"None But The Hungry Heart" -Miles Stanford

[NetChaplain]

Thanks Katean for your compliment and for letting me know your encouraged by the material because I'm always encouraged to know others are too.

God's blessings to your Family and may they be, as much as He allows, with your hardship too.

 

[NetChaplain]

Why must the subject of the “old man” so often arise? It slumbers not and ever flies its colors and therefore, we are to “see then that you walk circumspectly” (Eph 5:15) of its vices (Co 3:5-9); for it must be through these that the Enemy vies for position, which can interrupt but not inhibit our progress in Christ (Eph 4:27).

Being prepared to identify the works of our old nature does not involve an unceasing watch, as though it could affect our standing in Christ if missed, but is an urgency to keep it in check as the Spirit often reveals it to us in what we do; He identifies it to us then causes us to allow Him to deal with us in it (Gal 5:17). The works of the old nature are active in varying degrees, depending upon maturity (Eph 5:11-14), and are never completely avoided in our doings (1 John 1:8).

The primary understanding in it all is to realize that it is our ways which indicates our maturity in Christ and this determines the level of our fellowship, in this life, with the Father, but the condition of our fellowship with Him does not affect our acceptance with Him; for our acceptance is determined only by being “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6). -NC



ZEAL'S PRECOCITY -Miles Stanford

"For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2).

It takes more to break inertia than to ease momentum. Misdirected zeal is more easily corrected than inert sloth.

"It is possible, and very humiliating, to be awakened to the fact, though we have had a measure of zeal for the Lord, that we have barely known the things we should have known, nor the behavior that is becoming to us in this marvelous day of grace.

"But it is the love of the Lord Jesus that would lead us on, through the judgment of ourselves and ways, into deeper communion with Himself to be better representatives of Him here in whose likeness we shall soon appear. "

"The snare with zealous, but unprepared and unbroken hearts, is to do the right thing in the wrong way. It is not enough to know the right thing, but I must know the right way of doing it. The latter is not easily learned; the former is the fruit of light; the latter is never acquired but as there is practical grace and love-the activity of the Lord Jesus' nature in me by the Spirit." -J.B.S.

"Denial of the old man is where he is most felt, not where he is least felt; and all the light of Scripture cannot promote growth without self-denial. Here is where most fail, and in this day there is a great deal more zeal to acquire knowledge and intelligence in the wonders of revelation, than to deny the man that has no sympathy with it, nor part in it, but condemnation. "

"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil " (1 Timothy 3:6).

 

[Coconut]

The Lord Jesus longs for fellowship with us. He does not want patronage. It does not meet the desire of His heart to be followed, or admired, or gazed at, because of what He can do or give. He delights in a heart taught of the Spirit to appreciate His Person, for this glorifies and gratifies the Father. He retires from the gaze of an excited and tumultuous throng who would fain make Him a king, because they had eaten of the loaves and were filled; but He could turn with touching earnestness to the little band of disciples who still remained, and challenge their hearts with the question, 'Will ye also go away?'

That is so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes...

Some profound truths to be found here...highly recommended reading!

 

[NetChaplain]

We all should be familiar with “the pause”. This involves those times of seemingly emptiness, which for me can last for a day or two. The pause tests us by giving us the opportunity to evaluate where our learning level is concerning our patience and trust; are we going to patiently wait for normalcy, knowing He is still with us, or allow place for wondering and despondency which may hint of dejection?

Similar to the process in which gold is purer after every firing, the Christian “enduring hardness” (2 Tim 2:3) results in “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:7).
-NC

HIS WAY AND TIME

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of Cod." (Colossians 1:10).

When once we see and accept our Father's purpose for our lives to the extent that it becomes our will also, the time and details of His process cease to matter. "Thy will be done" (Luke 11:2).

"It is the knowledge of the Lord Jesus that matures the soul. Our Father chooses His opportunities to teach us these things, and when He has accomplished this work the special communications of His wisdom and love no longer continue, for He desires we should walk by faith, according to what we know we possess in the Lord Jesus. Hence our path is in company with a Christ much better known, and in much closer communion with Him.

"After receiving the instruction, we have to return to the ordinary activity of a life of responsibility, and to those relationships with our brethren in which love is developed and exercised, as it is put to "The proof, either in the assembly or in individual relationships."

"Patience is the secret of it all. We want to hurry God sometimes, but we never can. We find this at times in the desire for restoring a soul-a right thing to want, but God must first go to the bottom. "Patience requires thorough confidence in God. He is working His own purposes meanwhile, but I must follow Him, not go before Him. If I am 'strengthened. . . unto all patience,' I shall be longsuffering toward others."

"Strengthened. . . according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering" (Colossians 1:11).

 

[NetChaplain]

LOVED, TO LOVE

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ " (Ephesians 1:3).
His love is mine when I know what He did for me; my love is His when I know who He is to me-He who is Love, is my Life. He loved, and died; that I might live, and love. "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 6:3).

"My Father, in His grace, has come in and ended my history in the flesh, by the Cross, and now by the Spirit I am brought into association with His Son at His own right hand in heaven.

"The Lord Jesus wins my heart in His humiliation; He satisfies it in His glory. A won heart is not necessarily a satisfied heart. But if a heart is truly won by the Lord Jesus it never will be satisfied without Him. No heart that is won is ever satisfied but in the company of the One who won it. Absence does not 'make the heart grow fonder'! You only discover in absence what you have gained in presence."

"We talk of difficulties and perplexities. How little the heart is really in concert, in simple concert with the Lord Jesus! He has gone up to the right hand of the Father in greater power than ever, and He is using the elevation that He has gone to, to effect deliverance for me from all things that would break fellowship between Him and me. And He uses His Word to keep me from all that would interfere with that blessed communion."

"Thy Word have I hidden in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm l l 9:11).

 

[NetChaplain]

CALVARY'S SECRET

"Partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world" (2 Peter 1:4).


We are to find out in Romans 6, through the gracious teaching of the Spirit of truth, all that happened to the Lord Jesus there on the Cross. Then we will know our own position and standing, since we were judicially in Him there.


"Have you ever thought about God's thought about you, that you are 'to be conformed to the image of His Son'? 'It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him' (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).


"This cannot fail. The Lord Jesus presses on our hearts that He brings us into association with Himself. He 'hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus' (Ephesians 1:3). He puts us in this position answering perfectly to His nature, and with a nature to enjoy it."


"He imparts to us of Himself in order to qualify us for Himself. "


"Not only is my blessing in heaven, but I need the Lord Jesus' power to enable me to rise above the sense of my infirmity down here; for this world, instead of contributing to me, makes me feel my weakness and need, and that I must rise out of it to find and enjoy my blessing.


"The very infirmity which this evil age makes me conscious of makes me draw upon the power of Christ, as the One outside it, passing into the heavens, so that I take pleasure in the very infirmity which is exposed here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "


"God forbid that I should glory, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ " (Galatians 6:14).

 

[NetChaplain]

COUNTER-BALANCED


"Having therefore, brethren, boldness enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19).


Personal knowledge of and fellowship with our risen Lord Jesus is counter-balanced by personal knowledge of and fellowship in the death of the Cross. The principle of balance prevents our slipping past the Cross and pushing into His presence.


"Where do you dwell? 'Come and see. They came. . . and abode with Him' (John 1:39). The highest satisfaction He can have is that we should be at home with Himself. He has removed the distance from His own side.


"If you believe that, you say, I will approach Him. That is one thing. The next thing is, His love is so great He delights to have your company. It is not that you will feel yourself out of place there-you will be there in all the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ."


"Our Father delights in having us with Himself. Love yearns to satisfy itself about me. It is not only that I can go in, but a much greater thing—my Father, in all His majesty and glory, can come out, All is equipoise. Not only have I entree, but I am shaped to the grandeur of the scene, conformed to the glory of God. Not admitted like a stranger, but changed into the same image; not to equality but similarity; transformed into moral correspondence." -J.B.S.


"If we are not with Him where He is, we cannot be for Him where He is not. We must be inside the veil to be outside the camp."


"Let us draw near with a true heart in fall assurance of faith " (Hebrews 10:22).

 

[NetChaplain]

GUARDED AND GUIDED

"My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).


How difficult it is for the hungry heart to adjust to the Father's pace. He is so deliberate and thorough, while our need is so pressing and paramount. Apart from never being behind time, our Father is an eternity ahead of time! We have but to see in the Word what He has accomplished on our behalf in the Lord Jesus, and then quietly rely upon Him, "according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).


"God will perfect that which concerns His own; and even where there are mistakes and failures, as alas! there are in abundance with all of us, the Lord's rich grace abounds over all, and actually takes occasion from our very mistakes to shine out all the more brightly-though, assuredly, the mistakes and failures must produce their own painful and humiliating results.


"It is the remembrance of this which alone can give calm repose in the midst of the most discouraging circumstances. If we take the eye of faith off God, our souls must soon be overwhelmed. It is our privilege to be able, in our little measure, to thank God in view of everything, and take refuge in His eternal counsels, which must be made good despite all the unbelief of man, and all the malice of Satan.


"May God give us to increasingly know Him! If we had one end."only to learn what we are, we should surely be cast down, and sink into despondency; but His object in giving us a knowledge of ourselves and of His grace, is to give us an expected end."


"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6).

 

[NetChaplain]

IMITATING IS IMITATION

"For to me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:2l).

Once we learn the truth of our union with the Lord Jesus, and of the Holy Spirit's indwelling, any attempt to imitate Christ will be seen for what it is: unscriptural, and futile.

"Our Father is going to teach us, mainly through personal failure, that the life we live is the life of our Lord Jesus alone. The Christian life is not our living a life like Christ, or our trying to be Christ-like, nor is it Christ giving us the power to live a life like His; but it is Christ Himself living His own life through us; 'no longer I, but Christ.'"

"The end of Christ's incarnation, death and resurrection was to prepare and form a holy nature and frame for us in Himself, to be communicated to us by union and fellowship with Him; and not to be able to produce in ourselves the first originals of such an holy nature by our own endeavors."

"The believer's true education is in the growth of Christ within. The Church's real ministry is not multitudinous public services, so-called, but the forming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the lives of His people; the reproduction of Christ; epistles made alive by the Holy Spirit, to be seen and read of all men." -C.A.F.

"There is no answer to infidelity like the life of the Lord Jesus displayed through the Christian. Nothing puts the madness of the infidel, and the folly of the superstitious more to shame and silence than the humble, quiet, devoted walk of a thorough-going, heavenly-minded, and divinely-taught believer."

"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you" (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

 

[NetChaplain]

TERMINAL CONDITION–ETERNAL POSITION - MJS

"Ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (Colossians 3 9).


Sometimes our Christian life and love are divided between the two Adams. It may be 60-40 in favor of the Last Adam, still it is shared. But the Lord Jesus paid it all, gave His all, deserves our all, requires all, because He is our ALL. Ours is to be total separation-death to the old, life in the New.


"Our Father has removed everything to His own satisfaction, and you learn in the first eleven verses of Romans 5 the terms He is on with you. It means much to the heart of the believer to know that he is received on the ground of another Man who perfectly glorified God.


"We are accepted in Him, the Beloved. God has changed His man, and you are never happy until you believe that and are able to say, I have, too. If you do not see that God has changed His man you will never change your man."


"The only way to freedom is to leave Adam for Christ-to change your man; then it is 'not I, but Christ liveth in me' (Galatians 2:20). There are two sides; one, that you are cleared from the old in the eye of God in the Cross; the other, that you are now new in Christ risen. 'For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death' (Romans 8:2). The old is held in the place of death as you walk in newness of life in the Spirit."

"And have put on the new man, that is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him." (Colossians 3:10).

 

[NetChaplain]

Man reaching up to God is religion; God reaching down to man is grace. What God is to man is more significant than what man is to God. Since He values us equal to His Son, the priority in all things is to focus all on Him and His Son, because Their love for us is infinitely preeminent to ours for Them. -NC


LOVE'S ETERNALITY

"The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God " (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Between the activity of the old man and the accusations of Satan, we often find it very difficult to believe and understand that God is lovingly and legally on our side, both now and forever.

"One of the great secrets of growth is the looking upon the Lord Jesus as gracious. How strengthening it is, to know that He is at this moment feeling and exercising the same love and grace towards me as when He died upon the Cross for me. -J.N.D.

"I have got away from grace if I have the slightest doubt about God's love for me. I shall then be saying, I am not happy, because I am not what I should like to be. But, dear friend, this is not the question: the real question is, whether God is what we shall like Him to be, whether the Lord Jesus is all we could wish.

"If the consciousness of what we are in ourselves, has any other effect than, while it humbles us, to increase our adoration of what our Father is, we are off the ground of pure grace. The immediate effect of such consciousness should be to make our hearts reach out to God and to His grace as abounding over all."

"May our hearts get such a lesson in the love of the Father, that, instead of being depressed by trying circumstances, we may know that we are the objects of this wonderful love, and are being educated into it by the only One who knew it in all its power as He walked here below through this wilderness world."

"To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19).

 

[NetChaplain]

TREASURED TRIALS

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty' hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (I Peter 5:6).

The Blesser sends trials because the trials are blessings. Most covet the "blessing" of having the trial removed.

"I find the brightest summer is when the winter has been longest and most severe. The wheat, the best grain, passes a winter in the soil. The bud, the blossom, or fruit, most fragrant of Christ, is the one which nobody knows what it cost me but Himself; and where one had hardly noticed it; like the beautiful wild flowers in the hedgerow, contending with bushes and boars, to shod their fragrance on the unthankful or unthinking traveler going by."

"I think we are sometimes ready to say to the Lord— Could you not have taught me without subjecting me to so much sorrow and humiliation? The answer I have had is, You could not be effectually taught any other way. "The Lord knows the nature of the obstacle in me which He has to overcome: a less efficient hand might think that it could be dealt with in some other way.

"A weakness be it bodily or otherwise, is sometimes allowed to continue in order that there may be dependence, and when there is dependence, the weakness becomes a gain; the grit-the trying thing-is superseded by a pearl of great price." -J.B.S.

"The God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect [mature], establish, strengthen, settle you " (1 Peter 5:10).

 

[NetChaplain]

God's blessings to your Family this Holiday season! God Be Blessed!!


THE REAL ENEMY

"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
Hatred for others comes easy for some; but to fully hate one's old man comes hard for all. The Lord Jesus loves us too much to allow us to go on loving ourselves.

"The Christian's victory is not over others, but over himself. His sword is drawn, not to slay his fellowman, but to slay himself. He wins by losing. He triumphs by being defeated. He lives by dying. His crown is a crown of thorns. His throne is a Cross. His weapon is not strength but weakness.

"His victory is not found in establishing his own cause but in establishing that of his fellow-men; the poor, the sick, the disinherited, the brokenhearted, the wayward, the lost. This may be foolishness to men. But we must not forget that 'the foolishness of God is stronger than men' (1 Corinthians 1:25). -F.J.H.

"How blessed it is to know, and at the same time how solemn to realize, that the sin of the child of God is against his Father, and that it is the love of relationship that is called into exercise about it-love which acts towards us 'for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness' " (Hebrew. 12:10).

"It is impossible that He should treat it lightly; and it will be impossible in the end for any one of His own to treat it lightly either. Grace abides towards us; and because grace abides, sin cannot be permitted to have sway over "The objects of it." -W.K.

"Let not sin, therefore, reign. . . " (Romans 6:12).

 

[NetChaplain]

ALL GLORY TO GOD


"Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God " (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The present and eternal ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son; the past, present, and future ministry of the Son is to glorify the Father. Our life and ministry will bring glory to our Father to the extent that we abide in the Son, and are controlled by the Holy Spirit.

"When one's ministry or outreach flows from close communion with the Father, one's influence and moral authority will be recognized. Moreover, such a workman is not carried beyond what he has received from the Lord, so that his ministry finds sanction in hearts without any pressure.-J.N.D.

"The object of all Christian life and ministry, of whatever kind, must surely be to bring glory to God. Any lesser motive is inferior. If this were kept in the forefront of our thinking and praying, it would have two beneficial results. The hectic strain would be taken out of our lives and service, and spontaneous fruitfulness would follow.

"We can aim to meet the needs of people as a primary objective, and fret because so many of our efforts prove abortive. We may secretly pride ourselves on our ability to minister, or on our efficient service, and reap nothing but frustration. It is only when our whole outlook is made radiant by His glory, because we are hungry to do His will and that only, that our activities will be quickened into new life, and others be truly blessed." -J.C.M.

"He [Abraham]. . . was Strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:20).

 

[NetChaplain]

FREE-BORN

"For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God " (Galatians 2:19, ASV).

No true believer expects the Law to give life, yet many expect it to govern life. Too few realize that their death on the Cross separated them from the entire principle of law, and that their resurrection united them to the Lord Jesus, "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

"All of the Lord's commands to me are according to the new nature I already have. He is my life, and all His words are the expression of that life. Therefore when His words are given to me, they only give me the authority to do what my new nature likes to do. 'A new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you" (1 John 2:8). -J.N.D.

"Does our Father mock us by bidding us do what He knows we are unable to do? No! He gives commands we cannot perform in our strength, that we may know what we ought to request from Him." "Legalism is an effort to shape oneself to given laws or rules. Seeking to urge oneself into conformity to law, the old man is before the eye, and satisfaction is felt according as there is conformity to a given standard.

"The moment legality is sanctioned, it must be with reference to that which needs to be made subject. This is not Christian, because as believers we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, against which there is no law."

"Stand fast, fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage " (Galatians 5:1).

 

[NetChaplain]

The heavenly position of where the believers are is what sustains them in their earthly condition when they are continually mindful of their total dependence on God. It is when we think of ourselves “more highly than we ought to think” (Rom 12:3) that we decrease the continuity in our God-dependence.

The consistency of how we should be in our condition will be succinctly commensurate with the level of our mindfulness concerning God-dependence. The question is not how strong are we but, how strong is He? God desires us to know that He has set everything so that we need not to look within ourselves for sustenance, as if to have faith in ourselves, but to realize that since we have trusted in Him for the receiving of our salvation, we can only trust Him for the retention of the same (John 10:28, 29).

God has brought us to faith in union with Himself (John 6:44) and it is Him, not ourselves, which is “able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory” (Jude 1:24). Your position in God is your place with Christ, because “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). If those who professes to be in Christ eventually display a lifestyle of sin, it will become obvious they have never entered into faith (1 John 2:19).

Therefore, “as He is” (our position), “so are we in this world” (our condition); 1 John 4:17.
NC

LET GOD BE GOD!

"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:11).

It goes without saying that Christianity is a vertical relationship with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But are your arrows pointing up, or down? "Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" (Hebrews 13:15).

"Grace is the Father's favor to man according to His own heart, and for His own glory. If the need of man were the sole measure of His grace, then man only would be thought of, the work of the Lord Jesus would be simply for man, and the power of God expended merely in rescuing man and securing his relief. Man would be the object and end of it all, and not God." -J.B.S.

"When I have rest in the Lord Jesus, then I begin to find all my joy and strength in Him, and I occupy myself with Him.
This is the foundation of true devotedness. I do not become devoted in the true sense until I have found my rest in Him. I am, up to this, rather looking to receive from Him. I am more an object to myself; but when I find how fully I am an object to Him, then my heart is at liberty to make Him its object, He having made me His." -J.B.S.

"When the advantages of grace do not call forth praise to the Father, when He is not prominently before the soul, as the source of everything possessed, then the gifts take the place of the Giver in the heart, and must soon lose their vigor and value like flowers cut away from their roots."

"The great question is, not whether I see a certain thing, and how it stands in relation to me, but do I see it as my Father sees it, and as it stands in relation to Him?"

"Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Ephesians 3:21).

 

[NetChaplain]

SERVlCEABlLITY

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (1 Peter 4:12).


The joy of sowing is exceeded only by the joy of harvesting; and yet both sowing and reaping are a matter of death.


"If we follow and note the history and ways of any true servant of the Lord, we shall see, that on the one side they, like Moses on the Mount, or Paul in Arabia, are entranced with the brightness and most marvelous display of divine glory; yet on man's side, those who know most of the divine ways, suffer most because of the indifference of those who have professed to be the Lord's people.


"It is nowhere admitted in Scripture that a servant can be merely the herald of the light of God's grace; that is, that he should only have the joyful side of service. For every real servant, be he evangelist, teacher, or anything else, there must be the side of suffering, burden, and humiliation."


"We must bear in mind that, while it is the Father's purpose, in His dealings with Job, to vindicate His own estimate of His servant; it is, at the same time, shown us how He educates or disciplines that servant so as to render him worthy of that estimate."


"In every trial, however gloomy, there are gleams of light and relief; but full deliverance is often delayed by our anxiety to obtain it. God Himself, and not the deliverance, is to be the satisfaction of His servant; consequently the deliverance is often postponed until we are without prospect or expectation of it; and then it may be accorded in a manner so transcendently beyond our conception, that we must see and understand the love and interest which surrounded us during the whole period of our trial."


"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:3)

 

[NetChaplain]

The doing of the will of God centers more on passivity than activity; passive on our part and active on His. Because our Adamic nature is a leaven which unavoidably mixes with what we do, the doing of God’s will on our part is in yielding to His Spirit to work through and by us into bringing about the Father’s desires concerning everything in our lives.

When we “yield” ourselves to God (Rom 6:13), it is the new self (new man), not the old self (old man) that we present to Him and through this new nature we realize the substance of the doing is not of us but the Spirit and thus, He has His way; “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Eph 3:16).

W.J. Hocking’s comment adds some light to the issue: “Man had no life from which the Father could expect anything and so he gave a new life in His Son, that He may produce it. Do I find sins rather? He is the propitiation for our sins. I believe that and enter into fellowship”.

“Why do you find fear and torment when you find sin in yourself? Cannot you trust that love? Have you had the Father on your neck in your rages (Luke 15:20). You must know the love your Father has for you and then you know Him. His Son is your righteousness; why should you not have rest? “As He is, so are we in this world.”

“The effect of grace is that we should feel sin and know it’s blotted out (Acts 3:19) in Him, as well as our old life (old man). “The glory thou hast given Me I have given them . . . that the world may know that . . . thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved Me” (John 17:22, 23). “There is no fear in love.” It is a matter of fellowship. “Perfect love casteth out all fear.”
NC

FROM LAW TO LIFE

"Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24).

As sinners, the law revealed our need of deliverance from the penalty of sin; as believers, the law reveals our need of deliverance from the power of sin.

"Our Father knows that we are weakness incarnate; that we can do nothing. The trouble is that we do not know it. He must bring us all to the place where we see that we are utterly weak and helpless.

"The more we try to keep the law the more our weakness is manifested and the deeper we get into Romans Seven, until it is clearly demonstrated to us that we are hopelessly weak. The Father knew it all the time, but we did not, and so He has to bring us through painful experiences to a recognition of the fact."

"'It is God who worketh in you' (Philippians 2:13). Deliverance from law does not mean that we are free from doing the will of our Father. It certainly does not mean that we are going to be lawless. Quite the opposite! What it does mean however is that we are free from doing that will as of ourselves.

"Being fully persuaded that we cannot do it, we cease trying to please God from the ground of the old man. Having at least reached the point of utter despair in ourselves so that we cease even to try, we put our trust in the Lord Jesus to manifest His resurrection life in and through us, 'that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (Romans 8:4)."

"What would be effected by the law, if all its commands and precepts were carried out and maintained? It would form man in the flesh; it would make Adam what he ought to be for God in the world. The law would form Adam in us." -C.A.C.

"I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Romans 7:25).

 

[NetChaplain]

The doing of the will of God centers more on passivity than activity; passive on our part and active on His. Because our Adamic nature is a leaven which unavoidably mixes with what we do, the doing of God’s will on our part is in yielding to His Spirit to work through and by us into bringing about the Father’s desires concerning everything in our lives.

When we “yield” ourselves to God (Rom 6:13), it is the new self (new man), not the old self (old man) that we present to Him and through this new nature we realize the substance of the doing is not of us but the Spirit and thus, He has His way; “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Eph 3:16).

W.J. Hocking’s comment adds some light to the issue: “Man had no life from which the Father could expect anything and so he gave a new life in His Son, that He may produce it. Do I find sins rather? He is the propitiation for our sins. I believe that and enter into fellowship”.

“Why do you find fear and torment when you find sin in yourself? Cannot you trust that love? Have you had the Father on your neck in your rages (Luke 15:20). You must know the love your Father has for you and then you know Him. His Son is your righteousness; why should you not have rest? “As He is, so are we in this world.”

“The effect of grace is that we should feel sin and know it’s blotted out (Acts 3:19) in Him, as well as our old life (old man). “The glory thou hast given Me I have given them . . . that the world may know that . . . thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved Me” (John 17:22, 23). “There is no fear in love.” It is a matter of fellowship. “Perfect love casteth out all fear.”
NC

FROM LAW TO LIFE

"Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24).

As sinners, the law revealed our need of deliverance from the penalty of sin; as believers, the law reveals our need of deliverance from the power of sin.

"Our Father knows that we are weakness incarnate; that we can do nothing. The trouble is that we do not know it. He must bring us all to the place where we see that we are utterly weak and helpless.

"The more we try to keep the law the more our weakness is manifested and the deeper we get into Romans Seven, until it is clearly demonstrated to us that we are hopelessly weak. The Father knew it all the time, but we did not, and so He has to bring us through painful experiences to a recognition of the fact."

"'It is God who worketh in you' (Philippians 2:13). Deliverance from law does not mean that we are free from doing the will of our Father. It certainly does not mean that we are going to be lawless. Quite the opposite! What it does mean however is that we are free from doing that will as of ourselves.

"Being fully persuaded that we cannot do it, we cease trying to please God from the ground of the old man. Having at least reached the point of utter despair in ourselves so that we cease even to try, we put our trust in the Lord Jesus to manifest His resurrection life in and through us, 'that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (Romans 8:4)."

"What would be effected by the law, if all its commands and precepts were carried out and maintained? It would form man in the flesh; it would make Adam what he ought to be for God in the world. The law would form Adam in us." -C.A.C.

"I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Romans 7:25).

 

[NetChaplain]

In my earthly condition, which is where I am a partaker of the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor 1:5, 7), I am encouraged and comforted the most in the knowledge and understanding of my Father’s omniscience, because this means there is nothing in my life that will occur without His foreknowledge and that even my thoughts do not escape His pondering. Regardless of what arises, God knows my choices and has already planned out the day for me (Prov 3:6, Psa 1:6; 37:23); “not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace” (2 Tim 1:9).

The direction and care of our Father never involves punishment but rather, loving chastisement (Heb 12:6) and we are also comforted to realize He knows it is never our intention to displease Him. Is there ever any thought or occurrence that God does not know about beforehand? Regardless of the believer’s thoughts, feelings and actions, along with all which occurs without, they have already been known and it has already been pre-planned to “work together for good to them . . . who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28).

It is also a great motivation to realize that we can work towards understanding that it can be our goal not to allow anything to disappoint us, esp. in our regrets and failures because mistaken choices are acceptable while maturing in Christ and disappointments anywhere else evidences that we have put our security into something which is of ourselves or another. But when the Lord causes us to experientially understand our eternally secured assurance in His Son, the Romans eight-twenty-eight promise will continually draw us from dissatisfaction and disappointment.
NC

OUR FATHER, UNTRUSTWORTHY?

"The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants; and none of them who trust in him shall be desolate" (Psalm 34:22).
We can only trust our Father to the degree that we know Him. And He only reveals Himself to us by His means. That is by the Word, by the Spirit, and hence by the Son–in that sequence.

"Could it be possible that God would so love an individual as to give His only Son to die for him and still love him to the extent of following him with the pleadings and drawings of His grace until He has won that soul into His own family and created him anew by the impartation of His own divine nature, and then be careless as to what becomes of the one He has thus given His all to procure?" -L.S.C.

"A life of patience intervenes between the day of illumination and the day of glorification. I am not to count on a path of pleasure–a path of ease–a path of prosperity–on being more distinguished tomorrow than today; but I am to count on a path of patience. And is not there glory in that? Yes, there is companionship with the Lord Jesus Christ." -J.G.B.

"Let my circumstances be what they may, if I can see them ordered for me unfailingly by One in whom infinite wisdom, power, and goodness combine, and whose love toward me I am assured of, my restlessness is gone, my will subjected to that other will in which I can but acquiesce and delight." -F.W.G.

"We are called to fellowship with God, and fellowship means common happiness, common thoughts, common trust. The Father's delight is in His Son; and we have fellowship with Him in that. The Son's delight is in the Father, and we have fellowship with Him in that. So our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus, Christ." -J.N.D.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5, 6).