Advanced, or Remedial?

[marks]

Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

There was a time after God did a massive amount of work in my life, dealing with things that had crippled me for decades.

I was astounded at the power of God displayed in my life, and amazed at the faith revealed in me, faith that was sufficient to overcome some of the more horrific things that happen in life.

But that's not what I want to write about.

I found there was in me the desire to think of myself as now advanced over my fellows. Maybe I was just coming up to speed with everyone else. But this is wrong thinking.

OK, I know we can't compare lives. No one lives the same life as another, and no one is the same as another.

How do you know . . . whether you are advanced, because God has given you SO Much, or whether this is simply catching you up to the minimum level? Advanced, or remedial? How can you even know?

Except what God said, that if the doctrine agrees with the Scriptures. We test everything by Scripture.

We must not think of ourselves more highly than we should.

We must never think that we've gained for ourselves what we've actually received out of God's grace and mercy, as if this goes to our credit.

Lording over others is never, never, God's way. And those who judge others? Well, let's simply not.

Rant over.

Much love!
Mark

 

[Not me]

Romans 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

There was a time after God did a massive amount of work in my life, dealing with things that had crippled me for decades.

I was astounded at the power of God displayed in my life, and amazed at the faith revealed in me, faith that was sufficient to overcome some of the more horrific things that happen in life.

But that's not what I want to write about.

I found there was in me the desire to think of myself as now advanced over my fellows. Maybe I was just coming up to speed with everyone else. But this is wrong thinking.

OK, I know we can't compare lives. No one lives the same life as another, and no one is the same as another.

How do you know . . . whether you are advanced, because God has given you SO Much, or whether this is simply catching you up to the minimum level? Advanced, or remedial? How can you even know?

Except what God said, that if the doctrine agrees with the Scriptures. We test everything by Scripture.

We must not think of ourselves more highly than we should.

We must never think that we've gained for ourselves what we've actually received out of God's grace and mercy, as if this goes to our credit.

Lording over others is never, never, God's way. And those who judge others? Well, let's simply not.

Rant over.

Much love!
Mark

Hi Mark, if you wouldn't mind me speaking rather boldly, please forgive if I cause offense in any way, it is not my intention at all but only to encourage.

For I have seen/tasted/touched your relationship with Christ, so I know it’s real and alive in you.

So I know Christ in you is at work drawing and forming Himself in you. Focus only on your personal relationship with Christ. For that relationship you have with Him will teach you all things. As I’m sure you know inwardly. But that relationship you have with Christ can only grow at it’s own speed. As much as we might like it to grow faster it is the Divine Nature come to birth in us and can and will only grow in God’s way in His time. Be satisfied with and in the hope and prayer and knowledge, that regardless of how much growth there is in that relationship each day, as long as there is growth toward Christ each and every day, sooner or later you will get to be where both you and God would have you be. Which is as close to Christ as your heart is willing to get, for we are only limited by our hearts desire after Him. So it matters not where you are today in your growth only that today you know Him a little more than yesterday and tomorrow more than today. For knowing Christ Jesus personally is Christianity as I’m sure you know. So I just want to encourage you to to continue to search for Him with all your heart for He has promised to be found by those that do.

I see such a work of grace in your writings and such a heart after God I just wish to encourage.

Many blessings as we search for God with all are hearts.

Much love in Christ, Not me

 

[Hidden In Him]

OK, I know we can't compare lives. No one lives the same life as another, and no one is the same as another

I think this right here is what makes how we are doing in comparison with others sort of irrelevant. There's a passage in Galatians where Paul said:

3 If anyone thinks himself to be something, being nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one prove his own work, and then he will have a boast unto himself alone, and not unto another, 5 for each one shall carry his own burden.

It means that we are each gifted with different levels of mental and emotional ability, as well as talent, as well as different spiritual gifts, and God will not expect anyone else who does not have my gifts to do as well as me, and visa versa. The only thing we will be judged by is how well we did with what we alone were given. This is what it means when it says, "To whom much is given, much will be required," and it is what Paul meant by saying that we each shall carry our own burden.

I believe looking at it this way forces you to do the very most you can for God, because you know He demands your all and nothing less.

 

[marks]

for we are only limited by our hearts desire after Him.

Hi Not me, and thank you for your encouragements! But to the above I have to respond, If only this were true!

You, it seems, may not yet have felt the strength of my heart's desire! And I really have only one desire. The thing I see in me, the thing I see in so many, is unbelief. I want, but I don't think I can have. I speak of myself, I believe this is true for all each to our own degree.

Something you said, so true! Our growth happens in God's time. Which, as I've seen, can seem agonizingly slow. But He has His reasons.

