Hungry Heart Daily Devotional Anthology -mjs

[netchaplain]

If it's ok, I'm going to be posting (starting 4/12/12) a daily devotional from Miles J Stanford's (1914-1999) book, "None But The Hungry Heart".

1-1. NOTHING DAUNTED

"Blessed are they that . . . seek Him with the whole heart" (Psalm 119:2).

Once the Holy Spirit instills within our hearts the hunger for God's very best, all must and will become secondary to this supreme goal: " . . .the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Our puny, worthless all exchanged for the One who is All in all! "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36) .

"A sage of India was asked by a young man how he could find God. For some time the sage gave no answer, but one evening he asked the youth to come and bathe with him in the river. While there he gripped him suddenly and held his head under the water until he was nearly drowned. When he released him the sage asked him: 'What did you want most when you were under the water?' 'A breath of air,' he replied. To which the sage answered, 'When you want God as you wanted the breath of air, you will find Him.'" -G.G.

"Every Christian will become at last what his desires have made him. We are all the sum total of our hungers. The great saints have all had thirsting hearts. Their cry has been, 'My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God....' Their longing after God all but consumed them; it propelled them onward and upward to heights toward which less ardent believers look with and entertain no hope of reaching."

"For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9).

 

[netchaplain]

1-2. LIFE'S PURPOSE

"For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).

Our Lord the Vine provides all that His branches will ever need for fruit-bearing. All provision is according to our Father's riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

"Christian growth is the becoming real in ourselves, of what is already true of us in the Lord Jesus. 'I am the vine, ye are the branches, He says. But the vine furnishes the branches, not only with the principle of life, but with the type of life. No pressure or molding from without is needed to shape them to the pattern of the parent stock. Every minutest peculiarity of form, and color, and taste, and fragrance is determined by the root, and developed from it. A true believer, therefore, will ask no better thing of the Lord than that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in his body (2 Corinthians 4:11). For such a manifestation will, by a necessary principle, be the unfolding within him of every needed element of joy and sorrow, of suffering and triumph." -A.J.G.

"Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives a man to do; we must partake of Christ so fully that He more than fills the life. It will then be not overwork but overflow."

"And ye are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10).

I would like to add that we are to remember we do no produce the fruit but bear it. Many Christians work needlessly in attempting to do works by the Lord instead of allowing the Lord to do the works by us. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples"(John 15:8).

 

[netchaplain]

1-3. RELENTLESS PURPOSE

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Chronicles. 16:9).

All of God's thoughts concerning us are centered in His Son, where He has placed us. Hence they are "thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jeremiah 29:11). Others may do evil against us, but our Father turns it into our good, for Jesus' sake.

"The purpose of God is that through the conditions and sufferings of my life should develop in me the features of His Son. On the one hand, the features of the old creation may be seen to be more and more terrible and horrible, as I recognize them in myself; but over against that God is doing something which is other than my old self. He is bringing into being Another, altogether other, and that is His Son, my new life. Slowly, seemingly all too slowly; nevertheless something is developing. The sonship is not very much in evidence yet, but it is going to be manifested. What God has been doing will come out into the light eventually conformity to the image of His Son." -T. A-S.

"Afflictions are in the hands of the Holy Spirit to effect the softening of the heart in order to receive heavenly impression. Job said, 'God maketh my heart soft' (Job 23:16). As the wax in its natural hard state cannot take the impress of the signet, and needs to be melted to render it susceptible, so the believer is by trials prepared to receive, and made to bear, the divine likeness."

"Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving'' (Colossians 2:7).

 

[netchaplain]

1-4. DESERT RICHES

"And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart, into a desert place, and rest a while" (Mk 6:31).

In the early days of our lonely pilgrimage, the desert is nothing but burning heat and barren sand. As we "keep on keeping on," we see our desert become full of springs and blossom as the rose.

