"o Wretched Man That I Am"

[wayofthespirit]

I think I am beginning to recover from a phase where I have been obsessed with a need to spread what I believe in respect of man's corruptive intervention in Christianity at all stages of history, 1st century onwards.

Realisation that our Sovereign God works out his purpose by allowing such development is increasingly now taking precedence in my faith but hints of the old obsession keep peeping through.

Has anyone else been through a similar phase?

"O wretched man that I am"

 

[mjrhealth]

Hi Mike , at it again, I think what you meant to say, is that you are tired of banging your head against a concrete wall. Christians ,are the hardest ones toi convince of the truth, especially if it treads on tradition, church, religion, following ,men, doing stuff to please God, etc etc, far easier to convince an atheist, Thank God that He is so patient with man, for I often wonder why He puts up with us / me.

in His Love

 

[gregg]

hello wayofthespirit.i've learned that while we are under grace that the gosple of peace is the true middle where we can all agree as one and thats just what our lord preached, anything else is outside of our mission.

 

[fivesense]

Realisation that our Sovereign God works out his purpose by allowing such development is increasingly now taking precedence in my faith but hints of the old obsession keep peeping through.
Has anyone else been through a similar phase?
"O wretched man that I am"

It has wrought patience in my life, the realization that the contrast of corruption provides growth, and the various perspectives others have are just the learnings of the students of God's word. In the denominations, such striving does not occur, and the masses continue their forward trek as they remain faithful according to the light they have received. Not all are called forward in growth and maturity, such as yourself, and the cost of that maturity is high. Being ever conscious of our lack in spiritual matters propels us on to deeper things in God, and the sons who will reign in glory with Him in the heavens will need to be appropriately dressed, each with his own attire.

2Ti 1:15 . This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

The apostasy had already started in Paul's time. The falling away from the grace of God, the turn to religious observances ahead of personal pursuit of God through faith, and the allowance of teachers to tickle the ear in place of testing the spirits, became effective and powerful in the enemy's hands quite soon.

Since this is not true of you wayofthespirit, your burden will continue until the day you are changed at His advent, or you fall on sleep to the resurrection. I am privileged to know of your struggle.

fivesense

 

[wayofthespirit]

Mjrhealth, Gregg, and fivesense,

Thank you all for doing the ‘Job’s friends’ bit in helping me see through the mists.

Soon I shall be able to say with the hymnist “nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling”

My ‘hand’ is already pretty empty of all but the grace and mercy of our Saviour.

Peace be with you all…..Mike

 

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I think I am beginning to recover from a phase where I have been obsessed with a need to spread what I believe in respect of man's corruptive intervention in Christianity at all stages of history, 1st century onwards.

Realisation that our Sovereign God works out his purpose by allowing such development is increasingly now taking precedence in my faith but hints of the old obsession keep peeping through.

Has anyone else been through a similar phase?

"O wretched man that I am"

Don't think I understand what you're trying to say. Can you try again, please?

 

[wayofthespirit]

Don't think I understand what you're trying to say. Can you try again, please?

What if in trying to say it again you find it even harder to understand than first time?
But I'll give it a try.

I had spent a lot of time decrying man's intervention in trying to 'improve' the "faith once delivered to the Saints"
The so called 'improvements' began with the original Jewish converts trying to revert Christianity back to reflect Judaism (see Galatians 3)
It continued with Constantine adopting Christianity as his State religion in order to regulate it so that it was less of an insurgent threat to his rule.
Then came the domination of Papal authority.
The followers of Luther then invented Sola Scriptura.
Out of Sola Scriptura arose the countless 'thus saith the Word of God' denominational splintering of the body of Christ.
Etc., Etc.

That's all the sort of stuff with which I had been preoccupying myself.

Then more recently the relevance of Isaiah 45:7 dawned on me.
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

Suddenly I realised that, whilst not being of God's pre-emptive or prescriptive will, all that I had been decrying had nevertheless, been part of his permissive will, so what was I doing wasting my time in decrying what I couldn't change and what God had allowed?

Does that explain the change to which I was referring?

Mike.