In a dispensation where God’s mind is completely revealed we often find there is much fervor lacking in the knowledge and joy of the Lord Jesus (2Pe 2:20), and spiritual fondness of it all is at low ebb! But there will always be those believers whom God uses to increase the interest and involvement in the service and work of encouragement of the saints; but even this will not move most to a spiritual zeal.
It has been obvious within that last century or so that many saints are lacking in the fervency of the Word, which I believe will probably be the state of the majority of the Body of Christ until His final advent!
Reading, rereading and studying the Word of God, especially within the Pauline Epistles (Romans—Philemon), is the best and most sure means of receiving the much needed exhortation from God. I found that the most consistent way to read the Word is to mark where you leave of, and restart there; you also get all the Word this way.
NC
The difference between human and divine knowledge is that the former is merely information, the latter is formative. Human knowledge does not alter me, but develops my natural state. The Word of God forms me anew. I am born again of incorruptible seed, even the Word of God. It is a new existence, entirely superior to the old existence; and receiving no help or countenance from the old. On the contrary, it is hindered and checked by it, and from the very start the new assumes an independent course and derives its strength from the Spirit of God.
Never was there a day since the Apostle’s time (Paul—NC) when so much truth was in circulation, and yet never a day when conversions were of so feeble a type, and true spiritual growth, so little manifested. When there was less truth, every convert impressed his companions with at least the deep work in his soul by his retirement from worldly ways and his strict observance of the Word; but now, with the clearer knowledge of grace, there seems to be little appreciation of higher responsibilities, and the idea is that as it is all of grace, there need be no works at all.
Think, for example, of those who have accepted the truth that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ (all reborn are now eternally positioned in heaven with the Lord Jesus, as good as if there now - Eph 2:6—NC). In this class there are four varieties. The first, which are the least enlightened, meet you with this difficulty: “I see what is presented in Scripture, that heaven is our present portion, but I do not feel that it imparts anything to me; I wish it did. On the contrary, while I admit the truth, I find I can enjoy the things of the earth in many ways (though God “gives us richly all things to enjoy,” we are not to abuse them—NC).
The second accept the truth as orthodox, and are not diverted from it by unwillingness to give up worldly enjoyments here (i.e. enjoyments that are wrong to engage—NC). On the contrary they maintain, and that with great truthfulness, that all real solace must come from the Lord. But instead of taking the actual position of being a dweller in heaven, and coming from There to the earth, they only look up to heaven for help as to their walk on earth; and their thoughts and labors are always influenced and dictated by the state and order of things on earth. Instead of pressing upon man the mind of the Lord as learned in heaven, they are occupied with the blessing of man on earth.
The difficulty of exposing this state is great, because with the acceptance of heavenly truth, there is genuine zeal and devoted service for man’s blessing on earth, but only as a pilgrim going on to heaven, and no real practical consciousness of being, as a heavenly man, at home in heaven now (Eph 2:6).
The third variety are those who have seen and admired heavenly truth, but fearing the narrow path, circumscribed service and fellowship in labor to which it would reduce them, they veered away in order to be more visibly and extensively useful, and with a larger circle of companions; but they do not progress, and they suffer to their souls (minimal spiritual growth—NC) as well as hinder their testimony.
The fourth are those who not only accept the truth and adhere to it, but study to be practically in it; and as they do so, every difficulty is solved, and the path, because divine, becomes clearer every day. They go from strength to strength, empowered for still greater advance, because of their life in Christ which has enabled them to make so much progress. These are they who “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2Pe 3:18).
—James Butler Stoney (1814-1897).
MJS daily devotional for September 28, 2023
“There will be no standing against the enemy’s accusations until we are firmly assured of, and settled on, the fact that our Father is at peace with us because of our living union with His Beloved Son. And this alone will give us peace with our Father.” -MJS
"We thought we were being more Christian by striving more, praying more, reading our Bible more, and confessing our sins more. But all that brought no relief. The awful gnawing in our vitals continues. The sense of guilt increases. We need not a Nathan to say, ‘Thou art the man!’ A thousand voices are forever ringing in our ears giving the lie to what we long with infinite yearning might be an altogether convincing testimony of a truly Christian walk.
