Poster | Thread | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | "For He is our peace"
It always amazes me when the Spirit of God speaks swiftly and bluntly to the present soul needs of His children. The searching and never finding of the world is also just as amazing, albeit in a much more sinister form. The world, those under the spirit of disobedience, the prince of the powers of the air, seek peace, most subconsciously and without knowing it. They seek it in self help, self improvement, self actualization, self realization; but all of this is exactly what it says it is, self.
The church at large employees these same means. We think and preach that more prayer, more fasting, more bible reading, more fellowship, more devotional quiet times (the list is just as long and exhaustive, and exhausting as the worlds) will be the conduit through which we find God. These things are all good things, and necessary. But many wise men have said in the past that the good is the enemy of the perfect.
HE is our peace. I concede the doctrine being taught here, the mutual peace with God, both of Jew and Gentile, is the doctrine being taught here by Paul. But we must approach these truths as poets and psalmists, not merely doctors of theology.
He is our peace; the person of Jesus. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding is also, in this sense, a person. We approach the Father by the Holy Spirit, through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. Triune communion and thereby, peace with God and quietness and peace within.
Christ is all, and in all. Inner peace can never be found by doing, for doing is the enemy of the gospel of grace. Inner peace is in fact a person, Christ Jesus. The indwelling of Jesus Himself, realized and obeyed, is the only avenue through which we find this coveted peace within. The psalmist echoes the cry of the heart sick seeker of God, "Be still oh my soul" and the answer of the Father is "Be still and know that I am God".
Be still dear saint, and know. Know Him, and the power of His resurrection. Peace within is Christ within.
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| 2023/7/11 22:24 | Profile | deogloria Member

Joined: 2020/2/12 Posts: 393
| Re: | | ESchaible In your opinion what does someone need to do to get this kind of peace ? What do you mean "Christ is all, and in all" ?
Markus |
| 2023/7/12 9:20 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | Deogloria /!Markus,
If you want to discuss these topics in a serious and prayerful way, send me an email and we can definitely do that ( [email protected] ).
That invitation is for anyone by the way.
If you would like the discussion to be publicly visible, my blog would be a better place, or another thread for that specific reason. |
| 2023/7/12 10:40 | Profile | deogloria Member

Joined: 2020/2/12 Posts: 393
| Re: | | Evan I don't want to go beyond this forum for now. These are simple questions. But they might reveal a lot more what we believe ? Maybe others are also interested ? Thanks
Markus |
| 2023/7/13 3:05 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | This glorious hymn has been the song of my heart to God all day at work so far. I'll refrain from theology and simply let you to be blessed.
The evening is glorious, oh, hear the glad song Of saints all victorious o’er sin and the wrong! They’ve risen in triumph to reign in this life, Above sect confusion, all darkness and strife.
Refrain: The evening is glorious, hallelujah to God! We’re sanctified wholly through faith in the blood; The true light now shineth, the darkness is past; Our sorrow and sighing is ended at last. Though we have been scattered by sects and by creeds, Now home to Mount Zion our good Shepherd leads; The light was not clear in the dark, cloudy day, But pure evening light now reveals the true way. The songs of the captives who have returned home— O’er Babel’s dark mountains no longer to roam— Are telling of freedom in Zion’s fair height; Oh, glory to Jesus, the evening is light! The glory of heaven now streams from above On God’s holy remnant made perfect in love; They’re free in the Spirit, by Him they are led, And give their allegiance to Jesus, their Head. The evening is glorious, break forth into song, Let melody carry the message along Of perfect salvation in Jesus alone, Who is our salvation and chief Corner Stone
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| 2023/7/13 18:00 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | "And this is eternal life, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent"
What more can be said? That they might have life, and have it more abundantly is the sole purpose of Jesus. Very God and very Man, God manifest Himself in human flesh, to defeat all principality and power, abolish the curse of the law, crush the serpents head and live a life wherein the god of this world had nothing. He became sin for us, in order to die to it once and for all so that we to could die in Him and be married to a new bridegroom.
We have been ransomed from the prince of the power of the air! In Christ we have died to sin, no more indwelling spirit of the world for those who died in Him, for the spirit leaves the body upon death.