"Has the Father led you into the desert? Has He plucked from under your feet all that you depended upon? Then a glorious experience is yours. See if this be not a way whereby God will glorify you! Do not complain about what you have lost, and do not yearn to have it back again, for then you are like Israel who wished to turn back to Egypt. God leads on, and instead of the flesh-pots He gives you bread from heaven, and instead of water from the Nile, water from the Rock. But you must put your trust in Him also in the desert, and through the days of darkness and difficulty. This is possible, however, only for those who have lost their self-assurance in the desert whereto God beckons His children."

"Are there sorrows that sorely test our hearts? Be assured that our Father intends every one of them to be a road for us to Christ; so that we may reach Him and know Him in some character of His love and power, that otherwise our souls had not known." -C.A.C.

"And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts: He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. . . ." ". . .for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (Isaiah 48:21; 1 Corinthians 10:4).

 

[netchaplain]

1-5. LOVE DRAWS AND CONFORMS

"Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3).

God is the first and only Cause. He always makes the first move. "For God so loved. . . that He gave"; "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you" (John 3:16; 15:16). Even the hunger of heart necessary for our response to His love comes from Him. "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus" (I Peter 5:10). He brought us to His Son; He will make us like His Son.

"If you feel the drawing of God within, cherish it as you would cherish a great treasure. If you are aware of a deep hunger, if you are entering into a closer walk with Him, do not look upon it carelessly, nor treat it lightly. But if you do not feel the divine drawing and hunger for God, cry to Him that He will give it you; and ever remember that the desire for hunger is the beginning of hunger, and that you cannot feed upon the Lord Jesus Christ until you are spiritually hungry." -H. McI.

"Our Lord is generous in His provision, but He is neither casual nor wasteful. There must be a real hunger and felt need. It is a fixed principle with the Lord that He does not move until something like desperation makes it evident that it is His move." -T. A-S.

"No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me" (John 6:44, Amp.).

 

[netchaplain]

1-6. FULNESS OF SELF

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" (Isaiah 2:22).

As Christians we are going to be controlled by one of two powers: the self-life (old man), or the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The former will make life hell, the latter, heaven.

"He who knows that awful power of the self-life within; its enmity with God; its carnality; its grieving and quenching of the Spirit; its deadly blighting of all the blessed fruits of the Spirit; its fierce and desperate resistings of his hunger to enter into the full life of the Spirit, needs no other explanation of the lack of the fulness of the Spirit than the fulness of self." -J.H. McC.

"Do not seek to shatter the mirror which reflects your soul's lack of beauty; rather welcome the truth, and believe that next to knowledge of the Lord Jesus nothing is so important as the knowledge of self."-N.G.

"There is nothing in self worth holding on to; it ought to be handed to the Cross; we have submitted ourselves to such a life as that, and our Father is going to give us every opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to hold the old nature in the place of death, with the glorious end in view that our Lord Jesus will have the preeminence." -F.M.

"I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5,6).

 

[netchaplain]

1-7. LIFE'S MOTIVATION

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

It takes a good many years of sin and failure in order to see through our own motives. The growing believer finally learns to trust but one source of motivation: "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2).

"All of our motives will be tested by fire. Are we seeking personal influence, popularity, reputation, prestige, acceptableness, success? We may think our motives to be perfectly pure; but not until we pass into daily death, death to any or all of the above, and find ourselves 'despised and rejected of men,' our names cast out as evil, and a real hold-up (seemingly) of our work, do we really come to face the true purpose and motive of our having any place in the service of God. The Cross separating us from everything Adamic both within and without is a good test of motives.

"Men of God who have been truly used by Him have gone this way. Not upon our flesh whether it be the gross flesh or the refined, soulish, educated flesh will God allow His Spirit to come. Before there can be life for others there must be death for us (2 Corinthians 4-12). Before there can be the fire of God there must be an altar and a sacrifice; and it must be the burnt offering." -T. A-S.

"Present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

 

[netchaplain]

1-8. UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!

"Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips...for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts'' (Isaiah 6.5).