I've seen in my life how those things which more profoundly impacted me of whatever stripe came not at times of my choosing. We cannot get ahead of what God is doing in us. I cannot work out in my life what God has not worked into me.

And, in that passage, even our desire comes from His working in us.

I stand strongly opposed to those teachings that undermine people's faith. As I read Scripture, God stands ready to do every good work in and through each of us. We may want His work in our lives more than we want life itself, but our faith is essential.

Recently I've been focusing on Philippians 3, where Paul is talking about attaining to the resurrection. I've come to think that what he's talking about is the same thing that he said in different words, Being conformed to His death, well, what he said a little later, "but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by the Christ Jesus;" Jesus apprehended Paul to be the man He wanted Paul to be, and that man is completely seen in the resurrection.

And I believe this is what Paul wanted to see in his life, the full fruit of Christ in him. Christ fully formed. My understanding of what this means is that my life becomes a perfect reflection of Christ, who always did what pleased the Father.

This walk of works preordained exists for every moment in the believer's life, and that by trusting in the finished work of Christ allows me to receive this walk moment by moment from God. And you know it is a good life.

I know you know these things.

I teach, I plead, I portray, I provoke, I inquire, I do everything I can to show the impediments to faith, and the way of faith.

After all, you know what they say, those that can't do, teach!

;)

I just pray it be in the Spirit, I pray that for each of us here.

Much love!

 

[Not me]

But to the above I have to respond, If only this were true!

Hi, and blessings, I was so hoping you would accept my post in the Spirit of Love it was meant to portray. For you may rest assured;

This statement;

“for we are only limited by our hearts desire after Him.

Is a most true and correct one. For God has given Christ to mankind, we can have as much or as little of Him as our hearts dictate to us. We are the limiting factor in our relationships with Christ. As I’m sure it is true, and as your fruit proves, it is true you have given your heart to Christ in all the areas you are conscious of. But as I’m sure you bear witness with, as God does a deeper work in you, you will find there are more areas that need to be denied, given over or died to or yielded more to God.(whichever terminology you prefer). As it is true of all of us.

For God has indeed promised, the heart that searches for Him with all their heart, will most assuredly find Him. So it is to the more we are called to so to the more we set our sights on. Blessings.

You, it seems, may not yet have felt the strength of my heart's desire! And I really have only one desire. The thing I see in me, the thing I see in so many, is unbelief. I want, but I don't think I can have. I speak of myself, I believe this is true for all each to our own degree.

Please forgive if my statement of tasting/touching your relationship with Christ was thought to mean I saw/tasted/touched your entirety of your relationship with Christ.

Was only meant to portray I have tasted the fruit of your relationship and your fruit is good, so by that I can extrapolate if the fruit is good the tree is good. For He is teaching you inwardly and will continue to do so.

Keep pressing into Christ with all your heart for Christ Himself is the reward for those that do.

Blessings as we search after Him with all our hearts.

Much love in Christ, Not me

 

[marks]

Hi, and blessings, I was so hoping you would accept my post in the Spirit of Love it was meant to portray. For you may rest assured;

This statement;

“for we are only limited by our hearts desire after Him.

Is a most true and correct one. For God has given Christ to mankind, we can have as much or as little of Him as our hearts dictate to us. We are the limiting factor in our relationships with Christ. As I’m sure it is true, and as your fruit proves, it is true you have given your heart to Christ in all the areas you are conscious of. But as I’m sure you bear witness with, as God does a deeper work in you, you will find there are more areas that need to be denied, given over or yielded more to God.(whichever terminology you prefer). As it is true of all of us.

For God has indeed promised, the heart that searches for Him with all their heart, will most assuredly find Him. So it is to the more we are called to so to the more we set our sights on. Blessings.



Please forgive if my statement of tasting/touching your relationship with Christ was thought to mean I saw/tasted/touched your entirety of your relationship with Christ.

Was only meant to portray I have tasted the fruit of your relationship and your fruit is good, so by that I can extrapolate if the fruit is good the tree is good. For He is teaching you inwardly and will continue to do so.

Keep pressing into Christ with all your heart for Christ Himself is the reward for those that do.

Blessings as we search after Him with all our hearts.

Much love in Christ, Not me

Thank you, not me, you bless me!

He will indeed continue, one of the more excellent truths in this life!

Much love!

 

[Not me]

Thank you, not me, you bless me!

He will indeed continue, one of the more excellent truths in this life!

Much love!

Yes it is!!!

But will only be found to be true by those that desire it.

Blessings,

Much love in Christ, Not me