Christian Progress - Part 3

Written by John A. James, in 1853


4. In some people there is a growing knowledge of their CORRUPTIONS, and perhaps, an increase of lamentation over them, unattended by any disposition or effort to mortify them—and yet this growing light into the depravity of their nature, and this real vexation, for so it may be called, rather than godly sorrow, leads to no proportionate mortification of sin. There can be little doubt that many do know more and more of the plague of their own hearts, and are made continually more sorrowful by it, who content themselves with venting their unavailing regrets, and make no progress in removing the evils they deplore, and yet conclude that this growing self-knowledge is an evidence of growing piety. 

So it would be if it were followed up by 'amendment of life'. "Godly sorrow works repentance," that is reformation. And that sorrow is not godly sorrow, however pungent it may be, and however miserable it may make the man—which does not produce reformation. Many a holy Christian is made more and more holy with less of misery on account of sin, just because his grief, whether greater or less, leads to amendment; than he who, whatever may be his mortification of feeling, does not carry it on to a mortification of sin.
What would we say of a housewife who made herself continually miserable about the disorder and uncleanness of her house—but who took no pains to rectify the confusion and to cleanse the filth? 

It is to be greatly feared that very many professors of religion satisfy themselves with being made unhappy by the knowledge and experience of their sins. They are loud in their lamentations, ample in their confessions, and seemingly profound in their humiliations. But there the matter ends. They who heard their self-abasing acknowledgments yesterday—see them no better today. They are like some chronic invalids, whose diseases arise, in great measure, from their own self-indulgence , who are ever complaining of their ailments, and ever lamenting, as well as continuing, their harmful habits—but who will never exercise that self-denial which is the only way to restoration, and who yet imagine it is a sign of growing attention to their health, because there is an increasing disposition to lament their sickness and to confess their imprudence.

5. A very common error is to mistake a growth of SECTARIANISM, for an increase of grace. Perhaps there is no delusion more common than this. Ecclesiastical polity and sacramental observances, as matters of divine revelation, are both of some importance; yet it is perfectly clear, from the testimony of Scripture, that they are of less consequence in the divine life, than faith, hope, and love. "The kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Rom. 14:17. "In Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love." Gal. 5:6. 

If these passages mean anything, they teach us the entire subordination of what is ceremonial—to what is spiritual. To see a person more interested in, and more zealous for, some ritual observance, than the cultivation of charity—attaching more importance, both as matter of experience and controversy, to baptism and the external form of the church, than to the doctrines of justification, regeneration, and sanctification—marks a state of mind very different from that which is inculcated by the precepts, and manifested in the conduct, of the sacred writers. 

The great object of the apostles was to cherish in their converts the spirit of faith and the practice of holiness. Yet we very often see a different line of conduct, both in the teachers and professors of religion in the present day, by many of whom an extraordinary zeal is manifested for either established or unestablished churches, as the case might be; and for a more elaborate or a more simple ceremonial, while little concern is felt or expressed to inculcate "the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. 5:22.

We not infrequently see young professors, when their first concern about religion is over, taking up with the ardor of eager novices these secondary matters, and becoming zealots for supporting, defending and propagating them. This is sometimes especially apparent in those who have lately transferred themselves from one section of the universal church to another. Proselytes, as if to prove the sincerity of their conviction, and reconcile themselves to their new party, usually, in supporting their novel opinions, excel in zeal those by whom these notions have been long held. 

A change of this kind has, in some cases, effected a complete transformation of character, and they who were before all torpor, are now all activity and energy; not, indeed, for the great fundamental truths on which all Christians agree—but for those minor matters on which they differ. Churchmen, that as such were dull and lethargic, have, on becoming dissenters, been all life and energy, not so much for faith, love, and holiness—but for nonconformity. While on the other hand dissenters, who, while such, were supine and inert, on entering the established church, have become the zealous advocates and propagators of perhaps even high-church principles.

Let not people of this description mistake such sectarianism for advancement in the divine life. This holy vitality has reference rather to the principles on which all are agreed, than to those minor matters on which they differ. A mighty furor for religious forms, or a most impassioned zeal for religious establishments, may comport with very little vital godliness; yes, the former may go far to enfeeble the latter. Instead therefore of such a state of mind indicating progress, it manifests a retrogression. 

The man has become more of a dissenter or churchman—but perhaps less of a spiritual, humble, and simple-minded Christian. It is the human element in their religion, not the divine, that has strengthened; the shell that has thickened, not the kernel that has enlarged. There has been motion—but it is a lateral one from the straight line, not a progress in the right direction. It is a going backwards—from primary to secondary matters. A disfiguring growth has swelled upon the tree—but the tree itself has been hindered and not helped in its advance.

Christian Progress - Part 2

Written by John A. James, in 1853

Ah, this is just calculating spiritual progress by time, rather than by distance. Be it known to you, that a professed Christian may be long, very long, in standing; yes, and after all, it is but standing without going. A dead stick, however long it may be in the ground, will not grow. Sign-posts stand for ages, and measure distances for travelers—but never advance an inch. Do not conclude, then, that because your conversion is supposed to have taken place long since, that, therefore, your sanctification must be far advanced. It is a pitiable sound, and argues an imbecile mind, as well as a diminutive body, to hear a poor dwarfed cripple say, "I must be growing for I am ten years old." Everybody else sees that the poor child's stature never increases an inch!

Let the Christian not think of the years he has professed—but the actual attainments he has made. The length of his profession ought to be attended by an advance in all that constitutes vital godliness, proportionate to the advantages he has enjoyed, and the time he has had them; but alas, alas, how rarely is this the case? In the orchard or vineyard, young trees may be growing when they bear no fruit, and a stranger may be ready to say they make no progress—but the skilled gardener says, "Give them time and they will grow fruit." And when they do bear fruit, it is in proportion to their age. In the garden of the Lord young plants ought to bear some fruit immediately, and the fruits of righteousness should be also in proportion to their age. But is it so? How many whose eye shall read these pages will blush, if they have any holy shame, to compare the date of their planting in the courts of the Lord, and the fruit they produce!

