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CofG
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Joined: 2017/2/12
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 Re:

Hi Ron. There’s actually a verse that says that:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. - Galatians 5:16


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Robert

 2019/1/18 6:44Profile
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 Chapter 12 - GOD HIMSELF WILL ESTABLISH YOU - ABIDE - Andrew Murray


"He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, is God." - 2 COR.1:21

THESE words of Paul teach us a much needed and most blessed truth - that just as our first being united with Christ was the work of divine omnipotence, so we may look to the Father, too, for being kept and being fixed more firmly in Him. "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" - this expression of confidence should ever accompany the prayer, "Forsake not the work of Thine own hands." In all his longings and prayers to attain to a deeper and more perfect abiding in Christ, the believer must hold fast his confidence: "He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." There is nothing that will so help to root and ground him in Christ as this faith: "He which stablisheth us in Christ is God."

How many there are who can witness that this faith is just what they need! They continually mourn over the variableness of their spiritual life. Sometimes there are hours and days of deep earnestness, and even of blessed experience of the grace of God. But how little is needed to mar their peace, to bring a cloud over the soul! And then, how their faith is shaken! All efforts to regain their standing appear utterly fruitless; and neither solemn vows, nor watching and prayer, avail to restore to them the peace they for a while had tasted. Could they but understand how just their ownefforts are the cause of their failure, because it is God alone who can establish us in Christ Jesus. They would see that just as in justification they had to cease from their own working, and to accept in faith the promise that God would give them life in Christ, so now, in the matter of their sanctification, their first need is to cease, from striving themselves to establish the connection with Christ more firmly, and to allow God to do it. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ." What they need is the simple faith that the stablishing in Christ, day by day, is God's work - a work that He delights to do, in spite of all our weakness and unfaithfulness, if we will but trust Him for it.

To the blessedness of such a faith, and the experience it brings, many can testify. What peace and rest, to know that there is a Husbandman who cares for the branch, to see that it grows stronger, and that its union with the Vine becomes more perfect, who watches over every hindrance and danger, who supplies every needed aid! What peace and rest, fully and finally to give up our abiding into the care of God, and never have a wish or thought, never to offer a prayer or engage in an exercise connected with it, without first having the glad remembrance that what we do is only the manifestation of what God is doing in us! The establishing in Christ is His work: He accomplishes it by stirring us to watch, and wait, and work. But this He can do with power only as we cease interrupting Him by our self - working - as we accept in faith the dependent posture which honours Him and opens the heart to let Him work. How such a faith frees the soul from care and responsibility! In the midst of the rush and bustle of the world's stirring life, amid the subtle and ceaseless temptations of sin, amid all the daily cares and trials that so easily distract and lead to failure, how blessed it would be to be an established Christianalways abiding in Christ! How blessed even to have the faith that one can surely become it - that the attainment is within our reach!

Dear believer, the blessing is indeed within your reach. He that stablisheth you with us in Christ is God. What I want you to take in is this - that believing this promise will not only give you comfort, but will be the means of your obtaining your desire. You know how Scripture teaches us that in all God's leadings of His people faith has everywhere been the one condition of the manifestation of His power. Faith is the ceasing from all nature's efforts, and all other dependence; faith is confessed helplessness casting itself upon God's promise, and claiming its fulfilment; faith is the putting ourselves quietly into God's hands for Him to do His work. What you and I need now is to take time, until this truth stands out before us in all its spiritual brightness: It is God Almighty, God the Faithful and Gracious One, who has undertaken to stablish me in Christ Jesus.

Listen to what the Word teaches you: - "The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto Himself"; "O Lord God, stablish their heart unto Thee"; "Thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever"; "Thou wilt establish the heart of the humble"; "Now to Him that is of power to establish you, be glory for ever"; "To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness" ; "THE LORD IS FAITHFUL, who shall stablish you and keep you from all evil"; "The God of all grace, who hath called us in Christ Jesus, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." Can you take these words to mean anything less than that you too - however fitful your spiritual life has hitherto been, however unfavourable your natural character or your circumstances may appear - can be established in Christ Jesuscan become an established Christian? Let us but take time to listen, in simple childlike teachableness, to these words as the truth of God, and the confidence will come: As surelyas I am in Christ, I shall also, day by day, be established in Him.

