Living by Faith
April 12th
BETA
Chapter 3 – Living By Faith. I felt the ingratitude, the danger, the sin of not living nearer to God. I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for meditation – but without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me.
I knew that if only I could abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not…each day brought its register of sin and failure, of lack of power. To will was indeed present within me, but how to perform I found not… Then came the question is there no rescue? Must it be thus to the end- constant conflict, and too often defeat? I hated myself, my sin, yet gained no strength against it.... I felt I was a child of God;… but to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless.
All the time I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was – how to get it out…I strove for faith, a but it would not come: I tried to exercise it, but in vain…I prayed for faith, but it came not. What was I to do?
When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed to me the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. (I quote from memory). “But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the faithful One.”
As I read I saw it all? “If we believe not, He abided faithful?” I looked to Jesus and saw, (and when I saw, oh, how the joy flowed!) that He had said, “I will never leave thee.” I thought, “I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more”
I am no better than before. In a sense I do not wish to be. But I am dead, buried with Christ – aye, and risen too! And now Christ lives in me and “the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me>” Do not let us consider Him as far off, when God has made us one with Him, members of His body, Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for a few. They are the birthright of every child of God…the only power of deliverance from sin or for true service.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Principle 3 - Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.Step 3 - We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. Scripture: Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”
BETA
Chapter 3 – Living By Faith. I felt the ingratitude, the danger, the sin of not living nearer to God. I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for meditation – but without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me.
I knew that if only I could abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not…each day brought its register of sin and failure, of lack of power. To will was indeed present within me, but how to perform I found not… Then came the question is there no rescue? Must it be thus to the end- constant conflict, and too often defeat? I hated myself, my sin, yet gained no strength against it.... I felt I was a child of God;… but to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless.
All the time I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was – how to get it out…I strove for faith, a but it would not come: I tried to exercise it, but in vain…I prayed for faith, but it came not. What was I to do?
When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed to me the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. (I quote from memory). “But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the faithful One.”
As I read I saw it all? “If we believe not, He abided faithful?” I looked to Jesus and saw, (and when I saw, oh, how the joy flowed!) that He had said, “I will never leave thee.” I thought, “I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more”
I am no better than before. In a sense I do not wish to be. But I am dead, buried with Christ – aye, and risen too! And now Christ lives in me and “the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me>” Do not let us consider Him as far off, when God has made us one with Him, members of His body, Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for a few. They are the birthright of every child of God…the only power of deliverance from sin or for true service.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Principle 3 - Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.Step 3 - We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. Scripture: Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home