Paul wrote, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This includes giving thanks for the disclosure of self! At first, we seek to hide our sinfulness and to save our life. Later, by His grace, we yearn to be freed from self, regardless of the cost. And the price is the Cross.

"Many a young Christian, who has not been forewarned of this necessary voyage of discovery upon which the Holy Spirit will certainly embark him (Romans Seven), has been plunged into almost incurable despair at the sight of the sinfulness which is his by nature. He has in the first place rejoiced greatly in the forgiveness of his sins, and his acceptance by God; but sooner or later he begins to realize that all is not well, and that he has failed and fallen from the high standard which he set himself to reach in the first flush of his conversion.

"Little does he know how healthy his condition is, and that this shattering discovery is but the prelude to a magnificent series of further discoveries of things which God has expressly designed for his eternal enrichment. All through life God has to show us our own utter sinfulness and need, in order to more fully lead us on into realms of grace." -J.C.M.

"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil" (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

 

[Ormly]

deleted by Author

 

[Ormly]

1-7. LIFE'S MOTIVATION

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

It takes a good many years of sin and failure in order to see through our own motives. The growing believer finally learns to trust but one source of motivation: "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2).

"All of our motives will be tested by fire. Are we seeking personal influence, popularity, reputation, prestige, acceptableness, success? We may think our motives to be perfectly pure; but not until we pass into daily death, death to any or all of the above, and find ourselves 'despised and rejected of men,' our names cast out as evil, and a real hold-up (seemingly) of our work, do we really come to face the true purpose and motive of our having any place in the service of God. The Cross separating us from everything Adamic both within and without is a good test of motives.

"Men of God who have been truly used by Him have gone this way. Not upon our flesh whether it be the gross flesh or the refined, soulish, educated flesh will God allow His Spirit to come. Before there can be life for others there must be death for us (2 Corinthians 4-12). Before there can be the fire of God there must be an altar and a sacrifice; and it must be the burnt offering." -T. A-S.

"Present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

After obedience—what?

"And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side.…" Mark 6:45–52 .

We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us, and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success. We must never put our dreams of success as God’s purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.
What is my dream of God’s purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process—that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.

God’s training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.
God’s end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present; but if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious. . . . . . Oswald Chambers

 

[netchaplain]

Hi Ormly! I like what you've posted by O C, esp., "I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea."

This supports the precedence that our being in Christ precedes our works in Christ, as "Mary hath chosen that good part" (Luk 10:42) in learning of Christ over serving Him.

I've learned that our part is in yielding (Rom 6:13), not wielding. In this way it's not, we're doing the works by God but God is doing the works by us, as the branches only bear the fruit because it's the vine which produces. "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (Jhn 15:8). So, the onus of attempting to measure up to Christ is not upon the believer. It's not our live measuring up to Christ's, rather, it's the life of Christ overlaying ours.

This explains it the best to me: "Our Father is going to teach us, mainly through personal failure, that the life we live is the life of our Lord Jesus alone. The Christian life is not our living a life like Christ, or our trying to be Christ-like, nor is it Christ giving us the power to live a life like His; but it is Christ Himself living His own life through us; 'no longer I, but Christ." -Miles Stanford



1-9. POWERLESS RECIPIENTS

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37)

The world, the flesh, and the devil say, Be powerful. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit say, Be powerless "for My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9)

"There would be little harm in trying to imitate Christ if such an endeavor did not hide from us what our Lord really desires; and so keep us back from 'life more abundant.' Christ has come Himself into our hearts to dwell there, and what He wants is to live His life in us, as the Apostle Paul says, 'For to me to live is Christ.' Christ was the very source and mainspring of all he was and did. What a wonderful thing this is! We would be driven to despair if Christ had simply left us an example to follow or imitate, for we have no power within ourselves to do it. We must have a new source; a new spring of action, and Christ Himself wants to be just that for us." -E.C.H.

