Christian Freedom and Holiness
Because God is sovereign we can do nothing on our own except to repent of our evil nature and we will need God's help even to do that. Repentance is our spiritual sacrifice, to decrease so that He can increase. It is our responsibility to present ourselves to God, even in our sinful condition, and then grace can have its perfect way.
Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
II Cor 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
I Thess 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Because God has given us the choice to present ourselves to Jesus or to reject Him, He intervenes and draw us to Him out of His love for us. It is still our choice according to the free will that has been with mankind from the beginning. Sin however is a powerful force, it is our own lusts that pull us away from God, drawing us away from that holiness. It is however this holiness that we must follow that will bring us to God and it is our responsibility to perfect that holiness.
Holiness can be very elusive for sin is ever present with us but by the grace of God, we are able to endure it. We have the power through the Holy Spirit to fight the ever present evil within. Holiness starts with free will. It is a decision that we make to invite Jesus into our lives, our holy nature is effected when we turn from our sins and allow Jesus to live through us. It doesn't have to be an intellectual thing or all worked out like we are trying to do here, it just happens and God honors it. We become holy by taking on His natural holiness with His righteousness, we have none. We cannot do it on our own but we must choose to do it, this is the faith that leads to eternal life, without that faith, we cannot come to Him. We were once under bondage to sin, but now we are free in Christ to take on His nature.
This is what makes us free as well as holy. We are no longer in bondage to sin but servants of righteousness, this is true freedom, through Jesus and His power, we are now free to do what is right. Paul writes of this dual nature of the flesh and sprit in Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
Holiness is the key, righteousness leads to holiness. Remember this that the devil our adversary is waiting around the corner to keep you from attaining holiness and will tempt the church to teach otherwise. To live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit is to take on a white-washed nature that is not true spirituality but legalism masquerading as righteousness.
Again I have to interject here and tell you that nothing in our discussions is set in stone unless it conforms perfectly with scripture and the Rhema word of God. Now judge what I have said and of the other posts in this edition and discern what it is to live a holy life. Not a life sprung from the works of the law and the traditions of men and the errors of the Catholics and Protestants and Calvinists and Charismatics and Pentecostals and Orthodox and all the exclusivistic bias and prejudices and lack of unity but of the spirit.
Again, holiness is the key, what is that holiness that leads to this everlasting life? Some things to think about is that as sin increases, so does grace. Do we fight grace to effect holiness? Of course not but is our holiness ever present out of grace even though we have used our grace as an excuse to sin? Can we still be walking in the spirit when we disobey God and allow the flesh to draw us away? There is grace that saves us and the grace that keeps us saved. If we fall into legalism to effect justification, we fall from grace. What of those that teach that we cannot fall from grace or holiness? What happens when we fall from grace? How can we be a sanctified remnant if we are no different from the self-satisfied who teach that it is our positional relationship that sanctifies us?
Please read the following dialogue and responses for they have said it much better than I.
Jay
God's commanding to do
something doesn't necessarily imply our ability to do it. Now, although I
don't label myself Arminian, I accept the Arminian teaching of free
will.... to the extent that we do have a choice to accept or reject God. But
we need to remember that God also commanded us to keep the whole Law, even
though the we couldn't keep the whole Law. (See Romans 3:19-21; Galatians
3:10) That is why I believe that our free will only operates within the
confines of our nature.... and without Christ, we are, by nature, children of
wrath. Although we can choose to accept Christ and have Him change us, this
still remains the only way for Him to change us... and we cannot change
ourselves. We can only trust in Christ to bring about the change within us.
While the question of the freedom of the will, is not formally dealt
with in the NT, it is quite plain that God is regarded as acting freely,
and that man is recognized as a free agent.
That man is a free agent is not stated in so many words in the NT, but
is assumed everywhere. Surely when our Lord said [Matt. 11:28] 'Come
unto me all ye that labour,' and [Jn. 5:40] 'Ye will not come to me
that ye might have life,' He accepted the freedom of man as a reality.
No doubt He also said [Jn. 6:44], 'No man can come unto me except the
Father which hath sent me draw him.' But in saying so He did not mean
that men were mere passive instruments, but simply that all that
appealed to the heart in favour of spiritual living was from on high,
whence also all spiritual aids came. Those who hold that the will is
not free, or, as we should rather put it, that men are not free to will,
do not as a rule argue so much from Scripture, although they may do that
in part, as from philosophical grounds, and what they regard as
experience. No doubt those who regard liberty as incompatible with
predestination may argue that predestination is the plain doctrine of
Scripture, but the conclusion that because predestination is the doctrine
of Scripture man cannot be free is their own, and is not taught in
Scripture.
