I recently came across a book by Major Ian Thomas that is out-of-print and has been for >50 years. It is titled, "If I Perish, I Perish" and it is an allegory hidden within the book of Esther that was revealed to Mr. Thomas and shared with us here. The allegory pertains to the battle between the flesh and spirit within every believer and the practical application as to how deliverance and victory is obtained. In this story Haman the Agagite represents the flesh, Esther represents the spirit, Mordecai represents the Holy Spirit and the king represents the soul. There is a beautiful balance between God's grace and human response which is painfully aware of it's need and dependence upon God. You can read and/or download this work by clicking the link below:http://www.scribd.com/doc/118082634/If-I-Perish-I-Perish-by-W-Ian-ThomasIf you are not familiar with Major Ian Thomas, he is best known for 3 other books which are also excellent:1) The Saving Life of Christ2) The Indwelling Life of Christ3) The Mystery of GodlinessAll of his books have as their theme the idea that the Christian life is not about us trying in our own effort to imitate Jesus but our yielding and letting Him who indwells us to live His live through us and be manifested in us by the power of His resurrected life that indwells us. He avoids any and all extreme notions of sanctification that suggest utter passivity.I might also suggest another totally out-of-print book by another excellent author. "The Way of Victory" by James McConkey. This book describes our deliverance and separation from the dominion of sin thru identification with our death with Christ and our resurrection with Him. It avoids the pitfall that many early holiness teachers made about death to sin. He explains that death to sin does not mean an inability to be responsive to sin's temptation. Death is a separation. When we die, our spirit leaves the body and is no longer under the body's dominion. Death to sin means we are delivered from the dominion and tyranny of sin. It means we are able to not sin. It does not mean we are not able to sin. Big difference there. This is exactly where entire sanctification and sinless perfection teaching went wrong. Even though our "old man" is crucified and dead, we still inhabit a body, of which Paul said "no good thing dwells" and "is at enmity with God", that still enjoys sin. By living in the Spirit, through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, we are able to put to death the deeds of the flesh. Walking in victory over sin is a moment-by-moment affair. It is not something that is attained by a single experience and thereafter you "coast" in your experience. We will become sinless either when we die (physically) or Jesus comes back and we are changed in the twinkling of an eye, whichever comes first. You can read and/or download this work by clicking the link below:http://www.scribd.com/doc/114837275/The-Way-of-Victory-by-James-McConkey
This is an old thread.The links provided by TrueWitness have been deleted. Major Ian Thomas’ audiobook “If I Perish, I Perish” is available here on Sermonindex:https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=17&min=80&orderby=titleA&show=20
_________________Jade