We have been risen with Christ to newness of life! The same Holy Spirit that raised up Jesus quickens our mortal bodies and we are vessels of Him who defeated the devil.
It is no longer I that lives, but Christ liveth in me! We identify with Him, in His life who was free from every worldly influence and in whom the prince of this world had nothing.
We, by faith, identify in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and thereby find salvation. Upon salvation we move on to sanctification and we find ourselves indwelt by Christ Himself via God the Holy Spirit, living and moving and having His being in us, as us in the world.
We live by faith in the risen Son of God!
What a wonderful gospel that has been destroyed by a view that Christs death on the cross was merely a punishment for sin to appease an angry gods wrath.
If Christ died to satisfy punishment, than salvation is by law, sins are not forgiven, and grace is no more grace.
Victory in Jesus is identification by faith for salvation, and receiving forgiveness sola gratia, by grace alone. No more punishment because God desires mercy, not sacrifice. My sins are forgiven by a loving God, not punished by proxy.
If you know Christ than life is yours, victory is yours, forgiveness is yours, and Above all, Christ is yours. No more servants but friends, or so said our precious Savior. |
| 2023/7/28 21:25 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | "hath ceased from his own works"
The Christian life for many is a constant debate with flesh and spirit, and it's telling that this very comment elicits one of two responses, either a battle of 2 natures, or a battle of sin versus holiness. Ironically, neither of these views are taught in scripture.
Romans 7 is so often used to justify a life of sin, spiritual failure, a dog eat dog spiritual mentality that puts the Christian against himself in an ever losing battle of wills.
What those of us who have been shown our complete and total worthlessness know all to well is the freeing truth of Romans 7, and the tenor of the entire new testament, that our righteousness is filthy.
Anything that stems from self is what is being taught here. Sadly many, if not most Christians have been lied to and told that they must work to maintain Christs favor and salvation. Even though it is God who keeps us as we rest in Him, as we are taught throughout the new testament, the devil preaches that we must fulfill law, rules and duties to somehow remain and abide.
When a man is born again he desires to do good, to keep law, to live holy, but quickly realizes he can't. The harder he tries the further he falls. The more he tries to pray the more brass like become the heavens. The more he studies his Bible the drier it becomes, until finally he feels all is lost. Men teach push through it and try harder and do more, but God says stop it and rest.
It's a paradox to be sure. But what we do stems directly from who we are, and never from what we try to become. When a defeated believer finally rests and with patience and faith looks to the one who justifies, he will also sanctify.
The rest of God waits for those who "do" one thing, cease doing. Romans 8 is ready to be lived in by the person who simply waits on the Holy Spirit to fill them, after they have had the horrid experience of living out the reality of Romans 7.
Doing is the enemy of being. The rest of God is the only place where true fruit can ever be borne. It is Jesus who lives and moves and Has His being in the believer by faith, apart from works. |
| 2023/8/1 22:28 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | "no longer I"
Jesus is the only way to the Father. Himself; and never the religion that man creates around Him or His teaching. Every philosophy and religion in the world thinks it has the market cornered in regards to truth and virtue. Tragically the modern religion that calls itself Christianity has joined the fray of storming the gates of Gods kingdom, except that it too has weapons raised to assault the very God inside.
We are told to beware of self imposed religion, sanctimonious ethical teaching, arbitrary rules and legalistic practices that throw the believer into a downward spiral of self assessment, self condemnation, self improvement and self sight. Sadly those that think themselves most holy are those that are the most skilled in self sight, the seeing of what they need to be, want to be, try to be, and are telling others what they ought to be and do.
Ravenous wolves are those the pervert the gospel of grace and lead sheep astray. They throw rules and practices at the new believer because they don't see the truth that Jesus nailed the law, with all of its works and condemnation, to the cross of Calvary. Jesus bought us with the price of His blood, ransoming us from the power of Satan, but also redeeming us from the curse of the law. No more works, only Christ. The only truth in the world is Christ Himself, and no amount of virtue, self imposed ethics, rules or law can replace the power of the indwelling person of Jesus.
