Saints,

This is one who has left our group. It was written by rookie roundabout page 36 during "The New Covenant" thread.

Not being able to find a program until now that would open and copy the file into Windows OS is the reason that this was not shared earlier.

Through God's Spirit, Shlomo wrote in Ecclesiastes that "There is a time and a place for everything under the sun."
This is all the 'reasons why' that is needed.

Much of this letter seems indirect though indirectly directed at me. No matter, having read everything and prayed,it is now in front of your eyes.



All direct personal references (about 'rookie') and other personal information not relative to this forum have been edited out of this letter so that it kinda' like it's written for all of us here to:

prayerfully contemplate,
trust God,
obey Him,
then grow accordingly.

Editing found incompete is due to being done on the fly with a work deadline looming.

The only thing added to this letter are grammatix:
a space or punctuation correction, a word, sometimes two, here and there to clarify meaning and intent.






Hi. . .

. . .It seems lonely here on this thread because few are willing to acknowledge they don't understand certain precepts.  Many have accepted the teachings of men without searching the Scriptures to see of what they are taught is true.  Yet there are those who are listening to this discussion, and with God's grace begin to contemplate the things made known so far so.

Those other persons who sent you those messages are listening and praying for you. . .

 

. . .When I first started sharing here on SI, I began like my nickname implies, a full-fledge 'rookie'.  I had no experience with the internet.  I had little experience in trying to explain with words the things that I was zealous for.  I offended some due to my passion and inexperience in sharing in this medium.  But over time, I found that most of the words that I use do not compare to the power of the Scriptures themselves.  I also have found for the most part fruitlessness in quoting other men's work.  But I have found that the Scriptures are sufficient.  I have also found that it is more fruitful to focus on one thought at a time. And finally, I have found it very fruitful to ask specific questions that relate to the Scripture I have submit for inquiry.  

Throughout Scripture we find God asking specific questions of those He is addressing in the OT.  Jesus and Paul continue to us this method of communication in the NT. You see, most of the time we accept the teaching of men, and do not have the opportunity to discuss the points of what they teach. Here on SI, this for me has been a wonderful blessing, in that when I get involved with a discussion I both learn from others and many times learn as I try to share what I have seen in Scripture.  It is wonderful how God can use us moment by moment exhorting one another and building up of one another in this endeavor.  We also learn as Jeremiah was called to do, that often God begins by rooting out, by pulling down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.  

Jeremiah 1:9-10  "....Behold I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant. "









Meditate on the order and importance of what i will now share.  

Another point that I have learned is that I have hurt my brothers and sisters in Christ.  This particular thread is not understood by many who are listening.  Paul often said, that he wished he could share in greater detail, but most are not able to understand. Sometimes I have Bible thumped people without consideration for where they are at in their understanding of the precept of God. Other times I have just said unloving things because of frustrations that arise when I am involved in a passionate discussion.  But through all of this we must keep in mind that we are representing to others what Christ is doing in us.

In terms of the idea of imputed faith, I don't know if that is a proper way to describe what I mean.  Philologos who is English, has a great command of the english language.  I was visited by another English woman a few years back, and as we got to know each other, I came to understand and appreciate their use of language. Most Americans, including myself, have not grasped the skill of using english precisely.  I often use the wrong words.  

With this in mind, Scripture teaches that there is the visible world, the world that is seen, the world that God created.  And then the Scriptures teach that there is the spiritual world which had great significance and impact on the world  that is seen.  Satan has the spiritual power, dunamis, to affect weather, to drive men and beasts, to inflict pain and suffering, to shape the hopes for which men strive for.  Even so, the Holy Spirit has dominion over all God creation.  Man without God is destined to become a worker of unrighteousness.  Yet God's Holy Spirit is not asleep but ever working to call men to recognize that there is a Sovereign God who from the beginning has required of man, His creation, to love Him and to love His people.  

This battle in the spiritual world began in Genesis 3:15.  God says to Satan that from this point forward, that there will exist enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her Seed. Now if one careful seeks to understand this judgement placed upon lucifer, one will find that God is talking of the spiritual realm in which Satan and the Holy Spirit act.  The influences of Satan's power on those who submit to him become his seed.  The influences of the Holy Spirit upon those who repent and submit to God are the children of God who take on the life of Christ.   Jesus told His disciples, that He must leave, but He would not leave them an orphan.  The  Holy Spirit would be their counselor, and that the things that they receive are the substance of Christ.  It is said in Scripture, that those who love God are predestined to be conformed into the image of His Son.  In a crude way, the spiritual source from which we feed becomes the dna of who we become.