"The man in Romans Seven is occupied with himself, and his disappointment and anguish spring from his inability to find in self the good which he loves. The man of Romans Eight has learned there is no good to be found in self. It is only in Christ; and his song of triumph results from the joy of having found out that he is 'complete in Him.'" -H.A.I.

"I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me" (Philippians 4:13, Amplified).

 

[Ormly]

Hi Ormly! I like what you've posted by O C, esp., "I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea."

This supports the precedence that our being in Christ precedes our works in Christ, as "Mary hath chosen that good part" (Luk 10:42) in learning of Christ over serving Him.

I've learned that our part is in yielding (Rom 6:13), not wielding. In this way it's not, we're doing the works by God but God is doing the works by us, as the branches only bear the fruit because it's the vine which produces. "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (Jhn 15:8). So, the onus of attempting to measure up to Christ is not upon the believer. It's not our live measuring up to Christ's, rather, it's the life of Christ overlaying ours.

This explains it the best to me: "Our Father is going to teach us, mainly through personal failure, that the life we live is the life of our Lord Jesus alone. The Christian life is not our living a life like Christ, or our trying to be Christ-like, nor is it Christ giving us the power to live a life like His; but it is Christ Himself living His own life through us; 'no longer I, but Christ." -Miles Stanford

I sense your heart in this as one whose heart is after "rightness" in Him. In this I sense a brother and thank God. I am happy you like Chambers. He's the best next to my Bible.

Being conformed to the image of God intimates the necessity of our learning the Father. Do you believe we lose our individuality? I know we were redeemed by the righteousness of Jesus and salvation is of Him however, in that day, will we be judged by our righteousness (what we have done with His imputed Life in overcoming our flesh) or simply more of His righteousness plus nothing?

 

[netchaplain]

I believe our individuality, person-hood, personality or identity will remain. I don't think God wants to replace us but our nature, which is the determinant of what we are. Now, Christians posses a dichotomy, a duel-nature, in which our new divine-partaken nature rules us instead of the still indwelling old nature. In eternity, the believer will posses only the one new nature.

I'm not sure what is meant by "will we be judged by our righteousness". Judgement as to rewards?


1-10. REST IN HIM

"He has created us through our union with Christ Jesus for doing good deeds which He beforehand planned for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, Wms.).

The turning point in our Christian life comes when we begin to "let God be God," the day we throw all caution (fear) to the winds and look to Him to carry out His purpose for us in His own time and way.

"Our Father never does a thing suddenly: He has always prepared long, long before. So there is nothing to murmur about, nothing to be proud of, in the calling of God. There is also no one of whom to be jealous, for other people's advantages have nothing to do with us. 'It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy' (Romans 9:16). Our heritage, our birth, our natural equipment: these are things already determined by God. We may pick up other things in the way, for we are always learning; but the way is His way. When we look back over our life, we bow and acknowledge that all was prepared of God. To have such an attitude of heart, that is true rest." -W.N.

"Let us take care lest we get out of soul-rest in seeking further blessing. God cannot work whilst we are anxious, even about our spiritual advance. Let us take Him at His Word, and leave the fulfillment of it to Him."

"For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire" (Philippians 2:13, Weymouth).

 

[Ormly]

I believe our individuality, person-hood, personality or identity will remain. I don't think God wants to replace us but our nature, which is the determinant of what we are. Now, Christians posses a dichotomy, a duel-nature, in which our new divine-partaken nature rules us instead of the still indwelling old nature. In eternity, the believer will posses only the one new nature.

I don't believe any Christian should since the soul can only can only handle one nature at a time and when our Nature from above is imputed, our old nature, of necessity is, Spiritually speaking, put to death on the cross which leaves us with no 'old man' we think we still possess but because of our mortality, our flesh/body of sin and death Paul speaks of in Rom.7, is still with to contend for our allegiance. Re-read Jesus' wilderness experience with that perspective. Ergo, our old man and our flesh are to different issues. One is immediately put to death while the other is to be overcome by the word of "our testimony and the Blood of the Lamb" (New Nature) Just like Jesus did it.