When we partake in the body and blood of Christ by faith, we receive the cleansing of our consciences from dead works, and our great high priest has entered the inner sanctuary ONCE, which means no more remembrance of sin.
The legalistic duty bound mentality we find in the modern, revival seeking church at large seeks to bring Christ down from heaven. Is He not dwelling within those that partake of His body by faith? His blood cleanses, His body is freedom. Jesus spoke of consuming His flesh, partaking of His body, this is yet another allusion to His indwelling. When we consume food, hunger is satisfied and the food we consume sustains us from within. Meat indeed, except when we eat of this food we will never hunger again.
This identification of the death and resurrection of Jesus by faith is the conduit of the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer.
Paul spoke plainly, I am crucified with Christ, I no longer live, Christ lives in me. No longer Paul, but Christ living in Paul. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. The mystery hid until Paul was given the glorious liberty to expound it for us is Christ in the believer.
Is it to bold for me to say, I no longer live but Christ lives in me? Jesus living, moving, having His being in me, as me, in the world. The ministry of reconciliation, God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, was given to us as believers. This isn't preaching, praying, or anything we do. It is simply Jesus in us, reconciling the world to Himself.
This is the most important revelation a believing and broken Christian can have. When we come to the end of ourselves, our self effort, our prayer, our duties, our ministry, we become partakers of the divine nature. The only one capable of love, for He is love, indwells the believer. God the Holy Spirit will only fill a vessel that ceases from his own works, because a vessel is a container, not a self willed instigator.
No longer I, but Christ in the world in me, as me, reconciling the world to Himself. This is the ministry of reconciliation given to saints who travel the Romans 7 road, and cease their own doing so that the Father can work in them both to will and do of His good pleasure by the indwelling of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
Bold claims, bolder faith. |
| 2023/8/2 13:05 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | "teach them to obey"
What is life in the spirit if not the direct manifestation of the life of Jesus in and through the believer? We are told throughout the new testament that Christ in us, the word abiding within, is the power of the believer. We are taught the law doesn't save, but in fact is used by the devil to deceive us into actually doing the exact opposite of what we desire, living in perfection. So what is the answer?
A believer (I use the term believer in the strictest sense, those indwelt by the Holy Spirit and sanctified by the blood of Christ) quickly realizes that the spiritual life, with all of its raptures and joy, quickly leads back to one thing only, obedience to the teaching of Jesus. This obedience is the eye of the needle through which we all must fit to walk in the kingdom of God.
But Jesus said that about rich men, the theology student quickly retorts. He did, but rich men are not the only ones living in this world trying to make more out of much. This, and all of Jesus commands are not just for those to whom it was directly spoken, but for all of those who seek to walk in oneness with God in perfection.
Perfection is the goal of the truly saved person, as it should be. Jesus promises it, and commands it, in the same breath. Therefore ye shall be perfect, perfect in love, sanctified wholly, spirit soul and body. A lofty command and a taxing and all encompassing promise.
Jesus seeks to lead us on, obedience by obedience, step by step, into the life He knew with His Father while He walked the earth. We shall be as He was, doing only those things that please the Father, one with Him.
Selling all transcends money and reaches into the depths of the soul. A person who is possessed by anything in this life in fact possesses nothing, not even life. The life, eternal life of Christ, is to know God. This should come as great comfort to the believer as He seeks to know God, because the Helper has come.
Jesus commands nothing He does not impart into us the ability to perform, as He desires to simply perform it using us, in us, through us, and as us. He said as long as He was in the world, He was the light of the world, and than tells us we are the light of the world. Paradox only to those who don't have eyes to see. He is the light of the world, and it is this light in us that is our hope of glory.
If we don't obey the teaching of Jesus, we cannot say He dwells within. This is the tenor of Christian teaching in any circles that actually teach Christianity. An inability to obey Jesus is unbelief, because it is belief that empowers us to obey. We live by faith, and if we fail to enter into God's rest it is not due to our lack of trying or working, but due to unbelief.
Always remember, what we do directly proceeds from what we are, and what we are directly proceeds from where we place our faith. Faith in Christ births anew and sanctifies, and changes what we are. We then obey out of this sense of fulfillment and adequacy, rather than grudgingly work from a sense of lack and duty. We love.