"Now the way out is to be found in a clear-cut recognition of the fact that, as Paul says in Romans 8:1, ‘There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.’ Let appearances, voices and feelings to the contrary be what they may, still this is a fact. The reason, of course, is found not in ourselves, but in Another." -F.J.H.
It has been obvious within that last century or so that many saints are lacking in the fervency of the Word, which I believe will probably be the state of the majority of the Body of Christ until His final advent!
Reading, rereading and studying the Word of God, especially within the Pauline Epistles (Romans—Philemon), is the best and most sure means of receiving the much needed exhortation from God. I found that the most consistent way to read the Word is to mark where you leave of, and restart there; you also get all the Word this way.
NC
Points to Ponder
The difference between human and divine knowledge is that the former is merely information, the latter is formative. Human knowledge does not alter me, but develops my natural state. The Word of God forms me anew. I am born again of incorruptible seed, even the Word of God. It is a new existence, entirely superior to the old existence; and receiving no help or countenance from the old. On the contrary, it is hindered and checked by it, and from the very start the new assumes an independent course and derives its strength from the Spirit of God.
Never was there a day since the Apostle’s time (Paul—NC) when so much truth was in circulation, and yet never a day when conversions were of so feeble a type, and true spiritual growth, so little manifested. When there was less truth, every convert impressed his companions with at least the deep work in his soul by his retirement from worldly ways and his strict observance of the Word; but now, with the clearer knowledge of grace, there seems to be little appreciation of higher responsibilities, and the idea is that as it is all of grace, there need be no works at all.
Think, for example, of those who have accepted the truth that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ (all reborn are now eternally positioned in heaven with the Lord Jesus, as good as if there now - Eph 2:6—NC). In this class there are four varieties. The first, which are the least enlightened, meet you with this difficulty: “I see what is presented in Scripture, that heaven is our present portion, but I do not feel that it imparts anything to me; I wish it did. On the contrary, while I admit the truth, I find I can enjoy the things of the earth in many ways (though God “gives us richly all things to enjoy,” we are not to abuse them—NC).
The second accept the truth as orthodox, and are not diverted from it by unwillingness to give up worldly enjoyments here (i.e. enjoyments that are wrong to engage—NC). On the contrary they maintain, and that with great truthfulness, that all real solace must come from the Lord. But instead of taking the actual position of being a dweller in heaven, and coming from There to the earth, they only look up to heaven for help as to their walk on earth; and their thoughts and labors are always influenced and dictated by the state and order of things on earth. Instead of pressing upon man the mind of the Lord as learned in heaven, they are occupied with the blessing of man on earth.
The difficulty of exposing this state is great, because with the acceptance of heavenly truth, there is genuine zeal and devoted service for man’s blessing on earth, but only as a pilgrim going on to heaven, and no real practical consciousness of being, as a heavenly man, at home in heaven now (Eph 2:6).
The third variety are those who have seen and admired heavenly truth, but fearing the narrow path, circumscribed service and fellowship in labor to which it would reduce them, they veered away in order to be more visibly and extensively useful, and with a larger circle of companions; but they do not progress, and they suffer to their souls (minimal spiritual growth—NC) as well as hinder their testimony.
The fourth are those who not only accept the truth and adhere to it, but study to be practically in it; and as they do so, every difficulty is solved, and the path, because divine, becomes clearer every day. They go from strength to strength, empowered for still greater advance, because of their life in Christ which has enabled them to make so much progress. These are they who “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2Pe 3:18).
—James Butler Stoney (1814-1897).
MJS daily devotional for September 28, 2023
“There will be no standing against the enemy’s accusations until we are firmly assured of, and settled on, the fact that our Father is at peace with us because of our living union with His Beloved Son. And this alone will give us peace with our Father.” -MJS
"We thought we were being more Christian by striving more, praying more, reading our Bible more, and confessing our sins more. But all that brought no relief. The awful gnawing in our vitals continues. The sense of guilt increases. We need not a Nathan to say, ‘Thou art the man!’ A thousand voices are forever ringing in our ears giving the lie to what we long with infinite yearning might be an altogether convincing testimony of a truly Christian walk.
"Now the way out is to be found in a clear-cut recognition of the fact that, as Paul says in Romans 8:1, ‘There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.’ Let appearances, voices and feelings to the contrary be what they may, still this is a fact. The reason, of course, is found not in ourselves, but in Another." -F.J.H.