3. There may be an increase of theoretic KNOWLEDGE, and of ability to talk with fluency upon the subjects of religion, and to defend the truth against gainsayers—without any corresponding advance in spiritual feeling and holy conduct. There is a great deal of very interesting matter in the Bible, apart from its spiritual and vital power as God's instrument of sanctification. Its history, its poetry, its sublimity, its chronology, its eloquence, its prophecies, its pathos—all may become subjects of study, and even of delightful study—without faith in its doctrines, or obedience to its precepts. Thousands and thousands of volumes have been written on religion by men whose hearts were never under its power. Some of the noblest productions of theology have issued from the pens of those to whom, it is to be feared, it was all mere theory. Like brilliant lamps, they lighted others on their way to heaven—but never moved themselves! Or to raise still higher the metaphor, they were like lighthouses, which directed ships on their course—but were stationary themselves!

In more private life, and less important attainments, how many have made themselves acquainted with the theory of divine truth, as taught in books, sermons, articles, creeds and catechisms, so as to be able to explain the orthodox system of doctrine, and to argue for it—whose hearts have never been sanctified by the truth! And even where it may be hoped the great change has been wrought, and a start made for salvation and eternal life, there may be a growth in 'knowledge' without a proportionate growth in 'grace'. Many young people are now happily engaged in Sunday-school teaching, the distribution of religious tracts, and various other operations of religious zeal—which give them of necessity a growing acquaintance with the system of religious truth. They can talk with more fluency and correctness on divine things. History, doctrine, and precept, are all more familiar to them, and at the same time their thoughts are more drawn to the subject of 'religion generally' as the matter of their teaching. Hence, there may seem to be to themselves, a perceptible progress. And so there is—in theory. 

But if at the same time there is no advance in holiness, Christian charity, conscientiousness, self-denial, and humility—these signs of advance may be, and are—all deceptive. Their knowledge has been collected, not as the materials of personal sanctity—but of activity. Such acquisitions may be only the "knowledge which puffs up," but not "the love that edifies."

There are people whose acquaintance with Scripture is surprising, and yet who, though they could quote most aptly from nearly all parts of the Bible, give too convincing proof that their knowledge is of the letter only, and not of the spirit. I knew a person who was so intimately acquainted with the Scriptures, that if you gave him any chapter or verse in most of the books of either the Old or New Testaments, he would immediately repeat the words—and yet he was altogether an unconverted man! And I was acquainted with another who was so fond of the study of prophecy that he became more conversant with the predictions of the books of Daniel and of the Apocalypse than anyone I ever knew—yet he was at the same time, entirely a man of the world.

Yet there are many who regard this increasing acquaintance with the text of the Bible, as an evidence of growth in grace. While, therefore, we would urge every young convert to make a longer and larger acquaintance with the Word of God, assuring them that there can be no growth in grace without some advance in knowledge, and that the more knowledge of it they have the more they are prepared to be useful, happy, and holy—provided they couple with it other things. Yet that at the same time there may be large increase of Biblical knowledge, without any growth in grace. Ask yourselves then the solemn question, and ask it solemnly too—whether in proportion as you store your minds with biblical texts and biblical ideas, you all the while are seeking to have your heart filled with biblical feelings, and your life with biblical actions? Is your advancing light attended with increasing warmth?

As you grow in acquaintance with the character of God—do you reverence him more? As your ideas brighten on the person of Christ—do you love him more? As you become more acquainted with the perfection and spirituality of God's Word—do you delight in it more and more after the inward man? As you see more clearly the evil of sin—do you hate it with a more intense hatred? As your Biblical knowledge widens—do you become more profoundly humble, more tenderly conscientious, more gentle, more spiritual? Unless this be the case you are in a fatal mistake by supposing you are making progress in the divine life, merely because you are advancing in biblical knowledge.

Christian Progress - Part 1

Written by John A. James, in 1853

I was not looking but I found this piece from John A. James which was written in 1853. I like it because I have learned that a lot of us professed Christians love saying those words “ I am a work in progress” yet we not only have no idea what it means to say those words from a godly point of view, but we have not even found  the right path yet. Now, how can you be a work in progress when you are not going anywhere? We have to remember that even the Israelites while God told Jeremiah in 7:16 "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you” you see, they thought they were doing great in their eyes. So they refused to amend their ways.

The Israelites's problems have become ours today. We refuse to worship according to God’s standards. He wants all of our hearts, He does not care for our rituals while we pursuit worldly idols. Sadly, we feel awesome about ourselves once we put a tag to everything that we do. We have all those saying: “I give all the glory to God” “I am doing it for Christ” as long as we tag His name in our stinky pursuits we feel He should be happy, and we sound cool and religious. We are under the impression we can fool Him. That is because we have brought the bar way too low. We see Him as one of us.

 The Israelites could not understand what Jeremiah was babbling about even after years of pleading. They mistaken God’s longsuffering for approval.

Today, in my own family, I have people who are so far removed from Him, yet they do not have a clue since they do not have great sins, and they are attending Church and read their Bible. I pray for them with urgency because I know the only way out is through a miracle from God.

With that in mind, I leave you in the company of John A James who was a fervent servant of God!

MISTAKES Concerning Christian Progress

Suppose a man were on a journey which was of considerable importance to all his temporal interests, on which it was every way desirable he should be going forward with all convenient speed. Imagine also that through some ignorance of the country, or through his lack of acquaintance with his rate of speed, he should conclude that he was advancing towards his destined point, while at the same time, though in constant activity, he was making no progress—but only wandering about in bye-lanes and crossroads, and still remaining near the spot from whence he started. In such a case, he might lose the end and purpose of his journey.

Now, there is something like this in the course of some people in regard to religion. They are in motion—but not in progress! The mistakes on this subject are very numerous, and require great pains in those who have to teach, to point them out; and also attention on the part of all who have any solicitude about their spiritual welfare, in order to be acquainted with them. The temptations of the father of lies, aided by the deceitfulness of the human heart, originate many very injurious errors concerning our spiritual condition, and lull us into a state of complacency, where we ought to be deeply solicitous and somewhat alarmed.
A. I will first enumerate and correct some mistakes of those who think they are making progress in godliness, but in reality are standing still, or declining.

1. It is not an infrequent case for people to conclude they are advancing, because they are not, in their own view of their case, actually receding. They do not see any outward and visible signs of backsliding. They have fallen into no grievous sin, and have brought no blot upon their character, nor discredit upon their profession. They are not conscious of any known departure from the way of rectitude, and have not fallen from their steadfastness. Their usual round of duties is performed, and they have not subjected themselves, by any part of their conduct—to rebuke or censure. All this may be so, and yet there may be no progress. Is it enough to stand still on our path? Would it satisfy the man on the journey just alluded to, if he could merely say, "I am not going backwards?" Would this prove he was advancing? It may be said, and we have already said it, that in one sense not to advance is to recede. But were it not so, surely to stand still is not to go forward. Have you more knowledge, more holiness, more love, more spirituality, than you had? Is your growth at all perceptible, though it be in ever so small a degree?

Do not compare yourselves with some who are rapidly going back, and imagine that in relation to them you are going forward, while you are standing still. Have you ever, when traveling in a steam carriage, while your own railway train was stopping at the station, and another was passing slowly in a contrary direction, imagined that it was you that were in progress? So is it in this case. You may be quite at rest, while, compared with others going back, you seem to be in motion forwards.

2. Some estimate progress by the TIME they have been in motion. Suppose a person unacquainted with the rate of speed of a ship at sea, and not understanding the influence of contrary winds, and the process of getting slowly on by tacking, were to calculate thus, "We have been so many hours or days at sea, and we must therefore be so far on our voyage." Suppose the man on the above journey to have fallen asleep, or loitered away his time—and then, taking out his watch, were to calculate that because he has left home so many hours, he must be getting on very well. Is there nothing like this in some professing Christians? It is so many months or years since they took up their religious profession. They have been all this while regular attendants at public worship, and communicants at the Lord's Supper. They have heard already innumerable sermons, and read many good books. They have outlived the novelties of a religious life, and the ways of God are now familiar to them. How can it be doubted, they say, that they who have been so long on the road, are advancing?

When Am I to Obtain the Salvation of My Soul?

James Smith
 

What a mercy it is for a sinner to be spared until now—when God might have justly cut him down, and consigned him to eternal torments. But why has God spared me? Surely he has some kind and gracious design in it. Is it not to prove that he has no pleasure in the death of a sinner? Does it not show that he is gracious, merciful, and longsuffering? Surely he is not willing that any should perish—or he would have cut me down, and sent me to hell for my sins! But here I am, with a new portion of time put into my hands; and now let me seriously consider one question: "When am I to obtain the salvation of my soul?" What question can be more solemn or reasonable than this?

Salvation is a blessing—a great blessing, the greatest blessing God can give—or man receives. It is the opposite of man's desert—for every man, as a sinner, deserves damnation! Damnation! What is that? It is banishment from God. It is separation from all holy and happy beings. It is to be deprived of hope, and to be delivered over unto black eternal despair. It is to be tormented by one's own conscience, by Satan and his demons, and by the dreadful frown of God forever. Damnation is the essence of misery, the perfection of woe, the most dreadful kind of suffering! It will have its seat in the soul—but will fill every part of the body with anguish, agony, and torment!

Salvation is the enjoyment of the presence, smile and favor of God. It is union to, and fellowship with, all the holy, happy, and noble beings in creation. It is the end of faith, the object of hope, and the eternal satisfaction of love. It is the essence of pleasure, the perfection of happiness, and the fullness of satisfaction. Salvation raises us from the gates of hell—to the throne of heaven; delivers us from the dreadful, and puts us in possession of the desirable: elevates us to the highest pitch of holiness, happiness, and honor.

And can I be saved? Yes, there is no doubt of it.
Who will save me? The Lord Jesus Christ.
How will be save me? Freely, or gratuitously.
How can I obtain salvation? By seeking it at his throne, by submitting to his method, by receiving his glorious work. Jesus says to you, "Seek—and you shall find," "Seek me—and you shall live."
You are a sinner, do you admit that? Do you heartily believe it, and believe it because God tells you so in his holy word? Do you feel it? Do you desire to be delivered from the power, love, guilt and consequences of sin? Are you willing to be saved in God's way? If so—you can be saved, you may be saved.

Go to Jesus! He is on the throne of grace; go just as you are; go, and using your own words, ask him in mercy to save your soul—to save you freely, fully, immediately—to save you for his own glory. Tell him that you are willing to be saved in his own way; that you are prepared to submit to his righteousness. Exercise confidence in his word. Put your trust . . .
in his blood, which cleanses from all sin; 
in his righteousness, which justifies from all things; 
in his intercession, which always prevails with God; 
and you are saved.
You are saved the moment you believe. That is, the moment you withdraw your dependence from your own works, renounce yourself entirely—and venture simply, alone, and altogether on the word, work, and precious blood of the Lord Jesus. This is the way in which God saves sinners. In this way any sinner may be saved. In this way you may be saved, and saved this moment. Jesus Christ provides all—and you receive it. He presents all in his gospel—and you accept it. He does the work—you get the benefit, and he receives the praise!

