iktca
you asked a few questions.
and said a few things, you said this
"If I am truly established on forgiveness and love (or the cross in me), I shall not lose Chrisitian joy and peace, ever."
thats true, but its not true.
there is a place of victory in God where the devil is defeated forever more, thats true.
but some people think the thing they lack of is the knowledge of a technice that simply changes things forever and forever.there is no place in God where you can ever reach and then youll be able to say
"smooth sailing now, i can rest, ive reached this place"
there is no one thing anyone can teach you how to do that will change things forever.
what im saying is that there is no one place where you can reach, or one thing you can do that sets you free from sin forever, perfection is not a destination, its a continuing of a process and rutine.
there is no "ive become perfect, im finished, no more of that" but there is a level of conscrecration unto God that you can learn to live that if you live that way for the rest of your life, sin will no longer have a hold on you.
people think they pray alot and one dayu lust will be defeated forever and theyll be done with lust, no, you live a life of continual consecration unto God and while your living that life your free from lust, but if you go back to the old habits and ways, the lust will return.it always does.
there is no technique or place you can ever learn of to set you free forever, though there is a way of life that can be lived that if it is continual will keep you free.
Jesus said ABIDE...in me. he said become a part of me, then stay there foever...
you learn how to consecrate yourself unto God through continual prayer, mediation on the word and fasting, and then learn to stay at that level of consecration for the rest of your life, and if you dont stay there, youll go back to sin.
its like the galations who had begun to run a good race...but didnt continue it, so they failed.
and like in hosea, the people where told to go back, and break up there fallow ground,(which is ground that is broken up, but was never sown with seed or finished, so you have to bo back and break it up again, it is an unfinished or dis-continued word) and this time seek him till he comes.
and thats it, man, you have to begin to live at a level of consecration...and commit to doing that untill the coming of the Lord, not just untill you gain a break through, but keep doing that for the rest of your life, so those sins and bondanges dont come back.
seek him...not till you get your head back up or get a miracle...but untill he comes back. one miracle isnt enough.
or youll be up and down...forever.
its not a place or technique, its a way of life that allows you to be free, that you live for rest of your life.
you said
I try and try. But I can't.
Have you succeeded in becoming holy? Could you share with me how you fought your war with yourself to become holy? How do you suggest that I reconcile between the command and myself, which is unable to obey the command that I DESIRE to obey? Am I supposed to live with this agony until my death?
im not trying to be harsh, im really not. but as you can see, if you need to ask these kind of questions then you dont know the word well enough, you dont have the power of the word of God moving in your life like you need to in order to overcome sin.
and its good that your asking, but none of us can ever give you your answers, we can point you in the right direction, give you topics to study and look into, but you need to begin to study and spend more time in the word meditating on it and digesting it than you ever have before, thats the thing you lack. you have to begin to fill yourself with it, and emerse yourself in it, more than you ever have before, more than you ever thought you would.
paul told timothy that the scriptures were given to us, to perfect us and furnish us unto all good works. the scriptures are what change us, and that is what you need.
many other things too, but the scripture is the way to find those things.
it would be good for us to answer your questions the best we can, but no one or nothing can ever replace you going to scripture and filling yourself with it yourself, the things that will stay with me for the rest of my life, are not things a man taught me, but things i went to the bible and fed on and filled myself with myself.
its good to have teachers, but they can only lead you and point to what you need to go and study and consume yourself, their teaching isnt enough.
faith comes by hearing the word, not commentary or great teachers.
this is why we cant even think of anyone who is living purely holy...
becuase there is no one thing that we can do that will simply make us holy like a magic spell, POOF...no.
there is nothing we can do to change us RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW...
its a process that has to take its course in your life and its a way of life that you have to be faithful to, not for a week, not for a month, but for the rest of your life...and people arent willing to be faithful to such a thing.
but man be encouraged...
just because your a christain, but not holy as you need to be. doesnt mean theres anything greatly wrong with you.
God knows this is how we start, becuase in hebrews 5 and 6 say that we have to EXCERCISE our senses and LEARN to grow up in the Lord...and GO ON...unto perfection.
its not that your doing everything wrong or your a failure, its just that you dont know how to proceed and go on, to greater things.
you have to GO ON... unto perfection.
but untill you get there... (and its not the sum of great techniques, or a place of destination, but a living of a way of life you learn and grow to live faithfully forever) then be justified by grace, and know that he is the propitation for your sins, live a life of repentance and leaning on the grace of God.
its sad that we fall down, but we cant be so sad that we never get back up and go on. he is greater than sin.
you need to go to prayer and ask him the questions you asked us.
becuase we can answer your questions in part, but only he has the words of life that will truely truely change you.
when Christ is lifted up....
and thats what im doin, im not going to try and fix you or help you myself, but man im pointing at the master, hes the one you need to go and talk to and let touch you and mold you.
one hour alone with God can do more than a hundred seminaries man, if God is moving.
those people only lead you and point you to what you really need to to, and that is go and let him do it in your life.
they can tell you the truth, but ony God can make that truth a part of your soul so that it changes you and becomes a living part of you.
but man,
you need more of the word of God in your life, thats what perfects us.
you need to walk in the spirit, thats what allows us to walk free of flesh.
many things really.
but Jesus will have to teach you those things.
smith wigglesworth said something like
"we have to learn to abide in the place of the Lord with him, at all times"
people are use to making trips to the presence of the Lord every day or maybe just once a week. its a place they go to...becuase its not where they live regularly.
but they never learn to go there, and stay there and dwell there for the rest of there lives.
we have annual revivals... but we never learn how to stay at that level year round.
we have annual fast sometimes... but we never learn to stay at that level of consecration for the rest of our lives.
thats why we experience times of pure joy...but then we always go back...