I'm not sure what is meant by "will we be judged by our righteousness". Judgement as to rewards?

I will simply say this: When we stand before God it will not be that He will be looking for the righteousness of Jesus Christ in us but our own righteousness.


1-10. REST IN HIM

"He has created us through our union with Christ Jesus for doing good deeds which He beforehand planned for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, Wms.).

If I may, I don't care much for the rendering of that translation of that verse. Who's is it?

The KJV has this way for which we can see Jesus as the 'creator-provider' of the new foundation of redemption. If our life is hid with Him in God (Col 3:3), we are indeed, a totally new creation standing upon a totally new convenantal foundation purposed to contribute to the plenishment of His Kingdom by advancing in Him as His children, to become like Him as our Father that He is then fully manifested in us as His begotten sons.

The turning point in our Christian life comes when we begin to "let God be God," the day we throw all caution (fear) to the winds and look to Him to carry out His purpose for us in His own time and way.

"Our Father never does a thing suddenly: He has always prepared long, long before. So there is nothing to murmur about, nothing to be proud of, in the calling of God. There is also no one of whom to be jealous, for other people's advantages have nothing to do with us. 'It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy' (Romans 9:16). Our heritage, our birth, our natural equipment: these are things already determined by God. We may pick up other things in the way, for we are always learning; but the way is His way. When we look back over our life, we bow and acknowledge that all was prepared of God. To have such an attitude of heart, that is true rest." -W.N.

Determined? or simply foreknown by Him and planned for in advance by God?

"Let us take care lest we get out of soul-rest in seeking further blessing. God cannot work whilst we are anxious, even about our spiritual advance. Let us take Him at His Word, and leave the fulfillment of it to Him."

What is this quote from? I don't recognize it.

"For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire" (Philippians 2:13, Weymouth).

Creates or works within us? Creation by God was over in the six days of it we read in Genesis. There was not ever a new creation of God anywhere after that. Even Jesus was not created but born of the same one. Therefore I don't think Weymouth has it correct when he declares such a thing. We know we are a new spiritual creation by Christ but, that to, is finished and cannot be added to, but perfected in us and that by our entering into the process by which we are nurtured unto sonship in the Father, unto our own future translation.


Thank you, Netchaplin.

 

[netchaplain]

Ormly, I will reply later in more detail and thanks for your input!

Remember, except for receiving salvation, nothing which God does results from anything we do, for He "works all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11). Nothing He blesses us in is merited but foreknown and preplanned. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate . . . ." (Rom 8:29).

1-11. DESIGNER AND DESIGNED

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3)

Since the sovereign God has every atom in the universe precisely timed and controlled for the carrying out of His perfect will, it should not be difficult for us to understand why He is so meticulous in His development of us as His instruments. "Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11).

"You are one of God's rough diamonds, and He is going to have to cut you so that you may really shine for Him. It takes a diamond to cut a diamond. You are to be ground and cut, and hurt by other diamonds, by other Christians, by spiritual Christians. But the more cutting and the more perfecting, the more you are going to shine for your Lord." -G.M.

"God in His wisdom has ordained our trials, and it is our folly that causes us not to welcome them. God sends us such trials as are exactly fitted for us. Our Heavenly Father knows what will best serve us. He serves us by trials and by comforts. Let us remember that our trials are few our evil ways are many; our worthiness nothing; our comforts great. When God tries us let us consider how we have been trying Him. By grace we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under His mighty hand, and He will exalt us in due time."

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you" (1 Peter 4:12).

 

[Ormly]

Ormly, I will reply later in more detail and thanks for your input!

"God in His wisdom has ordained our trials, and it is our folly that causes us not to welcome them. God sends us such trials as are exactly fitted for us. Our Heavenly Father knows what will best serve us. He serves us by trials and by comforts. Let us remember that our trials are few our evil ways are many; our worthiness nothing; our comforts great. When God tries us let us consider how we have been trying Him. By grace we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under His mighty hand, and He will exalt us in due time."