Whether man is free or not is to a large
extent a question of merely academic interest, although not wholly so.
Certainly the conclusion that men are not free operates against our
possession of freedom. Scripture, as before remarked, accepts man's
freedom as a fact, and we all have the consciousness of being free.
The notion of moral freedom which is presented in the NT differs from
all merely philosophical ideas on the subject. Here freedom means the
being set free from the bondage of sin, and thus enabled to realize the
ideal of human nature as created in the image of God [Rom. 6:20]. The
freedom of the Christian will lies not in the power to do whatsoever we
please, but in the power to choose and follow that for which God made
us.
In Christ's gospel a freedom after
His own pattern is offered to all. The Son can make us free so that we
shall be free indeed [Jn. 8:36]. This freedom comes from union with
Christ, for apart from Him we can do nothing [Jn. 15:5]. The doctrine of
the indwelling of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and the consequent
endowment of His disciples with freedom and power, was taught, according
to the Fourth Gospel, by Jesus Himself. It is constantly enforced by St.
Paul as the testimony of his own experience.
Christ and His first disciples clearly regarded liberty as an
essential of the highest religious life. He begins His mission at
Nazareth with the words of Isaiah that His work was to 'set at liberty
them that are bruised' [Lk. 4:18].
New wine-skins must be made for new wine [Mk. 2:22 , Lk. 6:38]. The disciple must hold himself entirely at liberty from the things of the world for the world's sake; he must stand 'with loins girded about and lamp burning' [Lk. 12:35] , unhindered by multitudinous possessions [Lk. 12:15], not anxious as to the lesser matters of clothing, food, and shelter [Mt. 6:25 , Lk. 12:22] , taking 'no bread, no wallet, no money,' whereon he may come to depend too much [Lk. 9:3 , 10:4 , Mt. 10:9 , Mk. 6:8].
If the rich young man would be perfect, he must learn to be the free master of his riches, not their slave, even though he may have entirely to disperse them in order to assure himself of his spiritual liberty [Mt. 19:21 , Lk. 18:22]. In all things the disciple must be absolutely free for his mission, and 'leave the dead to bury their own dead' [Mt. 8:22, Lk. 9:60]. His utterance itself must partake of the same liberty, not crippled by the slow movement of the intellectual faculties, but made vivid by immediate contact with the Holy Spirit : 'Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer' [Lk. 21:14 , Mk. 13:11 , Mt. 10:19]. Christ promises that the disciple who prizes His word shall come to know the greater fullness of truth, and that revelation shall liberate him ; he shall no longer be a bond-servant of sin [ it would be impossible, having once seen the light] ; he shall be free with all the liberties of sonship. [Jn. 8:32. 34-36].
Jesus Himself exhibits the surprises which the 'law of liberty' [Ja. 1:25] has within it. He tells of the
master who, finding his servants alert and faithful, flings conventionality to the winds, 'girds himself, makes them sit down to meat, and himself serves them' [Lk. 12:37]. He tells His host that it were a higher thing to dare to invite, not his relatives and wealthy friends, but the poor, the lame, the blind, who could never recompense him [Lk. 14:12]. In dealing with the woman taken in sin, He takes the course of the moment, as novel as it is searching in its free way [Jn. 8:1-11].
The cruse of precious ointment is looked at as the symbol of an affectionate impulse, more to be valued than a calculated act of philanthropy---selling and giving to the poor [Mk. 14:5, Mt. 26:6-12 , Jn. 12:5]. Pharisees are startled at His frank intercourse with publicans and sinners [Mk. 2:16 , Lk. 5:30, 15:2]. In vain He likens the liberty of the Spirit to the wind 'that bloweth where it listeth' [Jn. 3:8]; few can understand the variety of the workings of the Divine Spirit in man.
There are times when Christ seems deliberately to lead His hearers, and especially the formalists among them, into problems that find no solution in 'the Law,' but that compel an exercise of liberty of judgment, as in the 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's [Lk. 20:25, Mt. 22:21], 'the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?' [Lk. 20:4], and the question, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, or not?' [Mk. 3:4 , Lk. 6:9 14:3].
The principle of true liberty, as our Lord taught and lived it, would go far in encouraging the believers in 'the reunion of Christendom,' especially such a command as 'Forbid him not : for he that is not against you is for you' [Lk. 9:50].
By the Spirit and the power of the life of Jesus Christ radically offered up in love, there is brought into being in our lives an existence which is unselfish and self forgetting. In the Spirit of the freedom of Jesus Christ, there arises our freedom.
But how is the freedom of the Spirit of Jesus Christ seized by us as it is brought to us in the Gospel and appropriated to us in baptism? How does this freedom come to realization in us? The decisive answer is in love. It is not in isolation but in life with others that the Christian attains to freedom. In faith in the act of God which, declared in the Gospel, and appropriated to us in baptism, sets the life of Jesus Christ at our disposal, man finds his freedom as service rendered to God's righteousness.
In his apostolic work Paul always addresses himself to the specific natural and historical situation of men. Thus renouncing his own religious obligations, he is ready to sacrifice his own assurance of life, being
enabled to do this in the state of freedom attained for him by Jesus Christ.
This surrender of desires in which there is freedom for others is the basis and the fulfillment of Christian freedom. As earthly, human works they produce in themselves that which underlies and creates them, namely, the
eternity disclosed in the event of the love of Jesus Christ. As they are performed, they thus give knowledge of eternal life. The existence which by the work of the Spirit through word and sacrament is liberated from self-seeking in faith, expresses this freedom in works which make possible for one's neighbor the life which one enjoys oneself, namely, the life which is assured by the love of God in Christ. It is true that this freedom from death, is known only in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is only on this basis that there can be life in self-forgetful dying. The works of freedom will manifest eternity as that which is still to come to us in Jesus Christ. This liberation will take place with the manifestation of the glory of the children of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Dear people,
I received the following thought on the topic of liberty or freedom, and
like to share that with you.
When we are in our natural state, in the flesh, we perceive that we are
free to choose. We are created with a mind and a will, such that we are
different from the animals, which are created each with their own nature.
The question arises: how far does this freedom reach.
When looking in the Bible, we see that true freedom is doing the will of God.
Being led by the Spirit. Being obedient to Christ. Being within the bounds
that He set.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
I'm sure people can come up with many more scriptures, that set the same tone.
In other words, true freedom is being in the sphere of life that God is. Being
partakers of His life. Any other freedom is false freedom. It seems to be a
freedom, but it leads to bondage.
A prime example is the story of Adam and Eve. When Adam went beyond the bounds
that God had set:
Gen 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.
After he did, all he possessed (the entire creation) was put into bondage. Bondage to sin. The question is what leads to sin, or what lead Eve to take the fruit and eat of it.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and ate, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he ate.
There are 3 motivations that lead Eve to take the fruit:
When we read 1 Joh 2:16 we see what forces operate in the world, or in the natural man:
1 joh 2:16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father, but is of the world.
We find that this is not so much different than what led Eve:
When we then look at the story when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness:
So here I think we can conclude which forces pull us in the natural realm, and I
think that defines the bounds of our free will. In our natural state, we have no
other forces that pull us, so our inner desires motivates the choices we make.
Which, according to the Bible, is bondage. It's a prison or a cage. And in our
natural state, we are drawn to 3 sides of the square cage (flesh, eyes, pride).
We can choose which bar we hold on to, and this is perceived as freedom, but it
is not. Man in it's natural state cannot see the door in the cage, let alone
perceive that the door is open, let alone find the overcoming power to resist
the natural forces which totally determine his view and actions in life, and
keep him caged.
Jesus opened the door, actually our Lord IS the door, and when His life is born
in us, when He dispenses His life in us, then the strength of His life will
overcome the natural forces, the same way it overcame these forces when this Godly
life existed in His own natural body, and pull us out of the cage, into freedom.
So freedom as experienced in the natural man is no freedom at all. It's a lie. True
freedom is when the life of Christ in us set's us free, and brings us within the
bounds of His will. Freedom means no limitations. The life of Christ is endless, it
has no limitations, there is infinite growth in Him, His life and spirit and love
are endless. When our Lord has brought us into Himself, we experience true freedom.
Free at last is the sigh. We find that this is really what we desired in our inner
locked being, and thank God that He unlocked, and showed the Way to freedom.
Yours in Christ,
Hans.
AMEN HANS!!!
I found myself looking back over the last few years and thinking on the
difference between me then, walking in the flesh and after the flesh and me
now in a totally different walk... in a totally different way, with total
freedom from the bonds I had back then... Doing things, living a life that I
never would have guessed existed if I had not walked in faith...
