Growing in Christ

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

A couple of years ago I accidently kicked something and broke one of my toes. Up until then I really did not pay that particular toe very much attention; it was just a toe. But as I limped around for weeks afterwards, believe me I was very aware of that little insignificant part of my body! I realized that it was actually pretty important to my overall physical well-being.

In the world our natural tendency is to strive for the top; few children fantasize about being a floor sweeper or waiting tables or taking orders in a fast-food restaurant. Yet Jesus tells us that in His Kingdom the greatest ones are the servants of all; not only does He say that, He showed us through His own example in His time on earth (can you imagine the King of the Universe washing feet?)

Unfortunately, so few of us really seem to take this teaching to heart; for myself it has taken most of my Christian life to embrace the role to which the Lord has called me. Though I have long known that there was a calling on my life, over and over I missed Him in it because I kept imagining it as something big and glamorous! Only in recent years have I gotten a glimmer of my place in His Body, and that only because the pain of His discipline finally struck home for me.

My real name means "stone in the ford"; in other words, a stepping stone to get across a river. And interestingly, as I look back on my life I can see how many times He has used me to help someone get from one point to another in a particularly difficult time in their lives. So many incidents come to mind that I still cannot believe how long it took before the Lord finally got through to me: I am here to serve Him! And I best serve Him by serving His children in the manner in which He directs me. Through accepting - even embracing - this calling, there has resulted such a peace in my life, such a closeness with Him, that my only regret is that it has taken me so long to finally understand!

So, as you are climbing up His mountain and come upon a place that looks really difficult to get over, there I'll be: I am one of the steppings stone that He in His love has placed there for you; I am a guy stationed there to take your hand and - with a pat on the back and a word of encouragement - pull you up to the next level.

In this forum, if the messages He gives to me to pass on to you allows you even a small insight into your own spiritual development - your own growth in Christ - then I have done my job. And I receive a blessing from your growth in Him as a reward, for I deeply believe that as each member of the Body of Christ is lifted up, the whole Body is lifted up as well.

My prayer today is that God reveal to each of you His calling for your life; be it great or small, just always know that in His eyes, each member of His Body is highly valued - even the little insignificant toe!

LeastOne

 

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

One of our enemy's most viscious lies and greatest deceptions against the children of God is that the Father does not love us!

As the accuser of the brethren, he is the one whispering in your ear, "How could God love you, you ugly thing? Look at you! You are worthless! Look at all the bad things you have done!" He brings to mind your past: old sins, old fears, old disappointments. He brings feelings of depression and anguish and despair upon you. He does all of this just to convince you that God really does not love you.

And sadly, over and over we all fall for it. Time and again we believe that liar, rather than believe God's own Word: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom.8:35)

And again, Jesus makes His love for you and for me crystal clear: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Why do we all believe the lie rather than the greater truth? Honestly, isn't it because we each know that in us "lies no good thing". We are each painfully aware of how sinful we are in our old nasty selves. Left to our own devices we seem to always do the wrong thing. So, when the enemy starts in on us, he is not telling us anything we don't already know. In fact, all he is really doing is tricking us into focusing on ourselves, pointing out just how dirty we truly are inside and out.

So how is what he is saying a lie then? How is it deceptive of him to point out such an obvious fact?

Just this: The tremendous love God has for us is not because of who we are in ourselves! The Father God's unbelievable love for us is because of who we are in Christ! That is the greater truth that the enemy tries so desperately to make us forget. He is trying to deceive us into looking away from Christ Jesus back toward ourselves. And that is the lie in all that he says.

Truly, apart from Christ we are nothing but sinners and deserving of God's wrath. And if we are more sin conscious than Christ conscious, we will fall for the lies of the enemy every single time.

But if we will focus on Jesus, keeping our eyes - our full attention - upon Him, then we will find that in that wonderful Man - God's Living Word - we are being formed in His Likeness. We will find that as His Life grows in us, so does His Righteousness before God grow in us; and as His Righteousness grows in us, so does His Holiness grow in us; and as His Holiness grows in us, so His Love flows in us and through us to all of those around us.