If, therefore, you ask the question, "When am I to obtain the salvation of my soul?" The answer is, Whenever you are heartily willing to do so. Whenever you are stripped of self, prepared to renounce your own righteousness, and made heartily willing to receive salvation as a free gift—it may be said to you, "This day has salvation come to your house, to your heart." Blessed day! But when shall it be? When will it be? Did you enter upon this day as a lost and ruined sinner—or as a sinner saved by grace? If you have entered upon it as a lost soul, will you continue in such a situation? What! with a Savior close at hand? With an invitation to come and be saved, sounding in your ears? Your life is waning, death is approaching, the grave is opening—and eternity, with all its dreadful solemnities, ready to burst upon you!

Your soul may be saved. You may obtain the salvation of your soul now. But if you trifle, if you wait for a more convenient time, if you will not give up the pleasures and practice of sin—you perish! You perish forever! You perish by your own hand! You die a suicide, and will go to hell eternally to reflect on your madness and folly!

How long have you lived in sin? Just mark down the number of years. Complete this sentence, "I have lived in sin ___ years; all that time I have been the enemy of God, and the enemy of my own soul; but I do now deliberately determine, from this hour, to seek the salvation of my soul, and to seek it until I obtain it, and can say, I am saved in the Lord, with an everlasting salvation."

Or if you will not, just be honest for once, and before the omniscient eye of God complete this sentence, "I have lived in sin ___ years, and I do deliberately determine to go on in sin, to neglect the salvation of my soul, and dare the eternal God, whose mercy I refuse—to do his worst!"
But, stop! before you sign your name to this—reflect, and before salvation is forever hidden from your eyes, let me beseech you to seek the Lord, and obtain the salvation of your soul. But, remember this, and it is a solemn thought, whatever your hand may do, your heart at this moment agrees to, and signs one of these sentences! Which is it? Which? Oh, which?

The Devotion of Hearing God

When it comes to hearing God, unfortunately there is no formula that anyone can use to get us to hear His voice in our hearts. Oswald Chambers said” The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing….. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions…… If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things— things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God.

Hearing His voice is completely supernatural. There is nothing man-made about it. The work has to be done by the Holy Spirit. If you read carefully what Oswald had written above, you find words like “close identification with Christ; united with Him; the devotion of hearing” these things comes solely from living a submitted life. I can see some of you rolling your eyes because you believe that the moment you become Christian whether you like it or not, you are united with Him. But, the truth is, God does not force us to remain united with Him. It is a lifestyle that we choose. It is an attitude of the heart and it is a disposition. If indeed you are living united with Him, then you would be deep in your day to day communication with Him and you are living a oneness that everyone who knows you long for. Then, this post is not for you.

Even if we do not have that close identification with Him, and living life day in day out in the spirit, you can still hear His voice in your heart once in a while. Like Oswald said in the February 13 devotion, “I can only hear God’s voice at certain times” that is true. When you hear God’s voice once in a while, you can be sure you are one of those who surrender on a “case by case basis” like Charles Stanley said in Intouch Magazine of September 2008. When we surrender on a case by case basis, we are much like king Asa in 2^nd Chronicles. We see king Asa not only trusting in God, he also led his army to trust in Him as well. But we see him also not trusting God and decided to depend on himself and solicited the help of Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. He decided to trust his own judgement and depended on himself alone. As such, what he was afraid of had become his whole life and God confirmed it to him in the last part of 2 Chronicles 16:9 when He said: In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”  When we surrender on a case by case basis we do not live out nor do we have a God centered life. Those words Oswald Chambers have mentioned in his devotion, demand that we live a God centered life.

Please understand I am not trying to offend anyone.  And if you have to be upset, so be it, because it is the nature of the true Gospel. However, do not leave it alone. The very reason you are upset should be taken to God right away. Ask Him to help you decipher why you are offended by those words and what you can do about it. Be honest with Him, be open and be willing to hear from Him what is truly wrong. The nature of the Gospel demands a full surrender.  The reality of a life not centered on God, always leads to some kind of partial obedience, but a partial obedience is disobedience in God’s eyes. I myself, have very close family members that are dear to me, but they are unable to hear God all the time simply because they go through a period of time where they can surrender to God’s will and most of the time they surrender to their spouse’s will or the immediate need around them.

I know personally from experience that even when you live a complete surrendered life, if you are not totally immersed in Him, and you allow yourself to be distracted by the simplest thing, you find that the voice is faint and the communication is almost slanted. When I am there, I know that it has nothing to do with God, but my own heart. I also find that not being totally immersed in Him, you cannot have those awesome communication times where you can talk just like two friends. But, it is not an easy thing to look at ourselves and admit who we truly are and that we are failing Him.

Unconfessed Sins

Hearing God also involved living this life in a state where we do not keep unconfessed sins in our heart. When we have unconfessed sins, there is a disruption in the divine life within. When we are separated from His divine life, (oneness or abiding) it is not because His divine life is no longer in us, but it simply means we step away from Him and back to our old self.  I talked about this in my book Apprehended & Apprehending, the new nature He put in us, is where we live with Him as Christian and any time we do not live in the Spirit, well we are not living as Christians. We forfeit the new nature for the Adamic life. When you know what it means to live in His divine life, you understand why the tiniest sin, even the size of a dust stops you from re-entering the divine nature. It is too pure. We re-enter when we confess our sins with repentant heart, He washed us in the blood of the lamb once again and we are back in.

Lack of Obedience

Another requirement of hearing God is living a life of obedience. When we live life partially obeying God, we are like Pharoah. We let go when we feel we do not have a choice but as soon as we are free, we get back to being in control. What does it mean to live a life of obedience? This does not mean those who live the complete surrendered life do not disobey sometimes. But, like everything else in the Christian walk it is a disposition of the heart, it is an attitude and it is a way of life. If we know we have chosen to live a partial obedient life, (yes it is a choice we make whether knowingly or through a lack of choosing Him) then we are condemned to spend this life with some sort of partial hearing and partial oneness. We condemned ourselves to live like a caterpillar that had the transformation process started but the transformation process never finished as such the caterpillar not only never made it into a butterfly but also lives in a cocoon stage.

The bottom line is that to hear God we have to be tuned in the only radio station that broadcast His voice and too much spiritual garbage will act as static on the line.

This morning as I was reading Oswald Chambers devotion, it dawned on me that something that happened to me so many years ago was right there in the Bible, yet, I had no idea it was written in one of the books that I love so much, the Romans.

When I first entered the wilderness with Him, He gave me two solemn warnings. One was that voice I heard when I was by myself in the house. The voice was loud and so clear that I did not move for a few seconds. All I heard was “nothing in this life is about you” This was the first and the last time I heard His voice that way. I also understand later on, He spoke to me that way because I have not acquired the discipline of hearing Him in my heart yet.

Through the message, I knew “hard time” was coming but I was not prepared for what was ahead for me and I am glad I did not know the full scope. Right after this message, I was put through a rigorous training of hearing the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart. During that period one thing He made clear to me was that not only my life was never to be about me, but as we move forward, anything that will happen to me during this period I was in, had nothing to do with me. I did not say a word; I listened and remained silent the whole time. It is funny how both of us all of the sudden were silent. But my silence was not the same as God’s because though He was no longer talking, He was for lack of a better word, infusing in me what He meant by “this period of my life had nothing to do with me”

It was one of the most beautiful experiences that He let me keep with me even now. I knew that everything about that particular season of my life was about God and other people that He would put in my path. I knew, rejecting the season or wasting it away, meant forfeiting God’s plan for me. What was amazing in my experiencing this with Him was the fact that I could see myself as being just a tool. I could see from the moment I was conceived in my mother’s womb that was God’s purpose all along. There were a whole bunch of people in the shadow, all faceless, I could see they came from all shapes, height, sex, and sizes. While it appeared they were all strangers, yet they were holding hands. They were also waiting there, as if they were waiting for me to make my move or say something.  All I got from this encounter was that I was born to touch their lives in whatever capacity He decided.

This encounter also helped me in such a deep way to walk the steadfast life. I knew, my going through the season, was simply part of the process. It was amazing to see something so personal and so intimate could make me feel so much like I do not matter. Let me explain. It was very important for God to make me feel like I was something like a hammer that was fashioned for the purpose of being used just like a hammer would be. I carried this understanding and feeling within my heart to see me through the darkest days of my wilderness, even when things were unbearable to my soul. I was aware, if I did not let Him have His ways, then how could I live with myself knowing I failed these people? I failed God? I failed the reason I was born for? 

I wish I could make you see with your spiritual eyes the impact of knowing that even when you were nothing yet, your father or grandfather were not even born. Yet, God put a plan forward with you in mind. Can you grasp the magnitude of the God that we serve? Can you see how important you are? It is never about the big thing you can do. The sensation and the importance, but it is about being His instrument as you live the life you were born for. Through this experience I could see when we all die and Christ is putting all things the way they should, people that I honor now, might end up being last. I beg you to see with your heart what I am saying it is who you are “IN HIS HANDS” that matters.

                 

To me, it was not a question that God could change His plan and use someone else or do it Himself. It was instilled in me that was my responsibility. I felt, if I fail, then my life was worthless. From this single experience I learned so much that I could write a book about it. But, the funny thing is, all I learned no matter how I look at it, all I can see is God’s sovereignty which has been magnified in my life more than I could find words to explain myself. I enjoyed learning a tiny bit about the intricacies of His plan for us and how each one of us has a responsibility and how important it is to live out His plan for us.

I could see through the experience with Him, how when you touch someone’s life according to His will in your own life, the gift keeps on giving even after one hundred years or two thousand years down the road. I know my writings do not cajole people and make them feel good in their lethargy. If I were to do that to get more readers, or to be liked, I would not be true to the reason of my being on this earth. I would not be true to Him who made me. I also know God has a plan and my writings will find those I am writing for. BLESSED BE HIS NAME! These people are singled out by God Himself.

I am the first one amazed at God’s power when I learn from books written 3, 4 or 7 hundred years ago. While these people are long gone that even their bones no longer there, but, because they live God’s purpose for their lives, they are still teaching me. They are allowing me to go deeper and deeper in Him. What is more amazing is that when I read those classic and those puritan books and sermons, I know God had me personally in mind. He knew this person writing was going to make an impact on me for His Glory. What an amazing life we have waiting for us? What a magnificent God we serve? I hate the fact that there is not enough room in my heart to love Him the way He deserves. I hate most that I keep failing Him over and over again in this life, when in reality He deserves my all, unconditionally.  

This is why, as long as I live, and as long as it is His will for me, I will always write against physical selfishness, mental carelessness, moral insensitivity, or spiritual weakness, and our lethargy because the Christian life is too hard. Whether we like it or not, it makes a difference to God because His Word told us in Revelation 2:7 “…..To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”  At the right time, He will separate those who profess to be Christians and those who possess the Christian faith and we are dead wrong if we think all we will be losing is just some reward.

I know I have a long way to go. So, am I perfect at it? This is a big NO and thousands times NO, but I am truly a work in progress in His hands of love.  Every day comes with its own challenges and sometimes the learning curve is so steep I want to rest. (This rest here means when you go back to your old self to find your comfort zone) But I also know that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, so I keep going forward toward the goal, apprehending what He apprehended me for.

Are you living out God’s purpose for your life? Are you your brother’s keeper? I beg you not to take things lightly! 

This should have been split in two post. I apologize. But, I will leave you with Oswald Chambers devotion for today. Read it if you have time or come back to it when you can.

“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”

02

15

2013

None of us lives to himself . . . —Romans 14:7

Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people? For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers. We “sit together in the heavenly places . . .” (Ephesians 2:6). “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it . . .” (1 Corinthians 12:26). If you allow physical selfishness, mental carelessness, moral insensitivity, or spiritual weakness, everyone in contact with you will suffer. But you ask, “Who is sufficient to be able to live up to such a lofty standard?” “Our sufficiency is from God . . .” and God alone (2 Corinthians 3:5).

“You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). How many of us are willing to spend every bit of our nervous, mental, moral, and spiritual energy for Jesus Christ? That is what God means when He uses the word witness. But it takes time, so be patient with yourself. Why has God left us on the earth? Is it simply to be saved and sanctified? No, it is to be at work in service to Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine for Him? Am I willing to be of no value to this age or this life except for one purpose and one alone— to be used to disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life of service to God is the way I say “thank you” to Him for His inexpressibly wonderful salvation. Remember, it is quite possible for God to set any of us aside if we refuse to be of service to Him— “. . . lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Courtesy of: http://utmost.org/

Spiritual Fruit - Part 3 Last One

Preached at North Street Chapel, Stamford, on September 2, 1858, by Philpot

"From Me is your fruit found." Hosea 14:8

What is this fruit then? It is faith, hope, love, godly fear, submission to God's will, tenderness of conscience, love and esteem for the brethren, self-denial, putting off the old man, putting on the new—and I might stand here until midnight and then not exhaust the catalogue. These are set forth by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians, where he says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance—against such there is no law." Here are all the fruits of the Spirit penned down by the Holy Spirit himself; but you may examine it for yourselves, and indeed compare what is in your soul with it; then you will confess how short you come of bearing that fruit—the bearing of which stamps the Christian indeed—but we shall never bear fruit to God, until we are brought to see that our fruit comes from God.

III. How this fruit is from the Lord—"from me is your fruit found." How positively and clearly is this set forth in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of John's Gospel, where the Lord says, "Without me you can do nothing." "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abides in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me." So you see that union with Christ is indispensable to the bringing forth of fruit; for as the sap flows out of the stem, so it is with the believing soul and Jesus—only so far as Christ flows into his soul is he able to bring forth fruit unto God. "Abide in me and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abides in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me." Then there is a being in Christ by vital union, and an abiding in him by faith, prayer, hope, and love, and a receiving grace for grace out of his fullness—so that from him is our fruit.

Now, as we begin to feel day by day our barrenness, and as our wrinkles arise in our face, we begin to see that from Jesus only is our fruit. Let us then raise our souls up out of our miserable selves, and fix our eyes upon him at the right hand of God and beg of him to communicate his grace to our souls, and send down the influence of his Spirit that will bring forth fruit in us—which is peace, praise, and honor to God. No one can bring forth fruit without a conflict with self—self checks the crop like the ivy clinging to and strangling the vine.

I have a grape-vine in the front of my house, and almost the first thing I noticed when I returned home yesterday was that every leaf was struck with mildew—in fact the whole tree has been struck, as it were, with the same withering disease. What an emblem of a poor, withered professor! There will never be a cluster either fit to be made into wine or eaten as dessert. Now, when we see what we are in ourselves we see nothing but mildew. As the grape-vine seems to have more enemies than any other fruit, because, as it is said, it cheers the heart of God and man, and we are represented in Scripture as branches of the vine, therefore we need the grace of God in order that we may overcome these enemies. Though I have not sufficient skill to cure the mildew on my vine—yet the Lord has skill to cure the mildew in our souls, for his grace can and does and will sanctify the sinner's heart.

Therefore whatever despair I might feel about having any fruit from the vine on my trellis, there shall be no mildew upon the trellis of your soul, for he can send a shower to wash off the mildew, and put forth his hand to knock off the insects that feed upon the fruit of the vine. The Lord says, "From me is your fruit found." The fruit flows forth—the spirit of thankfulness, of brokenness, and godly sorrow for sin. And yet there will be times and seasons when we sink very low, and when we feel or fear that there never was a spark of grace in our heart. But your very feeling of your unfruitfulness, is in itself a fruit. Your mourning over your unfruitfulness and your being cast down into dejection—these very things are spiritual fruit, for they are produced by the same Holy Spirit that brings forth the blossoms of faith, hope, and love.

III. There is the FINDING of this fruit. In a vine some of the richest clusters are found under the leaves. Leaf and fruit go very much together, for where there is a leaf full of mildew, you find nothing but a cluster of rotten fruit. Well, so in grace—if there be little fruit there will be a withered profession, because the 'leaf' represents the 'profession'. The world can see what you profess, and they will see the mildew spots upon it. "O," they say, "that man talks about religion—but he is just like us. You who have to deal with him know how he deals, how he can laugh and giggle like other men, and how angry he is if anything crosses him. It is only a profession—he goes to chapel, but we all know what he is."

Here is a profession with the mildew upon it. "See," they may say, "that man was drunk last night—yet he goes to church on Sundays." If the 'leaf' is so bad, what must the 'berry' be? If the man's profession is such, what must be the man himself? So if the mildew has struck the leaf you may be sure the mildew has reached the clusters.

We find that the best clusters sometimes grow on the lowest bough; so it is in grace—the humbler a man is the more fruit he will bring forth. The same sap that feeds the branch nearest the stem feeds the branch farthest off. "From me is your fruit found." Your soul may be often cast down, and you may say, "Was there ever any sinner like me?" but your complaints do not take you into the world again—you are not telling lies or joking and gossiping with your neighbors—but you are mourning and groaning that you are not bringing forth fruit unto God.

Now, the Lord may speak these words to encourage his saints—"Come out of the world. From me is your fruit found. Not from the world. Do not be carried away with the things of time and sense. Not from worldly-mindedness, not from family distress is fruit produced—but from me, out of my fullness by the communications of my grace."

If you don't get it from that source you will get it nowhere, and every branch that does not bear fruit, he hews down. So that we come to one of two things—you must either be a branch that bears fruit from Christ—from the communications of Christ's love to your soul—or else one that bears not fruit, which the Father takes away. There is no intermediate state whereby we have part from ourselves and part from Christ, for "from me," says the Lord, "is your fruit found."

Spiritual Fruit - Part 2

Preached at North Street Chapel, Stamford, on September 2, 1858, by Philpot

Pay special attention to the last paragraph. For years I went on with my christian walk thinking Romans 7:2-3 had something to do with my marital status. That is until, He got hold of my spiritual ignorance and corrected my thinking. There is so much depth to these verses that I found it mind blowing. I also felt in love with the depth of Paul's life with God because he could not have written this so poetically by himself. 


"From Me is your fruit found." Hosea 14:8


But I believe there is a desire in every soul under divine teaching, to bring forth fruit, to come out of the world and the things that are of the world, to walk in God's fear, and to have some testimonies that he is accepted, that he is a saved soul, and that he has a saving interest in the atoning blood of the Son of God. And all through a Christian's life wherever the Spirit moves, wherever the Spirit operates upon that man's heart and conscience, there will be a desire to bring forth fruit; and this is a mark and test of being one of God's family. A profession does not put us into Christ—mere head knowledge does not put us into Christ—talking and chattering do not put us into Christ—none of the works of man give us a birth and being in Christ, and a title to receive out of the fullness of Christ. Therefore, from first to last, beginning, middle, and end it is all of sovereign grace, of the work and workmanship of the Holy Spirit in the heart and conscience.

If a soul is living under the operation of the Holy Spirit, under this communication and influence, there is a breaking out and a breathing after bringing forth fruit. How that godly man Habakkuk stood upon the watchtower and his soul was grieved within him because there were those that stirred up strife and grievances. How he grieved and groaned not only because the Lord did not hear his prayer, but because he himself did not bring forth fruit. When we see that leanness, that being content to drag on a life without any communion, real faith, hope, or love—we may be sure that the love of God is not there. The people of God may sink very low, but there are those breathings after God that make them live to his praise and honor.

Now, when they begin to long to bring forth fruit they begin to see what fruit is, for none can see what fruit is but the saints of God. All men do not know what fruit is, and until a man knows what it is he cannot bring it forth. For instance, here is a man who does not go to the races, nor to balls or parties—but goes to church and pays his debts. O what a good man he thinks he is; he says his prayers at night, and makes sure of going to heaven. The man is blind as a gnat, dead as a door nail, and his heart is hard as adamant. He does not know what real Christianity is. He gives food to the poor at Christmas, subscribes to charities and missions, and thinks what wonderful things he is doing. The man has not his eyes open to see what true Christianity is and what real Christian fruit is.

When a child of God begins to see what fruit is and that it must be spiritual—the first thing he sees is that "natural fruit" is not accepted by God. If I gave an order for a basket of fruit because I was expecting a friend to dine with me, and the grocer sent me a basket of weeds, crab-apples, or rotten oranges, I would think he was insulting me. And so if a man has not sufficient knowledge to distinguish between all the rottenness of 'human production' and good fruit, he will find that the Lord is not a God to be mocked, but that the only fruit which is acceptable in his sight must be spiritually produced by union and communion with Jesus Christ.

And I wish that you who profess religion, and who may have it to some extent, would pray for a clearer view of what fruit is, for then, instead of being puffed up with pride, you would see that there was little else in you but thorns and briars.

Now, this is what the soul must know—that all fruit is produced by union and communion with Christ. You will find that subject opened up in the seventh chapter of Romans, where we read of being 'married to Christ'. So if a man is not married to Christ and does some good things, humanly speaking, they are only 'bastard fruit'. All fruit that is not produced by marriage to Christ is not legitimate fruit. As in nature where children are born out of wedlock, they are the offspring of adultery, and as such will bear the stamp of their parents, and cannot take part in the inheritance of the father; so a person may bring forth fruit, but if that fruit is not legitimate, God will stamp it with bastardy, and will not allow it to take part in the inheritance of his family. And, therefore, fruit is not of our works. The gift of a few dollars, or a few times going to chapel or church will not produce it; it is deeper than this.

Spiritual Fruit

Spiritual Fruit

Preached at North Street Chapel, Stamford, on
September 2, 1858, by Philpot

"From Me is your fruit found." Hosea 14:8

Man unites in himself what at first sight seem to be completely opposite things; he is the greatest of sinners—and yet the greatest of Pharisees. Now, what two things can be so opposed to each other as sin and self-righteousness? Yet the very same man who is a sinner from top to toe, with the whole head sick and the whole heart faint, who is spiritually nothing else but a leper throughout, how contradictory it appears that the same man has in his own heart a most stubborn self-righteousness.

Now, against these two evils God, so to speak, directs his whole artillery—he spares neither one nor the other; but it is hard to say which is the greatest rebellion against God—the existence of sin in man and what he is as a fallen sinner; or his Pharisaism—the lifting up his head in pride of self-righteousness. It is not easy to decide which is the more obnoxious to God—the drunkard who sins without shame; or the Pharisee puffed up with how pleasing he is to God.

The one is abhorrent to our feelings, and, as far as decency and morality are concerned, we would sooner see the Pharisee; but when we come to matters of true religion, the Pharisee seems the worst—at least our Lord intimated as much when he said the publicans and harlots would enter the kingdom of God before them.

Now, in this Book the Lord seems sometimes to knock Ephraim to pieces and then to put him together again. Sometimes we find denunciations against his backslidings, and then when Ephraim is broken to pieces the Lord seeks to raise him up, as he says in the 13th chapter, "When Ephraim spoke trembling, he exalted himself in Israel." When he was humble and broken down—broken so as to tremble at the majesty of God—he exalted himself—that is, God exalted him, for God exalts the humble; "but when he became guilty of Baal worship, he died"—the life of God seemed to be extinct in his soul. Now, in this last chapter the Lord speaks very comfortably, and he says, "O Ephraim," that is Israel, "return unto the Lord your God, for you have fallen by your iniquity."

Never think to stand upright by your own self-righteousness—you have fallen by your iniquity, and now you must humble yourself before the Lord your God. Turn to the Lord your God and say unto him, "Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips"—that is, we will sing and praise your holy name. "Asshur shall not save us," that is the king of Assyria, "we will not ride upon horses," that is the devices of men, "neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, You are our gods"—our idols are self and self-righteousness—"for in you the fatherless finds mercy."

Well, I need not go on with the chapter. Ephraim shall say, "What have I to do any more with idols?" Here is Ephraim brought away from his idols—"I have heard him and observed him; I am like a green fig tree;" and then the words of our text, "From me is your fruit found," as though he would show Ephraim this—"Ephraim, though you are a sinner, let not that cast you down, so that you shall think there never can be any fruit in you—look upward and not to yourself for this fruit."

In opening up these words I shall with God's blessing show—

I. What is the fruit called here "your fruit."
II. How this fruit is from the Lord, "from me is your fruit found."
III. How this fruit not only is from the Lord but is found also to be such, and made manifest, for we not only have it from the Lord, but it is found to be from the Lord—"From me is your fruit found."

I. What is the fruit? Now, I sincerely believe that wherever God the Spirit has anything to do with a man's soul—(and oh! if God the Spirit has nothing to do with a man's soul, what a dreadful condition it is in!)—in his quickening and regenerating operations upon it, his communications of life and grace to it, there will always be a desire to bring forth fruit unto God. No child of God can be an Antinomian, especially when God first begins to work upon the heart. If he has been years in the work, there may be a leaning in his wretched heart to this weakness, to this carelessness—but no beginner has any leaning toward, or is ever upset, by this Antinomian devil. On the contrary, his longing is to work out his own righteousness. He is trying to keep the law, working hard to please God by a life of obedience—he is seeking to be holy, and endeavoring to overcome the wicked passions of his heart. So that you never find a child of God under the first teaching who has any leaning towards Antinomianism—it is his desire to please God by his own acts and words.

The Need To Have The Eyes Of Our Heart Opened

Paul was proud of the Ephesians and how well they were doing. He felt they were doing so well that he could now reveal much more of the Christian life and the inheritance they were called into as adopted heirs. The Ephesians letters covered both encouragement and hope at the same time they displayed his pride. The pride I am referring to here is not the one that destroys us but rather his pride came from the joy of knowing that they stood firm in the midst of the commercial metropolitan area of Asia where there was so much corruption and idol worshipers. In fact, the temple of Diana dominated the ancient Ephesus. So between the cults there, the pagan religions, the worship of the goddess Diana and living in a place that was the financial foundation of Ephesus, one has to wonder how the Christians managed to hang on so tightly to God.

Since Paul stayed in Ephesus for about two years until he was ousted by Diana’s worshipers, he knew exactly what was going on and how difficult it must have been for the Christians to flourish in spite of it all. So, we see in the first chapter of the Ephesians books, Paul prayed that the eyes of their heart would be opened. I want to draw your attention to two things: the fact that he knew the eyes of their hearts were not opened yet and also he knew, needed to be opened. This is not something reserved to just the apostles to know, and it is basic spiritual Christianity.

We are told in Matthew 6:22 that the eye is the instrument by which we see. But, we do not truly get this verse to the fullest until it happens to us. There is nothing secular about it and no matter how we spin it, we will never have the fullness of what the apostle was saying until we get to the spiritual component that makes up the statement. Simply put, when the eyes of your heart opens up, you own your Christianity, because you can see deeper within. I have to be careful here. I do not want anyone to see anything mystical like the non Christian religions where they believe in man-made or Satan's enlightenment. Ours comes from a real God who is the father of Jesus-Christ and One with Him.  

Spiritually speaking, Christianity is about dealing with an invisible but very much alive God. It is about dealing with Christ who has died, resurrected by the Father and ascended into heaven. It is about dealing with the Holy Spirit an entity that we cannot see, yet He is to lead our lives to make us a “little christ.” It is about a life lived very much in the spirit. It is about the transformation of our souls. When you grasp all these things with your heart and believe through your actions that this life is about demolition of the old life and construction of the new life by the Holy Spirit, then you understand how important it is to have the eyes of the heart opened so that we can deal with what can only be seen and understood through the spiritual eyes. It makes sense that at this stage of the Ephesians's walk with God that Paul prayed for them to have this much needed gift. It also makes sense that God feels the need to equip those who are firm in the faith and take away the guessing work as to what is the truth from His sets of standards.   

It is strange when you get there, the very first thing you see is the difference between those who have never been enlightened and still doing Christianity with much zeal and ignorance. You can also see those who have actually left the feeble understanding of things to grab onto God for everything that He has promised and planned for us for the Christian life here and after. 

When my spiritual eyes opened the very first thing that I saw was one of the prominent leaders of my Church, after fifty years or so of Christianity, hasn't even begun to getting there. It is a moment that is etched in my heart and I still remember the sadness as I observed what could only be seen with spiritual eyes. One of the things that make such awareness harder is that you cannot share what you know even with that person or anyone else for that matter. The gift comes pre-packaged with the knowledge that you cannot blurb it out.

I got to that stage in my walk with Him, within eight years of Christianity. It is just a growth process. But seven years ago, I did not know it was just some sort of intermediate growth. You are no longer a baby in the faith but you are nowhere near being a seasoned Christian either. It is spiritually apprehended. So, it makes sense if we are doing Christianity or living a man-made Christianity we are not in a position of grace, to apprehend it. That’s all.

With the eyes of the heart opened, this is how we perceive the truth and we understand it. So, it is about a spiritual life that needs to be seen and understood from His standards, just so that we can follow hard after Him.