There is a song that goes good with this...
We are free from the Law, Of the power of sin,
we are no longer bound, by the fears of men,
spirit come draw us near, fill our hearts with joy again,
and we rejoice in your presence, giving thanks for your goodness,
singing praise... we rejoice in you....
we rejoice in you....
Grace and Peace
You know the subjects you touch are always things on my mind and I guess that
is because I found such newfound freedom in Christ and the Spirit. They
lead my life and I have peace and joy except when the enemy tries to come in
and of course He does and I see now that I also need to give these things to
the Lord in prayer...I have spent so much time praying for others they the
enemy has snuck in and began to rob me with little things... but as I have
found freedom I have also found revelation and can see things like that in
the spirit.... unfortunately, there are many not worshipping Baal as you
say... but definitely leaving some idols and eating at Jezebel's table and if
they aren't careful they will be given to the dogs too! In my area, I have
found ONE church... ONE that is following the spirit as they should from what
I can see... sad isn't ? So many are so busy asking for money to further
things... I mean literally they vex me to death daily with mail asking for
money money money.... that tells me they have not given their finances to God
and still operating in the flesh... how can they impart much good to me? I
know they can in some ways because the Lord uses all who come unto Him but
it concerns me and it vexes me!
Audette Johnson
As liberation from the compulsion to sin, opens up the before impossible possibility of serving God [Jas. 1:25; 2:12]. What previously separated God and man, and thus stood in the way of true humanity, is
removed.
The liberation of man does not lie within the realm of his own capacities. For this reason there is in
the NT no summons to contend for freedom. It is already given in what Christ has done for us [Gal. 5:1]. Only the Son can open up the possibility of existence in freedom [Jn. 8:36].
True freedom exists only where the Holy Spirit works in a man, becoming the principle of his life, and where man does not block his working [2Cor. 3:17 ; Rom. 8:1 ; Gal. 5:18]. This freedom can be misused as "a pretext for evil" [1Pet. 2:16]. This occurs where freedom is misunderstood as man being the master of all his decisions. This can lead to libertinism or antiomianism instead of serving one's neighbor [Gal. 5:13].
The man who is truly free shows his freedom in being free for the service of God [1Thess. 1:9], righteousness [Rom. 6:18], and his fellow man [1Cor. 5:14]. This service can take many forms [Gal. 5:22; 1Cor. 9:19]. The ultimate decisive factor is that it should be done in love [1Cor. 13]. The deeper a man penetrates into the "law of liberty", the more free he becomes for such action [Jas. 1:25 ; 2:12]. The freedom granted by God was given to operate above all in the communal life of the people of God. For the Christian---church is the
community of free men [Gal. 4:21-31].
In Christ,
Christian freedom. What a wonderful sound that has to it. But it should be noted as with any freedom comes responsibility. Paul expressed this in I Cor 6:12 "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me , but I will not be brought under the power of any."
God bless
Don
I am so glad that you brought this up Don,
We are getting somewhere. Correct me if I am wrong. Responsibility is a subject of Christian freedom. If have the freedom in Christ to choose holiness, with Christ's help, we can get holy. If we do not have that free will and leave it up to God completely, the will is passive and we do not grow, only delusion and self-righteous remains. When st. James talks about works, he is not referring to works that save us but works that show that we are saved. Grace is such that we are forgiven not that we did anything good but that we admitted that we were not good and that humility gained us the grace through faith. Once we are saved through faith, we need to repent and that takes the power of the spirit but also an active response to appropriate the power. We have that responsibility to serve Him as our spiritual sacrifice but it cannot be done on our own so we choose Jesus to do it through us. Grace then effects our salvation by taking away our sin but grace (graces) must continue in the power of the spirit to do as He wants as we desire to follow Him and walk in His spirit, without the will to do it, it will not be done. Love is not just a passive emotion, it is an action, not just a noun but a verb, not just subjective but objective.
Jay
Grace - Joy, the divine influence upon the heart - reflection in our lives.
Something I desire greatly from others towards me, and many times thankfully
comes naturally from myself towards others, but also many times it takes
concentrated effort to remember my job is to love God and love others. Thank
you Lord. Thank you for your Word to remind us when we get a little off
course.
To love others sums up the commandments - we won't be killing and coveting if
we love our brothers/sisters. But as in all things - comes the fine line.
Where to draw the line as far as being loving toward our brothers/sisters.
With so many diverse family backgrounds, what is acceptable to one is
absolutely unacceptable to another. If we were to please everyone it would be
easy to fall into the attitude of Laodicea church. Everyone is just so nice
and lukewarm. No one stepping on anyone else's toes. Of course we know that
is not even the truth. There will always be someone who will rise up and
decide they want to be king. In every church there is that possibility. So
what to do. God could send us a few true prophets to try and wake up the
church. But there aren't a lot of people I know who want that kind of abuse.
Grace - we are free to love God and love each other. Pray that God will
continue to fill us with His grace and love so that no matter what comes
against us we can never forget the power, the joy, the freedom of being loved
by Him.
Blessings,
Like the Israelites who returned out of captivity, the Christian
through grace, out of spiritual oppression. An unholy soul is like a
city that is broken down, and has no walls, like a house in ruins; but
by the power of Christ's gospel and grace, it is fitted to be a
habitation of God, through the Spirit.
Those whom He sets at liberty, he sets to work. His service is perfect
freedom ; it is the greatest honour. All believers are made, to our God,
kings and priests ; and always ought to conduct themselves as such.
Those who have the Lord for their portion, have reason to say, that they
have worthy portion, and to rejoice in it. In the fullness of heaven's
joys we shall receive more than double for all our services and
sufferings.
As one returns from bondage, our restoration should convince many, and convert some; and all that
truly join the Lord, find his service perfect freedom. The Lord we serve
and trust, is God alone. All that God has said is plain, satisfactory,
and just. As God in his word calls us to seek him, so he never denied
believing prayers, nor disappointed believing expectations. He gives
grace sufficient, and comfort and satisfaction of soul. Believers may
ask in prayer for what they need ; if for their good, it will not be
withheld.
Such power attended our Lords words, that many were convinced, and professed
to believe in him. He encouraged them to attend his teaching, rely on
his promises, and obey his commands, notwithstanding all temptations to
evil. This doing, they would be his disciples truly, and by the teaching
of his word and Spirit, they would learn where their hope and strength
lay.
Christ spoke of spiritual liberty : but carnal hearts feel no other
grievances than those that molest the body, and distress their worldly
affairs. Talk to them of their liberty and property, tell them of waste
committed upon their lands, or damage done to their houses, and they
understand you very well ; but speak of the bondage of sin, captivity to
Satan, and liberty by Christ, tell of wrong done to their precious
souls, and the hazard of their eternal welfare, then you bring strange
things to their ears. Jesus plainly reminded them, that the man who
practiced any sin, was, in fact, a slave to that sin, which was the case
with most of them.
Christ in the gospel offers us freedom, he has power to do this, and those whom Christ makes
free are really so. But often we see persons disputing about liberty of
every kind, while they are slaves to some sinful lust.
Let us value that freedom to which all the children of God are born ;
which no sum of money, however large, can purchase for those who remain
unregenerate. [Rom. 6:18]
The case is one of emancipation from entire servitude to one Master from
entire servitude from another. there is no middle state of personal
independence, for which we were never made, and to which we have no
claims. When we would not that God should reign over us, we were in
righteous judgment "sold under Sin," now being through grace "made free
fron Sin," it is only to become "servants to Righteousness," which is
our true freedom.
In Christ,
In the life of grace as a human experience, God of His own motion
takes part. Whatever invasion of 'freedom' there is, is due to sin.
It is of this independence from sin that St. Paul emphasizes in the
blessing which he terms 'the glorious liberty of the sons of God,'
'the freedom where with Christ sets us free' --- a primary feature of
the new life.
Our hope of freedom from the reproach of inconsistency is in God's
power, quickening us to live according to His word. which He leads us to
love. Hating falsehood and loving truth, often, every day, praising God
for it, we find peace and freedom from temptation. For freedom from
reproach, when imbued with God's truth, there is added 'great boldness
in the faith' [1Tim. 3:13].
And speaking of truth, truth is not an ideal, it is a Person. Jesus said in
Jn. 14:6 ; I am the way, the truth, and the life. Truth and freedom are
constant companions. Where you find one, you will always find the other.
Freedom in any area of life comes from discovering the truth about it.
And discovering truth in a particular area results in freedom of some
kind.
There are six simple words spoken by Jesus that outlines the process by which
any man, woman, boy, or girl can gain freedom in this life. Those words
are 'the truth will set you free' [Jn. 8:32].
When we attain a position of freedom, it should be maintained. [Gal. 5:1]
The entanglements of the past life are frightful. 'If they are again
entangled---the last state is become worse than the first.' [2Pet.
2:20]
The servant of God is free indeed. Not to do as he pleases---that only leads
to bondage. Rather, he is free to live in the freedom that comes in
knowing he is God's child and is held always by God's love.
According to James, their are two kinds of faith---the faith of demons
and the faith of Christians. Surprisingly enough, devils and Christians
both believe in God. The characteristic which distinguishes demonic faith
from Christian faith is WORK. The devil believes in God, but he works
against God. The Christian believes in God and works, but he works with
God. Jesus himself will set us free. Freedom does not consist
in the word 'freedom' [liberation] alone, but in the reality which only
the truth of God brings. In Christ we are free from three terrible
masters : sin, self, and Satan. We are free to serve Jesus.
In Christ,
AMEN Timothy
One little point for pondering...
This is said quite regularly in my church and I think it worth
repeating...Concerning out walk with God, there are 3 ways for us to "Work"
Work for God = 99% you + 1% God
When we are properly working IN God he is doing his work from within us...
All of the things we could never accomplish on our own or even with help...
Get accomplished on a grand scale with life of its own... Gods working
inside of the Believer and through the believer to accomplish his goals...
In order for this last to be functional we must be willing to give up allot
of our will and just Trust the Lord... Leaning not on our own understanding.
Remember for a moment the battles of the Israelites... That was a good
example of God working "In" Moses and Moses working "IN" God.
In setting in the bathtub tonight trying to rid myself of the hurt
that comes from a bad fall, God revealed something to me that I
hadn't really given that much thought to. For during this period I
was reading a book by "G Campbell Morgan'"; "God's Last Word to Man"
I would like to take a moment to share with you what I learned.
G.C. Morgan has a chapter dealing with "The Son---Privileges and
Responsibilities." He is writing on The Book of Hebrews, 10:19--25. I
have always thought of these verses as an exhortation given to "avoid"
the awfulness of those things spoken when he gives us the warning
that occurs in Heb 10:26--30. I had never thought of them as
a "Privilege" or a "Responsibility"
The words contained in Hebrew 10:19--25
"Having therefore, brethren boldness to enter into the Holy place
by the blood of Jesus, by the way which He dedicated for us A
new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;
and having a great Priest over the House of God; lets us draw near
with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience, and our body washed with pure water; let
us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for He
is faithful that promised; and let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one
another; and so much more as ye see the day drawing nigh."
Heb 10:19--25
In this chapter it is pointed out that:
Now lets consider this. The first "having" It is part of a
phrase "Having, therefore brethren the boldness to enter in" The
place referred to is the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. wherein is
found the Ark, with its Mercy Seat and the overseeing Cherubin This
means that through the Priesthood and mediation of Jesus Christ we
can enter into the Shekinah Glory of the presence of God. Have you
ever thought of prayer as that? We are reminded who provided this
privilege in the words "By the blood of Jesus"? We need to hold
this very dear to our hearts. But yet there is still more
"a new and LIVING way."
Then we come to the second "Having" in the phrase "having a great
Priest". This ought to put the true meaning and power into I John
2:2,3. Not only did this Priest provide our access but adds to this
in the sense of an "advocate" with whom we may have fellowship.
Now in view of these "Privileges" the author of the Book to The
Hebrews quotes the three "Responsibilities."
In his teaching G.C. Campbell elaborates on each, First he notes the
new ability to be close to God and the renewed degree of fellowship
we now have. Then he makes a very profound statement to which we all
should give our most earnest attention.
"Privilege is only powerful as it is practiced."
The next point of responsibility is that of "holding fast the
confession of hope" Campbell's book goes on to say both the guarantee
and source of our hope. Our confidence is assured by the words "He is
faithful that promised" and the source of it
My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and
Righteousness
And now for the last part. "Let us consider one another" Campbell
makes the following statement concerning this.
"Therein lies a great principle as to responsibility. Men and
Women WHO REALLY KNOW GOD and know what it is to STAND IN HIS
AND KNOW WHAT IT IS TO STAND IN HIS PRESENCE cannot be careless
concerning each other"
Here we see that principle of both holding and lifting ones' brother
and sister up spiritually.
The writer uses an unusual word in describing the method "provoke"
Which comes from the Greek word in which we derive the English
word "paroxysm" which is normally used in the phrase
"a paroxysm of rage" He denotes the great emotional upheaval in
this matter. A provocation that is kindled by love. An unusual
description of "our love" is given by Campbell.
"Our love is no merely soft, piquant sense. It is in itself a
fire which consumes and is to be exercised on the behalf of others."
Now there is something to chew on for a while. Maybe even spend some
time in prayer over it.
In summary I would like to give one more final quote regarding all
of this.
"This meditation may be very simply summarized by the
repetition of the words which fell from the lips of our
Lord in the upper room, in His final intimate conversations
His disciples. He uttered them in connection with the
symbolic act of washing their feet. He said unto them;
"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
With that remark I am going to close. READ, THINK, and PRAY!!
God bless
Don
A spiritually minded man will never come to you with the
demand---'Believe this and that'; but with the demand that you square
your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the
Bible, but to believe the One Whom the Bible reveals [Jn. 5:39-40]. We
are called to present liberty of conscience, not liberty of veiw. If we
are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that
same liberty---the liberty of realizing the dominance of Jesus Christ.
Always keep your life measured by the standards of Jesus. Bow your neck
to His yoke alone, and to no other yoke whatever; and be careful to see
that you never bind a yoke on others that is not placed by Jesus Christ.
It takes God a long time to get us out of the way of thinking that
unless everyone see as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God's
veiw. There is only one liberty, the liberty of Jesus at work in our
conscience enabling us to do what is right. Don't
get impatient, remember how God dealt with you---with patience and with
gentleness; but never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way
and never apologize for it. Jesus said, 'Go and make disciples,'
not---make converts to your opinions.
In Christ,
Dear people,
there is another thought I'd like to share, it is related with the topic
of liberty, it's about grace. Grace is the act of God in which He makes
us free, or saves us.
Grace is a gift from God to us. It is free, but it is not cheap. The bible
teaches us, that we are saved by grace. I'd like to point out, that this
saving is a process. It is not instant. The bible teaches, that we will be
completely saved, which is spirit, soul and body. We have learned that
this does not happen all at once.
We are justified by faith (saving of the spirit), God is calling what is
not as though it were. We are called just, but in reality we are not
yet righteous. Then sanctified by hearing the word and learning obedience,
or 'becoming' righteous. The process by which the Lord writes His laws in
our hearts, (the transformation of our thinking, the saving of the soul),
this happens by the inworking of the Spirit, which burns the flesh. Burning
the flesh, is the process by which the forces of the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are overcome. And finally there is
the glorification of the body.
In this, we can see that God does not leave us in our mortal state, and
that He transforms us to the image of our older brother Jesus. That is
an act of grace, it is not something we earn, we get it for free, but it
does cost us everything. It costs us everything of the realm of the natural
man, everything we perceive valuable and want to hold on to in the prison
we call natural life.
Burning the flesh hurts when it happens, but afterwards, we find the
natural forces that bind us to be weaker. By ourselves we would never
have chosen to or be able to overcome the natural forces. It's the life
of God in us which does consume the natural desires, which is the
realm of death. By grace, the life of God, does consume the death in us,
such that we become slowly the living creature that He intends us to be.
This is a process that we have to go through on our journey back to Eden.
We all have to pass the flaming sword of the cherubim to be able to reach
the tree of life. Jesus is the way, and His life pulls us through the fire,
which consumes our flesh, to reach total victory.
1 Cor 15:53k
Praise His name,
Hans.
Dear Jay and group,
In my quiet time today, the Lord led me to this:
Glistening oil running down Aaron's beard and refreshing dew from the
cool northern mountains are two pictures (the first of how it looks,
the second of his it feels) of a community in which men and women find
themselves forgiven by God and open in love to each other.
Prayer: Father, break down every barrier that my sin builds between me
and others: barriers of envy, pride, inadequacy, and of scorn. Then let
me see and feel the pleasures of sharing the inner delights of
forgivenes and grace with the others whom you are gathering into your
family. In Jesus' name. Amen
from "Praying with the Psalms" by
Praise the Lord Jay: Yes it is awesome when we give unto the Lord
what he has asked of us to do. He said bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts. If I will not open your the windows of heaven and
pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Jesus also said he would rebuke the devourer for our sakes. In
other words, as he said the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the
righteous, we are the righteousness of God in Christ, because of his shed
BLOOD on the cross. He see his righteousness in us, because we are of him.
We know being in the flesh people will say how can this be, but Jesus said it
I didn't Praise the Lord. Jesus will let people find favor in us, for as we
are in Jesus so will he allow favor upon us his children.
If you don't have a Church home, Jesus will lead you who to give
your tithes to. He may lead you to send it to some place like TBN or
Missionary Field. But whenever you send it they are responsible for what
they do with it, we give out tithes as Jesus tell us, if they don't use it as
the Lord requires them to do, they will be held accountable.
Like me I am a widow, have to use a wheelchair, there are people
with children that are in need of help we the Church are responsible for
taking care of these things. Jesus will hold us accountable because we
depend on the government, welfare, food stamps, nothing is wrong with any of
it because being 69 I receive Social Security but I am trusting Jesus. We
give what belongs to Caesar and give to Jesus what belongs to Jesus, and ten
percent of our earnings belong to Jesus. He made it possible for us to
receive it, he give strength to go to work, it is a seed we sow because when
we give Jesus will open the windows of heaven, I am a witness to that.
The word needs to be spread, people don't realize they have a light
bill to pay, they have food to buy, they have rent to pay, they have clothes
to buy, just like that, the tithes goes for rent, utilities, if there is a
food pantry for that and if someone is in need they are given. That is what
should be done. I love giving, I love sharing, I love helping others. Jesus
said I will BLESS them that BLESS you, and CURSE them that CURSE you. I have
been praying the Jabaz prayer, O that thou wouldest bless me indeed that you
might be GLORIFIED, Enlarge my territory, the ministry you have given me, my
witness, the Prayer Ministry Online, let me not fail him in anyway. that
thou hand wouldest be with me, in whatever I do, whatever my hand touches be
with me for your GLORY. That thou wouldest keep me from EVIL. keep me from
evil thought, keep me from the very presence of evil, let everything I do
continue to be for your GLORY. Then I begin to give him thanks, I began to
tell Jesus if I am not believing as I should, Jesus help my unbelief in Jesus
name.
God bless you Jay thank you once again, to God Be The GLORY for all
things in Jesus name.
Sister In Christ
Jay,
Wow, you make very bold statements about tithing and I think you have
summarized my thoughts on this issue. I get very upset with many of these
people who ask, ask, and ask and ask for money be a covenant partner, sow
this seed and that...It has always seemed profane to me and as though they
were not depending totally on the Lord to meet their needs. The word says
that the Lord feeds the birds of the air and dresses the lilies of the field
and aren't we infinitely so much more precious to HIM than they are? Yes we
are to give but we must be careful and don't be in bondage to the legalistic
side of it but give as we are directed and the Lord has made it clear that we
are to take care of the poor in materials as well as in spirit...so you
stated it boldly and beautifully....good for you!
We have the freedom to and the freedom from. True freedom is being in Christ to be able to do the will of God. Previously we had been sinners doomed to eternal destruction and slaves to our own sin. This bondage is considered freedom because we have the freedom to do as we please but it is licentiousness, not liberty. Jesus is looking for a Holy Bride dressed in purity. This is where holiness teaching comes in and I pray that we can address it rightly.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Timothy.
2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty.
The similarity is remarkable. Jesus overcame the forces of flesh, eyes and pride,
to be able to set us free by dispensing this SAME life into us, to overcome the
same forces that pull us.
jim
Timothy.
Arlette
Timothy
Timothy.
Work with God= 50% you + 50% God
and lastly...
Work IN God = 1% you = 99% God
Grace and Peace
jimStand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free. [Gal. 5:1]
Timothy
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Grace is free, but it costs you everything.
Eugene H. Peterson
Love in Christ, Nan
Dorothy B. Goodman
In the Old Testament the tithe was that if we had ten potatoes we were to give the first and the best out of the ten which was a fulfilling of that which was required of us a work of the law if you will, but in the New Testament which speaks of the spiritual liberality in Jesus Christ we learn that Jesus own all ten potatoes not us. When we are redeemed we are set free but we are also now part of the bride of Christ. God asks that we give of ourselves first willingly, (Rom12:1-2 )for how can we be faithful in any other area until we do this first. Then we realize that all we have is God's and we are simply stewards to whom he has entrusted it. Being that all ten potatoes belong to God it is not a tenth that we are to tithe matter of factly, there may be times the Lord wants to you give, thirty or even one hundred percent. We are not to limit God with a legalistic mentality but rather what is important is the spirit and the attitude in the giving God wants us to give "hilariously." This means there should be a great amount of joy in our giving, [2 Cor.9:7].
We have been set free from the yoke of the law to enjoy the fullness of our Lord and this includes tithing also.
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