SoaringEagle
13th July 2005, 12:07 AM
What's up Fam?
I wrote this because it really blessed me reading it. I used to be bound to ways similar to this. Thank the Lord for His freedom. Hope it blesses you as well. Check it out.
WE LOVE HIS COMMANDMENTS. But MORE SO, WE LOVE HIM.
WE AlSO love His GRACE. WHY? Because It frees us from sin, and teaches us to say no to unrighteousness. Which COMMANDMENTS?
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
So as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior, we see with the eyes of our heart/understanding His love and acceptance for us, It compells me to keep His commandments, and no longer live for ourself, but for Him who died for us and rose again. I mean, why do we love Him? Because He first loved us, and as we grow in His love, so does our obedience grow.
In 1 John Chapter 2 we see three stages of spiritual growth.
Little Children
Young Men
Fathers.
Little Children, I write to you,Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write to you, Because you have known the Father.
=====================================================
Young Men, I write to you,Because you have overcome the wicked one.I have written to you, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
=====================================================
Fathers, I write to you, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
=====================================================
Does the our King really expect the level of purity, holiness, obedience, and sanctification of the Little Children in the faith as He expects from the young men or fathers in the faith? Vice versa, someone who has been in the faith for a long time shouldn't still be at the little Children and young men stage.
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
=====================================================
Here is a better example or analogy. Hope your blessed by it.
SEEING THE LIGHT
Have you ever been in a rural atmosphere where there are absolutely no lights-no moon and no incident light of a nearby city? If you have, you will know that in such an atmosphere it is impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. Imagine if I were covered in sores in such an atmosphere. All the self-inspection in the world would be fruitless because I cannot produce enough light to see what I am doing. Trying harder to see more would be futile. More time or more effort will produce nothing but the same results-darkness-because the critical element is missing:LIGHT.
Now consider if someone should bring a candle into that situation. I would be able to see in proportion to the amount of light I have been given. If someone should exchange the candle for a flashlight, I could see more... a flashlight for a floodlight even more... and a floodlight for a 50,000-watt halogen light, even more. MY ABILITY TO SEE IS IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE LIGHT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN. That is the way it is for the believer. We do not possess enough light concerning ourselves in the face of the Word to do self-introspection for sin.
Suppuse I am in a place with God that He is dealing with me at a 50,000-watt halogen level. If I am not a walking vessel of grace, what would I expect of others and project on others? RIGHT-50,000 watts. BUt what if God is only dealing with my brother or sister at a candle level? What right do I have to project the level of sanctification that God is dealing with me about? Well, you say, the Bible is the standard. Yes indeed it is. But Jesus is Lord of the Bible and the Spirit is sovereign over His own. Issues of need, priority, timing, and sequence in the life of a believer is up to His sovereignty in relationship to the believer, not about projecting on someone else the results of my own introspection and self-analysis. This is so vital in our Christian walk. Failure on this point yields so much legalism and relational conflict. Those prone to introspection are manifesting a symptom of legalism.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 36:9: "In Thy light, we shall see light." The only time any of us is suited to make an evaluative self-judgment about our character development or spiritual progress in the Kingdom is in the light of His illuming presence--when we are in communion with Him, with the Word of God as our base. I am responsible for those issues concerning which the Lord may be dealing with me at any given moment. I am not responsible for those areas of non-Christlikeness that the Lord is not currnetly bringing up.
SILENT KILLERS OF FAITH by DR. Stephen Crosby pg. 78,79
overcoming legalism and performance based religion
Mr 9:42 "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
I wrote this because it really blessed me reading it. I used to be bound to ways similar to this. Thank the Lord for His freedom. Hope it blesses you as well. Check it out.
WE LOVE HIS COMMANDMENTS. But MORE SO, WE LOVE HIM.
WE AlSO love His GRACE. WHY? Because It frees us from sin, and teaches us to say no to unrighteousness. Which COMMANDMENTS?
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
So as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior, we see with the eyes of our heart/understanding His love and acceptance for us, It compells me to keep His commandments, and no longer live for ourself, but for Him who died for us and rose again. I mean, why do we love Him? Because He first loved us, and as we grow in His love, so does our obedience grow.
In 1 John Chapter 2 we see three stages of spiritual growth.
Little Children
Young Men
Fathers.
Little Children, I write to you,Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write to you, Because you have known the Father.
=====================================================
Young Men, I write to you,Because you have overcome the wicked one.I have written to you, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
=====================================================
Fathers, I write to you, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
=====================================================
Does the our King really expect the level of purity, holiness, obedience, and sanctification of the Little Children in the faith as He expects from the young men or fathers in the faith? Vice versa, someone who has been in the faith for a long time shouldn't still be at the little Children and young men stage.
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
=====================================================
Here is a better example or analogy. Hope your blessed by it.
SEEING THE LIGHT
Have you ever been in a rural atmosphere where there are absolutely no lights-no moon and no incident light of a nearby city? If you have, you will know that in such an atmosphere it is impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. Imagine if I were covered in sores in such an atmosphere. All the self-inspection in the world would be fruitless because I cannot produce enough light to see what I am doing. Trying harder to see more would be futile. More time or more effort will produce nothing but the same results-darkness-because the critical element is missing:LIGHT.
Now consider if someone should bring a candle into that situation. I would be able to see in proportion to the amount of light I have been given. If someone should exchange the candle for a flashlight, I could see more... a flashlight for a floodlight even more... and a floodlight for a 50,000-watt halogen light, even more. MY ABILITY TO SEE IS IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE LIGHT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN. That is the way it is for the believer. We do not possess enough light concerning ourselves in the face of the Word to do self-introspection for sin.
Suppuse I am in a place with God that He is dealing with me at a 50,000-watt halogen level. If I am not a walking vessel of grace, what would I expect of others and project on others? RIGHT-50,000 watts. BUt what if God is only dealing with my brother or sister at a candle level? What right do I have to project the level of sanctification that God is dealing with me about? Well, you say, the Bible is the standard. Yes indeed it is. But Jesus is Lord of the Bible and the Spirit is sovereign over His own. Issues of need, priority, timing, and sequence in the life of a believer is up to His sovereignty in relationship to the believer, not about projecting on someone else the results of my own introspection and self-analysis. This is so vital in our Christian walk. Failure on this point yields so much legalism and relational conflict. Those prone to introspection are manifesting a symptom of legalism.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 36:9: "In Thy light, we shall see light." The only time any of us is suited to make an evaluative self-judgment about our character development or spiritual progress in the Kingdom is in the light of His illuming presence--when we are in communion with Him, with the Word of God as our base. I am responsible for those issues concerning which the Lord may be dealing with me at any given moment. I am not responsible for those areas of non-Christlikeness that the Lord is not currnetly bringing up.
SILENT KILLERS OF FAITH by DR. Stephen Crosby pg. 78,79
overcoming legalism and performance based religion
Mr 9:42 "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.