there also exists another battle in this ring of earth. This is the spiritual battle that we are in the midst of that John so clearly sees in the book of Revelation. In order to overcome this battle we need to take the Words of Christ to heart. We need to put on love and allow it to dominate our relationships. Jesus gave us the weapon of our warfare when He commanded us to love one another. If the Holy Spirit is going to endorse our walk in any way, it is going to happen through a channel of obedience to the law of love. Another words, we will not receive the helper in our witness unless we are walking in the will of God. Sometimes I think we wait and wonder why God isnt doing anything in our lives and we get disappointed as we have these expectations.....but what is really happening is that the Lord is waiting for us to come foward in an active and obedient faith first. He wants us to show Him that we really do believe in Him by applying His Words to our life. This I believe is the testing of our faith and loyalty to the Lord Jesus.
Now, I also do believe that the Lord does allow us to come to points of desperation, where we have exhausted our efforts and realize that without Gods help we cannot win the battle. This is where I totally agree with you that we must take off any pride and call on the Lord Jesus for help. I personally have felt this desperation in my attempt to witness to muslims. I have hit a wall and asked the Lord to help. I believe that its possible that one day I may help convert a muslim, but it will only happen through obedience to love, and help by the Holy Spirit.
Actually, the truth is that God does help us with our sin, and that is by convicting us of it. He can accompish that in many ways. After that He leaves us with a choice to make.
As far as carrying out Gods will according to His purpose....we will come to points of desperation that God allows and when we call on Him for help He will provide it to accomplish His will in us....in this we also are left with a choice.....do we lift up the name of Christ and glorify God or do we allow attention to be drawn to ourselves.
Our testimony is not all about what sins we used to commit, and now dont. Our testimony needs to be more about how peoples lives have been changed by the Word of God. With love in Christ, Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
God has given us (Christians) what we need to overcome the fight; so to speak.
But if we do not keep our eyes on the Lord at all times, which is what we need to over come, then we will fail.
I think the message of the cross is a great message, but I also believe that the message of the cross is slightly flawed. At least the way most churches proclaim it today….
The cross is but a symbol, and a means to an end, but is not what saved us from our sins.
The sacrafise that Jesus made upon the cross is what saves us from our sins.
When we take our eyes off of that…. Well…. Refer to story above.
PS nice to meet you too
--------------------
With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
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oneinchrist
Advanced Member
Member # 6532
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posted
Hi MentorsRiddle,
Its nice to meet you. I like the message. I believe that it pleases the Lord when we call on Him for help, admitting our own weakness. It is by the power of the spirit that strongholds are brought down and testimonies are built.
My only question is.....should not the message of the cross and the Hope given in eternal life be sufficient to change our attitude towards sin?
I understand that the morale of the boxing story was that he was prideful and didnt feel that he needed help....but what if the coach behind the ropes said "I have given you what you need to overcome, now go and fight!"
With love in Christ, Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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Good NewsforAll
Advanced Member
Member # 6156
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posted
A great lesson MentorsRiddle! Thanks for sharing.
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The Pharisees tell us what not to do. Jesus tells us what to do.
Romans 10:15 As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Posts: 400 | Registered: Oct 2006
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MentorsRiddle
Advanced Member
Member # 2108
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posted
Imagine for a moment a boxing ring with one fighter in a corner, and a second fighter in a corner. Each hates and despises the other, and can not leave the ring while the other still stands. For hours they swap blows, and half way through the match the smaller boxer is ahead by a mile. Pride falls over the smaller of the boxer, and he decides to stop listening to his coach, and fight his own way; thinking that he could do better if he didn’t listen, and that he didn’t need him anymore.
The second, and larger boxer, has a great deal experience, and doesn’t need a coach. His motivation and coach is his hatred towards the smaller boxer.
Round after Round the smaller boxer refuses to listen to his coach, and fight like his coach wants him to. Round after Round the smaller boxer is beaten, until his confidence is shattered.
The Final bell is sounded, and both boxers return to the middle of the ring. By this time the smaller boxer is so hurt, and pained that he does not even try to fight back, but blocks his opponent’s blows only. Even though he is doing his best to block his opponents blows he is still struck over and over again. His desire to fight is gone, and he starts to feel the darkness of exhaustion passing over his body.
The Final round ends….
The Judges count their scores….
The larger boxer had won the match….
The smaller boxer accepts his defeat, and walks out of the ring with his head held low, the crowd cheering for his enemy.
Then he sees his coach, standing in the shadows, with a curious look.
“Do you hate me?” asks the fallen boxer.
“I could never hate you,” replies his coach.
The boxer starts to cry, because he knew he let down his coach, who had worked so hard to keep him safe, and strong.
“I am so very sorry for not listening to you coach,” said the boxer, wiping away tears. “You are much more wise and experienced than I am, and I was too prideful to listen to you. I thought I knew better. I was wrong.”
His coach eyed him, and a smile came to his face.
“It is the nature of young fighters to sometimes think they know better than their teacher,” said the Coach. “You acted the way that many others have acted before. You shamed yourself, and wasted months of practice. But don’t be afraid. I will keep coaching you, and training you. Only think of this as a lesson, one of many you will learn, and move on. We will get a rematch against him, and next time you will win if you listen to me.”
The boxer was shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t understand why his coach wanted to keep training him.
“But coach,” started the boxer, “I gave up. I didn’t even fight the final round. I can’t possibly beat that man. He is too strong, and I am too weak.”
The coach hugged the boxer, and leaned in close to his ear and whispered.
“Pride, and ego will always cause you to loose,” said the coach. “And you are right: you can’t beat him. But together we can.”
The boxer understood, and walked away with his coach to prepare for the match that he was sure would come again.
This story above is a parable about how we contend against the flesh on a daily basis. The larger fighter is sin/temptation/flesh and the smaller fighter is goodness/tempt less/spirit.
The coach is God/Jesus/Holy spirit
When we are moving forward in our life, and performing very well, spiritually speaking, sometimes we get prideful and think that we don’t need God to resist temptation, or sin, or flesh.
But just like the boxer, when you tell the coach (God) to leave you alone, the larger boxer (flesh) will defeat you.
Just like the small boxer, you need God on your side in order to win.
But when you loose, which every one does, God is still there waiting for you; and ready to keep helping you.
But first you must surrender your pride, and trust in him completely. Only the coach can help you win the match.
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With you I rise,
In you I sleep,
kneeling down I kiss your feet,
Grace abounds upon me now,
I once was lost
but now I'm found.
The gift of God dwells within,
To this love I now give in.
Posts: 1337 | From: Arkansas | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
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