The lesson appears so simple; and yet the most of us take so long to learn it. The chief reason is, that the grace the promise offers is so large, so God - like, so beyond all our thoughts, that we do not take it really to mean what it says. The believer who has once come to see and accept what it brings, can bear witness to the wonderful change there comes over the spiritual life. Hitherto he had taken charge of his own welfare; now he has a God to take charge of it. He now knows himself to be in the school of God, a Teacher who plans the whole course of study for each of His pupils with infinite wisdom, and delights to have them come daily for the lessons He has to give. All he asks is to feel himself constantly in God's hands, and to follow His guidance, neither lagging behind nor going before. Remembering that it is God who worketh both to will and to do, he sees his only safety to be in yielding himself to God's working. He lays aside all anxiety about his inner life and its growth, because the Father is the Husbandman under whose wise and watchful care each plant is well secured. He knows that there is the prospect of a most blessed life of strength and fruitfulness to every one who will take God alone and wholly as his hope.

Believer, you cannot but admit that such a life of trust must be a most blessed one. You say, perhaps, that there are times when you do, with your whole heart, consent to this way of living, and do wholly abandon the care of your inner life to your Father. But somehow it does not last. You forget again; and instead of beginning each morning with the joyous transference of all the needs and cares of your spiritual life to the Father's charge, you again feel anxious, and burdened, and helpless. Is it not, perhaps, my brother, because you have not committed to the Father's care this matter , daily remembering to renew your entire surrender? Memory is one of the highest powers in our nature. By it day is linked to day, the unity of life through all our years is kept up, and we know that we are still ourselves. In the spiritual life, recollection is of infinite value. For the sanctifying of our memory, in the service of our spiritual life, God has provided most beautifully. The Holy Spirit is the remembrancer, the Spirit of recollection. Jesus said, "He shall bring all things to your remembrance." "He which stablisheth us with you in Christ is God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." It is just for the stablishing that the Holy Remembrancer has been given. God's blessed promises, and your unceasing acts of faith and surrender accepting of them - He will enable you to remember these each day. The Holy Spirit isblessed be God - the memory of the new man.

Apply this to the promise of the text: "He that stablisheth us in Christ is God." As you now, at this moment, abandon all anxiety about your growth and progress to the God who has undertaken to stablish you in the Vine, and feel what a joy it is to know that God alone has charge, ask and trust Him by the Holy Spirit ever to remind you of this your blessed relation to Him. He will do it; and with each new morning your faith may grow stronger and brighter: I have a God to see that each day I become more firmly united to Christ.

And now, beloved fellow - believer, "the God of all grace, who hath called us in Christ Jesus, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." What more can you desire? Expect it confidently, ask it fervently. Count on God to do His work. And learn in faith to sing the song, the notes of which each new experience will make deeper and sweeter: "Now to Him, that is of power to establish you, be glory for ever. Amen." Yes, glory to God, who has undertaken to establish us in Christ!


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Vern

 2019/1/18 8:42Profile
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 Re:

Hi David: The way I understand it, the Believer is a unity of soul and spirit, whether he sins by bodily action or worship of another god he sins.

If there is some kind of "part of me sinned and the other part didn't", the outcome is the same, the man is guilty of sin.

I believe this brings us full circle "who shall deliver me from the body of this death"?

Therefore we serve God in the Spirit knowing that sins of the mind/body need not resume the rule they had.

I don't see where scripture takes us farther?

As I also see it, there is no need to call some part of us "incorruptible" because whether there is such a thing in us or not the scripture promises never address that 'thing' in us, rather it speaks to the mind/spirit in man.


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Marvin

 2019/1/18 9:23Profile
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 Re:

I don't have time now to comment but will get back later. I don't consider us as arguing but exchanging thoughts and comments.


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David Winter

 2019/1/18 11:24Profile
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 Re: A help to me Dave


Hi David: It's a good discussion, and I think valuable to at least me, I appreciate a congealing of ideas, and using your ideas to stir up mine.

Again, this is why study into this matter or any other causes friction at a Church and is avoided. Namely because something like this, never even broached by anyone in the congregation brings out all manner of interpretations and differences of opinion.

For me, you help me get ahead of the curve so when my brothers and sisters in a study group raise such a topic I am not totally oblivious to the subject.


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Marvin

 2019/1/18 13:28Profile
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 Re: Andrew Murray a fave


Hi Vern: I own and have read many books by Andrew Murray,( the same ones many times) they are wonderful in their 'feel' and how he addresses every topic with a gentleness quite alien from me. There were a couple of years in my life where Andrew's books were used by God as an anchor to my own soul.

It's my opinion that Brother Andrew has the same opinion as me and I with him, namely the regenerate Spirit living in continual communion with God through the Holy Spirit.