All men learn to hope for something that they believe will satisfy their needs.  No man in his natural ability has the power to know God.  It is God who initiates His interaction through Christ, our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, by the dunamis of the Holy Spirit.  Likewise, Satan has affected man by the dunamis of his spirit.  Satan always uses the same means to corrupt men.  Through the lust of the flesh, through the lust of the eyes and through the pride of life, Satan seeks to destroy God's creation.  Likewise, the Holy Spirit calls out to men everywhere to urn and seek God....

Pro 1:20
Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.

Pro 1:21
She cries out in the chief concourses At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:

Prov 1:22
"How long you simple ones will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning And fools hate knowledge.

Prov 1:23
Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.



"Turn at my rebuke: Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you."
This is the promise of the Holy Spirit for the purpose to make known Jesus’s words to man.

Where does faith come from?

We know that it comes through proclaiming the word of God. The covenant made with Abraham always demonstrates this precept. First God speaks to Abraham, then Abraham is given the choice to do as God asks or to reject what God asks or says to him. As Abraham continues to live and do (believe), the things that God leads Abraham to do, the fruit of Abraham’s obedience, reaps new understanding of God’s truth, God’s ways, and God’s care for Abraham. Each interaction causes Abraham to grow in the desire to glorify God. His increase never diminishes. Each interaction demonstrates God faithfulness, God’s goodness, God’s omnipresence, acting upon the world that is seen. It is God who impresses man which His presence. It is God who changes the substance for what man hopes for in life. God becomes our portion in this life.

Now the Scriptures both in the OT and the NT speak of the light of life. This is the work of Jesus Christ directing the Holy Spirit in ways that give understanding to those who are willing to listen. It is Jesus Christ’s work that was predestined before the foundation of the world, to be the means by which God has established redemption and salvation for men.

We are co-hiers with Jesus Christ. By Christ we are both reconciled to the Father, and given the opportunity to know the power of His resurrected life. The Seed, The Life, is what saves men. As we respond to His voice, as we benefit from His work to reveal His ways, we learn of His righteousness. As we learn of His ways, we ourselves grow to understand the righteousness of God. As we learn by Him leading us, we grow in understanding of the way He ministers to us and to other. We learn how to care for others because we ourselves have first been cared for by Him. Mercy and grace begin to overflow in our lives. For those who are perishing we are the aroma of death, for those who are alive, we are the aroma of Christ. We will experience enmity from those who have taken on the nature of their father Satan. We will experience unity of spirit with those who are growing into the likeness of Christ.

Faith then is the result of God’s work upon men who turn to Him. It begins as a mustard seed. But as we continue to respond, He trains us to hear and see more clearly the spiritual realm. The Holy Scriptures become the foundation upon which God begins to reveal His truth to man. The more we submit to Scripture, the more we experience the power of the truth that sets us free from the bondage of the spiritual influences of Satan. This is the work of Christ to destroy the work of Satan. Those who practice the use of Scripture will learn to discern between good and evil. The practice of Scripture in our lives will wither our hopes for this world. We become pilgrims in the world that is seen.

God always amazes me in the ways He frees me from the corruption that I suffered from the hands of Satan. As we learn from Him in this way, we have nothing to boast about, because we know that we have not accomplished the work by our own strength, mind, and work. For He continually seeks to shape us into a willing vessel prepared for the work that He would have us do.

Finally, I will not be able to continue adding to this thread on SI, this coming week. We are going on a family vacation, and I don’t think there is internet service where we are going. So it is time for you to continue the work that we have started correcting in that the New Covenant is a refreshing of God’s promise in each generation. This is the Covenant made with Abraham. This covenant was in place throughout the generations who lived under the covenant given on Mount Sinai. It has always been established by faith. And it is God who must work to enable man to have faith in Him. And it is God who enables man to love Him. And it is God who enable man to know how to love his neighbor. And that means that God’s interaction with man is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The law without the power of the Holy Spirit condemns man because he does not know how to love God, and he cannot love others the way God loves others. But through faith, God grants to us the power of the Holy Spirit which enables us to know Christ. It is by the Holy Spirit that we grow to love the Father as Christ loves the Father. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are known by Christ. And because we are known by Christ we satisfy the law.

Everything I wrote here is how I have come to understand the Scriptures thus far. I only see dimly what God has created. Search the Scriptures to see if what I have written is in unity with the truth. Don’t trust me, look to our Lord and Savior for the increase.

This is my life, but I can only pray that I have not lead any away from Jesus Christ in any way. Trust Him only.

God Bless
rookie