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| 2023/8/4 17:57 | Profile | ESchaible Member

Joined: 2023/6/24 Posts: 548
| Re: | | "For if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory"
The vast difference between obedience and working is quite possibly the churches largest blind spot today. We get so caught up in the historical Jesus, the Son of God who shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin, that we forget about the risen Son of God who is alive today. In most circles you would think that believers are mourning a death, asking God where He took the body, and mistaking the risen Lord for the gardener.
I say that to say this, we work for something that is ultimately temporary and fading. It's painful to see so many dear saints of God either turning back to the world in defeated and discouraged abandonment of the faith, or just saying to God, in all practicality, if this horrid condemnation and lack I feel is Christianity, I guess I'll just look forward to the return of Christ.
The latter seems pious, and the former will be argued with by those with letters in their hearts, but we all know what I am talking about. I've heard it said that the the most holy man in a meeting will be the one most broken over his present life of sin if the Holy Spirit were to manifest Himself. I defy any one to find this in the new testament without blatant proof texting.
The crux of the matter is simply this; we have mistaken works with obedience. Working is occupational. We work for something so as to earn something else. When a man works he does so from necessity and generally only to accomplish a goal. Once the goal is accomplished he will happily give up working in retirement and let others work to keep him satisfied. He works and takes pride in what he does, but never joy in it.
Obedience is trained, and can only stem from a heart turned to something from which it gains pleasure. A man obeys because his will is aligned with the will of the one who calls for his obedience. A soldier who is truly a soldier believes in, and has bought into the goals and plans of his commanding officer, and gladly lays down his life to see it fulfilled. He would do the thing anyway, and gladly submits to the will of one he obeys, because he sees no difference.
So it is with Christ.
When a man works for Christ he will quickly burn out. Working implies earning, and when anyone seeks to earn something from Jesus he will soon find an offended God. Working is self willed and self motivated. Praying for revival, praying to be renewed in spirit, Bible study to learn some doctrinal nugget to hold over our fellows, all ends in man glorying. The Father seeks to give freely to those who ask in faith, and will withhold even salvation from those who seek to work for it.
Obedience is the natural outflow of a branch growing from a vine. It is nothing more than the purpose for which the vine exists, and it can't help but do otherwise. The branch, as long as it simply remains a branch attached to its vine, bears fruit. It shares its nature with the branch, and their motives, goals, and end results are the same, they bear fruit together.
If something is introduced into the vineyard that has to work to maintain it's place, it's probably a weed, or an invasive species. A hypocrite and pretender. No matter how hard it tries everything around it knows it doesn't belong, and ironically it knows it too. It's not a branch, or it's a branch growing from a false vine, more accurately.
The devil, the false vine (we know there must be a false vine, because Jesus said he was the true vine), will put many religious practices and cliches in full reach of anyone who desires to work for anything from God. Prayer, the bible, fasting, abstaining from things deemed worldly, all are instruments of the spirit of sin, the light bearer (Lucifer), and to many believers fall victim to his wielding of law and are deceived.
Before we can obey we must be grafted into the true vine. Than all we do is remain, and the vines nature gives life enough for the branch to bear fruit. Faith and a settled mind on Christ in us, our life, is all that's necessary for a holy life. Faith is all that is necessary for fruit to be borne. Faith is all that is necessary for the Holy Spirit to fill a believer.
If these truths seem foreign to you dear reader, and if you do not have the witness within (you must be honest, or God will leave you to your works, because even the witness is gained when faith is exercised and the witness taken by faith, other wise we glory in the knowing), know that Jesus waits for those who seek for His glory, and He will not work where men work. Simple faith in Jesus blood is that which justifies, and this same faith, realizing the work is already done, will also sanctify. The fullness of God waits for those who surrender, and cease from their own works in patient faith.
Christ will be formed in you, and because of this you will be made perfect in love, by a simple faith realization that the work is done. "I am crucified with Christ" "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me". Take it by faith, and let Him live His life using you. |
| 2023/8/5 17:56 | Profile |
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