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you" (1 Peter 4:12).

Thank you netchaplin. I look forward to it.

Something to ponder when you reply: I underlined the above quote for the purpose of asking whether God ordains or simply allows trials, life upon earth being what it is, in our flesh, not for revealing us to Him but revealing us to ourselves? In other words: where do we believe are in our allegiance to God? The temptation of Jesus comes easily to mind in this. Was Satan's temptation ordered of God? or was Jesus always cognizant of sin couching at his door as God spoke of it to Cain? I believe so and would declare His example of allegiance and how to maintain our strength, is set forth in Him for us to embrace. Thank God we have Mediator who pleads our case when we fail.

 

[netchaplain]

Ormly, I believe all that we secede or fail in is foreknown by God (omniscient) and therefore cannot effect His work in us, rather, it's all used for our good--to His glory. (Rom 8:28).

There's nothing expected of us (other than confession and repentance) which can address our sin, failure or success. Only the propitiation of Christ is used for our Father's acceptance concerning us and there's nothing a believer can do to affect this.

His blood addresses the effect--sin. His Cross addresses the cause--old nature, Satan and the world (unsaved).

It has been well stated that "If we are disappointed, it's because we've trusted in our-self, for God never disappoints."

Our works effect our eternal rewards, not our eternal security!! He never uses what He finds but what He brings.

 

[Ormly]

Ormly, I believe all that we secede or fail in is foreknown by God (omniscient) and therefore cannot effect His work in us, rather, it's all used for our good--to His glory. (Rom 8:28).

And yet He stands at the door and knocks.

By what you say is what predestination of all about in that His foreknowledge does effect/predetermines "His work" in us, either unto good or evil? Following your reasoning, God should never be angry__in fact, He should never show any emotion in what He gets back from man..

There's nothing expected of us (other than confession and repentance) which can address our sin, failure or success. Only the propitiation of Christ is used for our Father's acceptance concerning us and there's nothing a believer can do to affect this.

It is the afterwards of it all that is important in the scheme of God's plan for having created man in the first place. Beginning with Adam, that is why God always subjects man to choose between a life of faith and a life of vanity.

His blood addresses the effect--sin. His Cross addresses the cause--old nature, Satan and the world (unsaved).

I don't follow when you say the cross addresses the cause. Where do you get that?

It has been well stated that "If we are disappointed, it's because we've trusted in our-self, for God never disappoints."

Again, I don't follow your line of reasoning.

Our works effect our eternal rewards, not our eternal security!! He never uses what He finds but what He brings.

That, I believe, is error. "When He comes, will He find faith"? (Lu.18:8). Whose will He be looking for? __and is not faith, righteousness?

"And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." Psalm 9:8-10 (KJV)

 

[netchaplain]

Hi Ormly. I believe God foreknows our choices, even before creation, and in these choices He "works all things according to His will."

"There's nothing expected of us (other than confession and repentance) which can address our sin." This means our sins are remitted or forgiven, only through Christ's finished work of salvation and nobody can add to, nor diminish from this.

"And yet He stands at the door and knocks." This is Revelation 3:20 and is reference to the lost, who haven't received Him yet.

"I don't follow when you say the cross addresses the cause. Where do you get that?" We are "partakers" of the crucifying power of the Cross (2 Cor 1:7; 1 Pet 4:13) and the Spirit (as the Father and Son does everything through the Holy Spirit in everything concerning us) applies this to our sinful nature (Rom 7:21, 24, 25) and this keeps sin from "ruling us" (Rom 6:12), "so that you cannot do the things that you would" (Gal 5:17).

"If we are disappointed, it's because we've trusted in our-self, for God never disappoints." Since God "works all things together for good" in our lives, we shouldn't allow ourselves to become disappointed, because we can trust and know that whatever occurs in the life of a believer is of His will and control. "The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD' (Psa 37:23). "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths (Pro 3:6).