And to know the truly tremendous Love of God is an experience that cannot be fully expressed in words; it is a feeling that is beyond feelings. But that Love is what God has for each and every one of His children in Christ; that wonderful Love is what God has for you, dear saint.

Romans 8:35,38,39 - "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Keep your focus always on your Lord Jesus! Let nothing distract you, nothing pull the attention of your inner man away from Him, and as you concentrate all your energies into seeking Him you will find His Life growing more and more within you.

My prayer today for you, dear child of God, is that of Paul:

Ephesians 3:17-19 "...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."

LeastOne
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[crydun]

Leastone, I love your message here. I too have struggled in my walk, especially since I got saved so early in life(I believe I was 5 or 6) Your prose reminds me so much of Keith Green's. Have you read any of his books? How do you stay motivated to do your devotions. That is something I struggle with. Again, Thanks!

 

[leastone]

Hi Crydun:

How do I stay motivated? Well, I wish I could say it is because I am "SuperChristian", but that isn't true.

At this point in my spiritual walk, I suppose my motivation comes from wanting above all to be pleasing to the Lord Jesus; I know all too well what it is to be without Him in my life and I really do not want to experience that any more. He knows me all too well - that I can get bored and complacent very easily - so He hid Himself from me for a long time until I truly cried out to Him in despair. And He has taken me through a lot of adversity to get me to the point where I finally realized that without Him, I am worth absolutely nothing to anybody else, including myself.

So truly, everything I have put in all my posts throughout this forum I have learned through painful experience - much "working out my salvation with fear and trembling" - and with a great many tears.

The points I listed at the beginning of this thread - and throughout this forum - I do my best to practice; and believe me, I did not learn those things overnight! And I am still learning them; it seems like the more I give over to Him, the more there is left to give. Many times I have thought that maybe if I live another 100 years or so I might actually finally get somewhere spiritually!

I guess I don't think about my time with Him as "doing my devotions"; for me it is more of a spending time with my best friend. I can honestly say that the more I get to know Jesus as a Man, the more I have fallen in love with Him as a Person. My attitude is that everything He has for me, I want; so anything He asks me to do, I will do. And so, I have had some amazing experiences with Him - although I don't seek them out; but He has asked me to give up a lot at various times too - although I don't consider those things as ever being equal with knowing Him.

There is an old saying, that "the worst sinners make the best saints", which is what Jesus is saying about the woman who washed His feet with tears, I believe. Something like, "Those who are forgiven much, love much". Sometimes I think those who have known Him the longest take Him for granted more easily. If you read my journal here, it took Him showing me the black pit of my own heart that really showed me just who I am in myself, and took away all my own illusions about how "good" I was.

So I guess what I am trying to say in this is I am really motivated by love: when I realize that this Man - Jesus - suffered the horrible things that He did, just so I wouldn't have to; that He voluntarily went through all of that just so I can be with Him in His Father's Presence; well, for me that has nothing to do with religion or obligation. That is plain out Love, and nothing less. The least I can do is show Him love in return.

Truly, I hope this helps you.

LeastOne

 

[leastone]

Hi Crydun:

Oh, I forgot your question about Keith Green...I have heard his music - if I am thinking about the same person - but I have never read any of his books. If that is the same guy, I didn't even know he had written any books. But still, I appreciate the compliment.

LeastOne

 

[crydun]

yes, it does Leastone. That's a good way to think. I love this forum. I can get on here at school and still have time with God!!

Keith Green wrote Make My Life A Prayer to You, If You Love the Lord and No Compromise;The Story of Keith Green.

 

[Knarf188]

Hey Leastone man... awesome posts... i totally feel that humble Loving servant found in you through the Holy Spirit.. I was wondering if you dont mind to maybe tell me what you think about this email I sent out... it is how I feel currently... and am just seeking guidance... any help would greatly be appreciated.....
But if you do decide to maybe give me some advice here is the situation...
I feel as though God is calling me to the mission field... I don't really
care which field it is... I just have that passion to reach people that do
not have the Gospel... for people in the states seem to be blinded by this
materialistic veil... and while they have the option of choosing Christ as
their savior others in Asia, Central and South America, and Africa do not
have the luxury... Also their is a great need for missionaries in unreached
parts that also drives me.... The dilemma.... To finish my 4 year or not to
finish my 4 year... that is the question.... should I drop everything and
follow what my heart tells me to do or should I get my 4 year to have that
as a backup in case the mission field doesnt work... My dad (whom is a
Christian and who never ever has led me astray before) feels that , as well
as others, that I should finish my 4 year because it is a wise action, and
that I would be able to provide people in unreached parts with something (a
MATH DEGREE hahaha that sounds funny).... I really feel as though he wants
me to be able to provide for a family if that is part of God's plan... On
the other hand I, as well as others, feel as though I should follow my
heart... for God will provide... to tell you the truth I feel as though he
is speaking to my heart... I see no joy in going to a country I've never
been to other than the fact that I would be serving God and giving him all
the glory and also giving the people there the oppurtunity to have an
abundant and rich life in Christ... I have been reading about it from other
websites and it sounds like ALOT OF HARD WORK... I just want to serve him...
and I know there are other jobs.... but I feel as though with the lack of
missionaries and the fact that a majority of them are retiring soon it just
seems like He is saying "Go ... and I will always be with you"... also if I
get a 4 year , while that is a wise decision, I feel as though I'm not
giving it to him... I'm kind of like well Jesus I'm just getting this just
in case you don't really provide... My dad feels this is foolish for if I do
get a degree I can bring so much more to the table and also how do I not
know that Jesus is calling me in Lock Haven for here there is a great need
also... and he said he would pick up the tab so that I would be debt free
when I go into the field(but they have done so much for me, and to burden
them more is crazy).... so all money aside... it comes down to discerning
this call in my heart... is it just something that I have manifested in my
heart because of my passion for the Lord or is it him telling me to Go...
some people feel as though I should spend maybe another semester and
experience a mission trip (for I have never been on one =( though that
doesnt matter right =) ...first hand just in case I really don't like
it..... I know I would love doing any work that he has for me... I want to
get out of this boat... but yet I want to be wise about it and know that it
is from our Lord... like Peter said Matthew 14:28 "...Lord, if it be thou,
bid me come unto the upon the waters." I have been praying and fasting and
finding myself coming closer to our Lord... if anything this decision is a
blessing because I am learning so much...
> So the decision is should I finish what I started ( I would have 2 1/2
more years) then go to Bible School then Missions.... or should I just drop
everything and go into Bible School next semester.... or in the fall and
maybe go on a mission trip in the spring... I look back and say well it is
only 2 1/2 more years why not just wait.... but I do not want to disobey
God... I really truely don't.. if he wants me in LHU... I will stay and then
move on... I'm just so confused...
> Well I'm sorry that took so long... you are probably man that was alot of
reading... you do not have to respond if you don't want to, it's ok I
understand =)....but any advice would greatly be appreciated especially from
2 missionaries... I mean like Craig I do think about supporting a family...
and I have never really put anything into God's hands that big... but I
would have faith that he would provide... I just know he would if I was
doing his will... his intention for my life... for Paul says "To live is
Christ, and to die is gain."... I am so ready... maybe not maturity wise...
but I KNOW HE IS THERE... and I will just continue to pray and fast.... but
again any advice would be great... take care and God Bless =)...I will keep
you guys in my prayers =)...

Your Brother in Christ,
Frank

 

[leastone]

Hi Knarf188:

You're right, that is a lot of reading! But I believe you answer your own question with the statement you made toward the end: "I'm just so confused". Doesn't the Scripture tell us that God is not the author of confusion? The absence of His Peace is a sure sign that something is not right. I have learned that that is when I need to tread cautiously.

Honestly, I have no doubt that you are called of God, quite possibly to be a missionary. But I will tell you something I - and probably many, many others - have had to learn the hard way:

When I first began really hearing from Him, He would occasionally ask me to do something for Him, like go pray for someone. I was so eager to finally be doing what I just knew He had called me to do, that I would immediately run off and go "try" to do whatever He asked. I could tell you some funny stories about some of the stupid situations I would get myself into by doing that; but basically those situations were what He used to get my attention enough to where I would ask Him, "Lord, you send me off to do this, then when I get there, You're not there! What's up with that?"

He said, "Son, I have lots of children that make that same mistake. From now on, this is what I want you to do: When I ask you to do something, I want you to sit down beside me and allow me to prepare you, so that when I say 'Go', you and My Spirit will go together and that thing will get accomplished. Do you understand now?"

All I could say was, "Yes, Sir". But it is a lesson I have never forgotten. In fact, later in my life He revealed that my real ministry would not be until the last few years of my life here on earth! He has used me as a "pinch hitter" at various times - to get one person saved and delivered He gave me a gift of Knowledge once; to get another healed, He gave me a gift of Healing once, etc. So, while I have known all my life that I was called to do something, He has been preparing me my entire life for just a very short ministry!

So, my advice would be to finish your schooling and keep seeking Him diligently. Living completely by faith sounds great, but it is not as easy as it sounds, believe me. We are all far too full of the world and our own selves, and need a lot of cleaning out before He can trust us and we have enough spiritual strength and wisdom to walk before Him with integrity.

As He has said to me many, many times: "You cannot teach what you do not know; you cannot give what you do not have."

These have become words that I live by.

Trust Him. For truly, apart from Him none of us can do anything for Him, because it is His ministry.

When He is with you, there is no confusion, for in His Presence there is only Peace.

LeastOne

 

[Kelly]

4) Don't try to believe for more than you have faith to believe. Faith is like a muscle; it must be exercised in order to grow.

Wow, that's a great thought. As a new Christian, sometimes I feel that I need to really push my faith, when I do I start doubting. When I ease back and let him take control, I seem to get exactly what I need and my faith seems to grow.

 

[molly]

Absouetly awsome leastone, how often have I done just exactly what you speak of you advice is timeless, we all make the same mistakes in our eagerness to do God's will, we take off without Him Amen........Molly

 

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

In these last days it is most important for each of us who are the Lord's to stay close to Him in our daily walk so that we will not be deceived and stray off the Way.

Not only is the world constantly clamoring for our attention, and our flesh resisting us every step of the way, but there are competing doctrines and scriptural interpretations causing divisions among us almost daily. In truth, this is nothing new - it was happening even in the beginning days of the church - and though the enemy may be the instrument used for judgement upon the church, still we must always keep in mind that it is God Who is wielding that instrument for His purposes and our good.


1 Cor. 11:19 - For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Throughout the Bible we can see God separating, filtering, choosing one over another: Able was approved, Cain was rejected. "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated." Even in the NT, not all who are given an invitation are approved at the door: "Many are called, few are chosen". "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven".

2 Cor. 10:18 - For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

So how can we assure our being "approved" by the Lord? How can we be certain we are not clinging to what we should let go, and not letting go of what we should hold tightly?


Quite honestly, finding the answer to this is the whole purpose of this entire thread.


There is only One Who is always and forever approved by God and that is His Son, His Annointed One: Jesus the Messiah. We ourselves are only approved when we are found in Him, and for this reason we must work diligently to cling tightly to Him. If we are truly following Him along His Way - the Way in which He is leading each one of us - then we will stay with Him whether we understand or not and whether others in our life understand or not. We will stay with Him regardless of where He takes us, what we feel or think or want. All of that will be as nothing to us in order that we may be found in Him.


Truly, we can only maintain this dedication, and only cling so tightly to Him through "...that perfect bond of unity, which is love"; and that love is proven and made perfect through our obedience to Him.


Nothing and no one else can save us: not correct doctrine, not good works, not great faith. True, sincere Love for Jesus alone - as shown by our obedient submission to Him - will bind us to Him and Him to us. Whether to the mountain top or to the valley, we must say with Ruth "wherever You go, I will go; and wherever You lodge, I will lodge".


If we would ensure that we aways have God's approval, that very attitude of complete devotion to Him must be ours. It is not a decision made lightly for it always leads us to the Cross - to our own death in Him in some way or another.


The Way to the Resurrection is always and only by Way of the Cross, and only what has been Resurrected in Christ meets with the Father's approval and therefore has His Life.


Matthew 7:14 - "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."


My prayer today is that each one of you put aside all that hinders you, all that gets in your way and all that holds you back from squeezing into that narrow door to His Life, His Rest, and His approval.

LeastOne

 

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

This is for those of you - and this includes myself - who wonder why I write what I write...

I had another post nearly completed today when the Lord stopped me and clearly said, "That isn't the message I want you to send." And He led me to write and post the last message. I just walked outside (I'm at work) and I asked Him why, because there are so many subjects that I would like to write about, so many things that seem important to me to share.

What He replied is that the last one is the most important one; that it is the crucial foundation upon which to build, and it is the most important lesson He has given me to know: developing that lasting love for Him through obedience to Him. And since this entire exercise is for me as much as for anyone else - teaching me obedience regardless of what I or anyone else thinks about it - then no matter what else I might write, if I fail in that obedience then I have failed. Period.

And I am writing this only because He has given me permission to explain here.

My prayer as always is that each of you be richly blessed with all God's blessings in Christ.

LeastOne

 

[Pseud]

Matthew 7:14 - "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

LeastOne

Another brilliant Post, LeastOne, thank you.

*throws hand up* I have questions.

Why do I find the gate getting narrower the more I grow? And then, I come to a point where I'm not in line with the gate, and don't have the courage to do what it takes to get in line... I feel darned if I do and darned if I don't.

 

[leastone]

Hi Pseud:

I believe John 15:2 applies: "...every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit". The way the Lord has taught me is that as we come into His Light, we become more aware of what is not Light within us, and so see our need to ask Him to put that on the Cross...over and over, until there is nothing left in us but His Light.

An interesting study is to look up in a Concordance and a good dictionary the words translated "strait" and "narrow" in this passage. The meanings give the sense of "confining circumstances" that put pressure on us - tribulations - causing the necessity to strip everything off in order to squeeze through...like a loaded down camel squeezing through the gate made only for people: the "eye of a needle" in another parable.

Perhaps this is the reason for our need to be willing to put everything and everybody as secondary in order to be found in Him; something we can only do when we love Jesus above all else.

Keep pressing...because the only real failure is completely giving up. And that I know you are not willing to do.

LeastOne

 

[bamadisciple]

Leastone,
I have been praying and searching for some time that I could truly understand God's love for me, and I can't seem to get my head around it. Your post helped a lot because I'm beginning to think I should just accept it whether I can understand or not and look for all the signs of His love in my life. I have been a Christian since age 8 (I'm 49 now), but I haven't always lived a close life. I guess that's one of the reasons I can't understand why He loves me. I've strayed so many, many times. At any rate, your post about why God loves us and what He sees in us was a great help to me.
Thanks a bunch!

bamadisciple

 

[Pseud]

Thanks LeastOne, your words helped cheer me up a bit

 

[leastone]

Hey Pseud:

Every single one of us who desires to truly know the Lord and be found in Him suffers what appears to be failure - over and over and over:

1 Cor 4:8-11 - "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we who live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh."

But never let the enemy trick you into believing you are a failure for trying!

As Paul goes on to say:

1 Cor 4:16 - "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory..."

So long as you are sincerely seeking to enter into that narrow door, with each attempt you are making progress - and that is not failure! Christ Jesus is our Promised Land! And just as the Israelites did not conquer the entire land with one battle, so we do not gain Christ with only one attempt. They had to march around, one step at a time, to lay claim to their land - and so do we.

Keep flinging yourself at that door, working to squeeze through that gate...remember Jesus said "Strive to enter..."

LeastOne

p.s. Something the Lord just reminded me of: at different times over the years - often when I finally find my way back to Him after being thrown off course for some reason or another - He will tell me that He loves me! And that He is proud of me! And every time He says that, through my tears, I ask Him, "Why, Lord? Why do you say that?" And every time He answers, "Because you never give up on Me."

So, never give up!

 

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

Meekness, humility, submission, obedience. These are attitudes that do not come easily to our flesh. In the world, we demand our rights when we are wronged; at work, we are offended when others treat us without respect; in our relationships, we are disappointed when we are not appreciated. We want to be given credit for what do - recognized and rewarded for our efforts - and our feelings are easily hurt when we do not receive what we believe is rightfully due us.

Often we are only semi-aware of these feelings occuring within us; we get crushed when we go unnoticed or are not appropriately "rewarded" in some way, and so resentment develops; unchecked, this resentment can easily grow into bitterness. It is bad enough if this happens with other people, but surprisingly it is not uncommon with Christians in their dealings with the Lord. Disappointment with God is not often admitted by believers - even to ourselves - yet may be readily noticeable to the more spiritually mature in conversations with us and even in in our personal theology ("Don't get your hopes up!" "God moves in mysterious ways.").

Being a servant is not our natural way of life, primarily because the flesh - which is our natural life - views itself as being lord over its domain, which is us, body and soul. The flesh considers all natural talents as belonging to it, with whatever strength, goodness, beauty, ability, intelligence, etc. as being "natural" to it and therefore, being its own. And it resists any changes to that lordship with every ounce of effort it possesses.

The flesh is part of our inheritance from Adam, and it is from this very inheritance we must turn away in order to receive the far better inheritance we have been given in Christ.

The inheritance we have in Adam - the inheritance of the flesh - is a dead spirit, a darkened mind and a rebellious will. In this inheritance our father is Satan, our home is this natural world, and our destiny is death.

The inheritance we have in Christ - the inheritance of the spirit - is a new spirit. In this inheritance our Father is God, our home is the Kingdom of God and our destiny is Life.

Our spirit is made new because of the planting of the seed of God in it. And within that seed is contained the Life of Christ.

Only potentially at first does that seed of new Life have a new mind ("We have the mind of Christ") and a submissive will ("Not my will but thine be done"). Paul speaks of struggling until "Christ be formed in you." Why? Because just as a human seed must be nourished within the womb until it forms into a human baby, so also does God's seed need to be nourished within our spirits until His Life "is formed" within us. As we feed that new Life on His written Word, that Life continues to grow within us.

The struggle between flesh and spirit in our daily lives is just this very growth process as we learn to "put off the old man" of Adam and "put on the new man" of Christ in us. This struggle is the "working out our own salvation with fear and trembling" of which Paul writes; it is the following after Christ by denying our (old) self, carrying (bearing or applying) our (within ourselves) cross daily; it is putting to death our old ways: of thinking (our fleshly minds) and acting (our fleshly desires). It is this very struggle that exposes the pride and stubborn rebellion of our old fleshly Adamic nature; it is by dying daily - applying the awesome Power of the Cross - that the old man is broken and the new man emerges from within.

As every true Christian can testify this is hard work, done through much tearful prayer, "humbling ourselves under His mighty Hand", "presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice" and finally, "lifting our weary hands" and offering a "sacrifice of praise"! Death is never easy, but the new Life in Christ is worth it all - and far more!

For the brand new Christian, the change within them is so dramatic that, in their initial excitement they want to share that new life with everyone they meet; similar to a newborn baby, everything about their world is brand new to them and they are truly seeing as with new eyes. Just as lighting one candle changes everything for someone who has grown up in the dark - in a world of shadows - so having a little Light within us for the first time makes it appear as if everything is really bright. That little bit of Light seems a great big Light when we first receive it.

A fortunate few receive correct training and teaching from the very beginning of their Christian walk and so continue to grow steadily in the Light as the Light continues to grow steadily within them. Most of us however, are not so fortunate and sooner or later find that our little Light within is not quite as bright as we first thought, and that the darkness is still there within us. In fact, we usually discover that that little Light has made the darkness even darker!

And so begins the struggle between flesh and spirit in our daily Christian life.

One of the most misunderstood difficulties - one that causes so many Christians to lose their way - is the failure to really grasp the difference between feeding the spirit and feeding the unrenewed, fleshly, natural mind. The Bible can be read and studied in a great many ways, but only one way will feed the spirit: it is only when we read Scripture as lead by the One Who inspired those who wrote that Scripture do those words become spiritual food for us. Only when read in, and as guided by, the Holy Spirit do the words get into our own spirits and become food for us. Read any other way and our minds will rob us every single time of spiritual nourishment! And there are far too many who have much Biblical knowledge, but little spiritual Light. But those who truly feed their spirits by the Spirit and Truth of His Word however, find that He opens their eyes to yet more and more of His Word; these are those who continue to grow in Christ. These soon find that as His Word "abides in them" - "dwelling in them richly" - that His Life also dwells in them richly. And where His Life is, there He is and there His Father is as well.

In this struggle between flesh and spirit, in which all true disciples of Christ are engaged, there will eventually come a time when the spirit within will become the dominant self in that person. Enough Light will be there that the Christian will identify more with that Light than with the darkness of the fleshly self, and the fruit of the Spirit - the identifying attributes of that new Life of Christ - will be ever more apparent in their daily lives.

And that is the person whom God will begin to use in powerful ways - as an "instrument of Righteousness" - in the lives of others.

 

[leastone]

Hi Saints:

1 Cor. 15:34 - "Awake to righteousness, and sin not..."

Once we lived out in the county where I had to take our trash to the dump; most of the time it wasn't bad, but occasionally they would be bulldozing the fill around and the stench on those days was unbelievable! One hot summer day when I went there they were doing this, and it was particularly ripe - so bad that it was hard not to gag - so I tossed the bags in and left as quickly as I could.

As I was driving out, the Lord said to me, "This is how exactly how sin smells to the Father, which is why He will not have it in His Presence."

For years now, each time I come before the Father and whether I know of any particular sins in my life or not (which I usually do unfortunately), the Lord has had me ask the Holy Spirit to convict me of any sin of which I am unaware. As I do this I sit quietly and allow Him time to bring those to my mind so that I can confess them as well. Often I am really surprised by what He brings up; at first I questioned some of them, because I did not relate and wondered if it was just the enemy deceiving me, or if I was just making it up. But I have learned that there is far more sin in my heart than I ever imagined! And so I just confess it now without balking.

After awhile - as I faithfully confessed whatever I heard within, the Lord began to interrupt at times, saying that He would deliver me of this or that thing. And He lead me to ask the Father to put this or that thing on the Cross and crucify it until it was dead. And so I did what He told me and continue to do so each day.

Sometimes I will not relate at all to the particular thing He says, but as soon as I ask the Father to put that thing to death, it is as if He is doing surgery - physically cutting something out of my heart - for I will immediately cry from some depth within as if my heart is being cut open with a knife! And each time, I can tell afterward that something is different; that there is a new sense of freedom in my spirit, a lifting of some burden that I never even knew was there.

In truth, I make no claims to really understand the workings of the Lord in my own spiritual life, much less in anyone else's. He has me do things at times that make no sense to me; all I do know is that as I faithfully do whatever He asks, He has revealed Himself to me more and more - and that is the what I desire the most: to know Him and be pleasing to Him.

2 Cor. 2:15 - "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ..."

For myself, I want nothing in me to be a stench to His nostrils.

2 Cor 7:1 - "...dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

My prayer today is that you too, dear saint of God, seek to rid yourself of everything in you that is not of Christ, Who is the Life of God in you.

LeastOne

 

[Chris L]

Hi leastone,

I've been feeling lukewarm in my attitude towards Christ in the past few weeks, but your posts have got me excited about God again! Thank you so so so so much, and God bless!

Chris