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Marvin

 2019/1/18 13:42Profile
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 I was living in the WRONG tree

For many years my “Christian” life I was consumed with the thought. "Right now I sin. When I am in heaven I will not sin. That's what I believed perfection meant." Sin versus no-sin. Now I know that is just living from-in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So while thinking the real issue for me was sin versus not-sinning, hear and obey versus fail to hear and disobey, I was living in the false issue, which is living in sin, that is, falling short of the real issue. I was so caught up with the idea of obedience versus disobedience I missed the LIFE of CHRIST.

The real issue is living inside the tree of life (John 14:20) where no either/or is to be found. The issue of the tree of life is knowing God and knowing Jesus Sent. I now live in the tree of life where I am no longer concerned about obedience or disobedience. Nor am I concerned about sinning – or not sinning. He now is my ONLY life and I and 100% consumed with HIM and KNOWING HIM!

Christ HAS BY HIMSELF purged our sins. One sacrifice for sins forever. He has perfected to completion those whom He is continuously making holy. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God inside of Him

The reason we do not live inside of sin, but inside of Christ where there is no sin, is that the contention of sin verses not-sin is death. And knowing God is life. Those busy with sin/not-sin are failing to know God. Jesus redeemed us and made us free from sin (Romans 6 & 7) so that we could leave sin/not-sin and busy ourselves with the only thing important - knowing God and God known through us.

Every true Christian (however Jesus defines that) KNOWS the Lord. But to know is a sliding scale concept. And the depths of meaning found in "know the Lord" will never end.


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Vern

 2019/1/19 5:52Profile
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 Re: The Nature of the New Creation

Peter is writing to born again Christians.

"You have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever."

The nature of the seed determines the nature of the life that comes out of it. If you sow an orange seed, you do not get an apple. If you sow an apple seed, you do not get an orange. If you are born a natural person of a corruptible seed, you will have a corruptible life - a life subject to the process of corruption. If you are born again of incorruptible seed, however, you will enjoy incorruptible life, because it is impossible for a incorruptible seed to produce a corruptible life. The key word describing the new nature is incorruptible.

What is the seed that brings forth the new man, and what causes it to be incorruptible? It is the seed of God's Word which produces incorruptible life.

Look at James 1:18: "Of His own will He brought us forth [or begot us again] by the word of truth. The truth of God's Word begets in us an incorruptible nature.

What does this mean regarding our tendency to sin? First John 3:9 says: 'Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."

Derek Prince was born of God about 59 years ago at this writing. Does that mean Derek Prince never sinned after salvation? I can tell you for sure that it does not! Yet the verse says he "cannot" sin. My conclusion is that John is talking not about the individual but about the new man in the individual. Because he is born of incorruptible seed, the new man is incapable of sinning.

I love I John 5:4: 'Whoever is born of God overcomes the world." It is both a whoever and a whatever. The apostle John is not talking about James or Bill or George or Mary or Jane. He is talking about the new man produces in us by the Word of God. Again, incorruptible seed produces an incorruptible nature. Does that mean once we are born again, we can never sin No. It all depends on which nature is allowed to control us. The old man cannot help sinning. The new man cannot sin. What you do depends on who is in control of you.

A person who has been born again cannot help sinning, because his very nature causes him to sin. But a person who has been born again has an option. If we allow the new man to remain in control, we do not sin. If we allow the old nature to reassert itself, we sin.

Claiming this Exchange:

Whatever you do, do not try to make the old man behave in a religious way! This does not work. Instead, God's solution is this:

My old man - the rebel, the corrupt one - was crucified in Jesus that I might be delivered from that evil and corrupt nature, and that a new nature might come into me, through the Word of God, and take control of me.

(From "Bought with Blood: The Divine Exchange at the Cross" - by Derek Prince, Ch 11 - "The New Man in Place of the Old Man" - pg 135-136)


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David Winter

 2019/1/19 11:32Profile
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 Re:

Is not the incorruptible Seed the living Word of God, even the Born Again Seed of Jesus Christ Himself Who gave to us of the Father the Holy Spirit of Promise in us forever to bring this Seed forth in producing fruit, fellowship and love for God?

The Word of God, "Living"; John 1:1-5 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

So in the beginning Christ was made all things and He was made to be in the believer. Born Again; Ephesians 1:1-5 (KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Christ in you the hope of Glory; Colossians 1:27-29 (KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

He is now the life I live, by His working and our striving by that working which worketh in us mightily.

In Christ: Phillip


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Phillip

 2019/1/27 7:56Profile
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 Re:

Hi David,
1John3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;for his seed remaineth in him;and he cannot sin,because he is born of God.

Thank you for this edifying thread!

 2019/1/27 16:10Profile





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