"He never uses what He finds but what He brings." I should have been more explanatory with this statement. It is in reference to the works of salvation, in which nobody can add to. As concerning our faith, we do not work through it, but rather, He works through our faith. I believe our faith does not originate from us but is within us--by the Spirit. Faith in God is a gift from God, because it is of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).

"Is not faith, righteousness?" Like holiness, justification and sanctification, righteousness is imputed, not imparted and therefore never originates from our self. It's all vicarious from Christ to us. "But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1Cr 1:30).

I hope I haven't been too excessive with this sharing!




1-12. DEPENDENT RECEPTION

"Walk in [dependence upon] the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

Those who have thoroughly learned full dependence on Him for justification will come to understand that sanctification is by the same faith principle. We are to rest in His finished work both for birth and for growth.

"We are not to overcome the lusts of the flesh in order that we may walk in the Spirit. We are to walk in the Spirit in order that the lusts of the flesh may be overcome. The enemy can hold up young Christians on this point for a long time, so that they do not really get started on the Christian walk. They feel they cannot expect to begin to walk in the Spirit until they have, in some degree at least, dealt with the lusts of the flesh.

"They wait for some vague time when they hope they will have reached a more satisfactory position in regard to the lusts of the flesh, and will feel more confident about attempting a walk in the Spirit. But that is all the wrong way around. If we are to wait until we have, in some degree, mastered the lusts of the flesh before we venture to walk in the Spirit: if we are to wait until we feel that we can give some sort of security to ourselves and to God that we shall do a bit better in the future than we have done in the past, then we never will walk in the Spirit. For until we walk in dependence upon the Spirit we shall not, and cannot, overcome the lusts of the flesh." -D.T.

"Be filled with [controlled by] the indwelling of the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18, Cony.).

 

[Ormly]

Hi Ormly. I believe God foreknows our choices, even before creation, and in these choices He "works all things according to His will."

"There's nothing expected of us (other than confession and repentance) which can address our sin." This means our sins are remitted or forgiven, only through Christ's finished work of salvation and nobody can add to, nor diminish from this.

I have a rather lengthy reply to your post, netchaplin, however, I am thinking that before me giving you a point by point rebuttal, which will no doubt be replied to by you in like fashion that will get us both nowhere, I am thinking that there are a few questions that first need answering.

1. If, as you believe God has things worked out by decree, why didn't He decree holiness instead of sin?

2. Keeping in mind were created in the image of God and God is LOVE: How can love, God desires from man, be love if it is by decree He receives it? Would it indeed be love if it is by decree? Would you believe-enjoy that kind of 'love' from your family? Love is not Narcissistic.

3. Paul, in reply to the jailer, who asked, "what must I do to be saved", said this: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house." Acts 16:30-32

I don't see anywhere in that passage where Paul spoke to them: 'you must first pray for faith to believe that you "might be" saved.' How would one even know he was saved, if that is the program laid out by God?

4. Paul knew, when he laid hands the disciples of John in Acts 19, they had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, He heard them speaking in tongues and prophesying, as the evidence. Where is the evidence, in which he could have confidence__ that we could have confidence for teaching such a requirement, Paul observed in the above account with the jailer and his family, they received a "gift of faith"?

What do you make of that?



Interest or identification?

I have been crucified with Christ. Gal. 2:20.

The imperative need spiritually is to sign the death-warrant of the disposition of sin, to turn all emotional impressions and intellectual beliefs into a moral verdict against the disposition of sin, viz., my claim to my right to myself. Paul says—“I have been crucified with Christ”; he does not say, ‘I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ,’ or, ‘I will endeavour to follow Him,’ but, ‘I have been identified with Him in His death.’ When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me. The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.

“… nevertheless I live …” The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered. The same human body remains, but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed.

“And the life which I now live in the flesh …,” not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” This faith is not Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him—“the faith of the Son of God.” It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the Son of God.


Chambers, O. (1993). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year. Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers.