Purpose Of Being Christian

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Falla39

Sis. Felicity,

I was certainly not directing my last post to you at all. You usually

respond and I don't expect a response necessarily every time. I only

used that post, and to me it is such a serious subject, to BELIEVE that

we CAN live overcoming lives. You made a great point in saying that.

I felt so strongly also that we could, and that it is through the power

of the Holy Ghost that it can be done. Our family has five generations,

starting with my maternal grandmother, that are living victorious lives

in and by the POWER of the HOLY GHOST! That is encouraging to me

and to my family that it can happen generation after generation. But

let one generation be convinced that it can't be done and the ball is

dropped for no telling how many generations.

Again, dear Sis. Felicity, I was not referring to you OR any one person

but perhaps to someone on this forum that could be convinced that it

cannot be done. We CAN live OVERCOMING lives TODAY!!

Blessings,

Falla39

There's a portion of Scripture in Eph. 1 17-23 that ties in nicely here in regard to the position we have in Christ. As all things were under Christ's feet, because of who we are in Him, so are all things under our feet -- including Satan. That's when and if we understand this, and position ourselves and live in our "rightful" place.

Lots of good stuff here to think about!

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by Felicity

There's a portion of Scripture in Eph. 1 17-23 that ties in nicely here in regard to the position we have in Christ. As all things were under Christ's feet, because of who we are in Him, so are all things under our feet -- including Satan. That's when and if we understand this, and position ourselves and live in our "rightful" place.

Lots of good stuff here to think about!

Amen, Sis. Felicity!!

Falla39

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by The teacher

Amen Sister, it is an important truth and heartbreaking to see those laboring outside of His rest.

God bless.

We lose that rest and our victory when we start focusing on ourselves and our shortcomings rather than on Him. It happens every time.

[dizzyde]

Originally Posted by Falla39

Sis. Dizzyde,

Sounds like something my late father would teach in a Wed. night Bible
study. He was a great teacher. Sounds like you have a great pastor!

Blessings,

Falla39

Sis. Falla,

He is a great pastor, I consider myself blessed! It sounds like you have a wonderful legacy handed to you from your father!

Originally Posted by Felicity

In that light, yes. Good thoughts, sir.

This thread is SO inspiring!

Thank you Sister. I think of the Apostle Paul who writes:

Phi 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

There was huge personal sacrifice in Paul's life, but knowing that he was in the will of God brought contentment. Note he states this is a learned condition; it did not come naturally. But I think that ties in perfectly to the point of this thread, labor to enter into His rest. Paul could have dodged the call and personal sacrifice, but he would not have the contentment that he could only find in trusting the sovereignty of God for his life.

When God directs us toward gain or loss, either way we are satisfied because we trust His judgment for true happiness. When God, who knows us even better than we know ourselves, tells us we will be most sastified in a given set of circumstances, we trust that and rejoice in His knowledge.

God bless.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by mfblume

We do not see victory come into our lives becuase we do not really know who we are. We all know that we were displeasing to God before salvation. And somehow we think that is pulled over into ou Christianity and we have to now make attempts at being pleasing to Him. We somehow thought that once we are saved, we care about what God thinks and so we have to now begin to please Him. But salvation already made us pleasing to God, itself!

Originally Posted by mfblume

BEING a Christian is being a righteous one, ready for glory and pleasing to God as a person. People strive to be more holy and strive to be righteous. They try to force themselves to be what they already are in the Spirit.

It reminds me of the devil's temptation. Satan told the woman that she would be LIKE GOD if she followed satan's directives. She already WAS like God. God made her in HIS LIKENESS.

These are good thoughts and I've been mulling them over. I'm having to post and leave to take care of things, but I wanted to post my thoughts before I lose them.

Going off of your first post, which leads us into the mindset of the second, I believe that as we "mature" in Christ and He brings the "dross" of our lives to the surface we become startled by that and back up with condemnation that we have not arrived as far as we thought we had gone.

Situations, which we term trials, sharpen us, change us, mold us and they are the very essence of why we retreat into that "secret place" to be healed, changed and instructed. Of course, He does this through the ministry as well.

We can look at the trials of life with a negative view, but I have always believed that he is "preparing us" to live with Him someday!

So, Brother Blume, as you said in the first quote, we strive to be more holy and pleasing when He is pleased with us already - Hebrews 12:8 "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."

[Falla39]

Originally Posted by dizzyde

Sis. Falla,

He is a great pastor, I consider myself blessed! It sounds like you have a wonderful legacy handed to you from your father!

Yes, Sis. Dizzyde, my ten siblings and I have a "goodly heritage"

left to us. Dad's mother passed in on to him. We are living a legacy

and are passing it on to our six adult children, who are passing it on

to their children, our grandchildren. That's the way it works. From

generation to generation. Our mother, of course was just as much

a part of that heritage as Dad. They laboured together as a great

team, side by side. We were given the inheritance but we had to

receive it.

Blessings,

Falla39

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Falla39

Bro. Blume,

That is exactly how it is accomplished, By walking in the Spirit.

In the OT God spoke unto the fathers by the prophets. In the NT

God spoke through His Son, Jesus. Jesus told those disciples HE

chose, I am WITH you but I shall be IN you. When we walk, the

SPIRIT is walking IN us. To me that is awesome. (He in us and we

in Him)

If we can't live overcoming lives, we might check our power plug.

Blessings,

Falla39

Yes! That reminds me of Christ's words saying that all He did was the Father in Him doing the works. And then he said we would do those things and greater becuase He was going to the Father. In other words, "Because the Father is the source of my abilities, I am going to go to Him so that he can be YOUR SOURCE, too!"

Christ's atonement was accomplished by going to the Father as High Priest. Somehow this relates to the truth of the Father being in us as well, so we can do the things Jesus did by the same SOURCE. It's all so oneness, because we see here the Father will empower us as we read the Holy Ghost empowers us!

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Felicity

There's a portion of Scripture in Eph. 1 17-23 that ties in nicely here in regard to the position we have in Christ. As all things were under Christ's feet, because of who we are in Him, so are all things under our feet -- including Satan. That's when and if we understand this, and position ourselves and live in our "rightful" place.

Lots of good stuff here to think about!

Wow. Right on! I gotta remember that one!

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by The teacher

Thank you Sister. I think of the Apostle Paul who writes:



There was huge personal sacrifice in Paul's life, but knowing that he was in the will of God brought contentment. Note he states this is a learned condition; it did not come naturally. But I think that ties in perfectly to the point of this thread, labor to enter into His rest. Paul could have dodged the call and personal sacrifice, but he would not have the contentment that he could only find in trusting the sovereignty of God for his life.

When God directs us toward gain or loss, either way we are satisfied because we trust His judgment for true happiness. When God, who knows us even better than we know ourselves, tells us we will be most sastified in a given set of circumstances, we trust that and rejoice in His knowledge.

God bless.

"I HAVE LEARNED." Awesome!