The Lord simply said, “I will change the understanding and expression of
Christianity in the earth in one generation.” It was a simple, straightforward
statement, but I felt God’s power with each word as I received the
Spirit’s interpretation. God Himself will make drastic changes in Christianity
across the whole world. This reformation revival will be by His
sovereign initiative.
So, yeah. There's that.
And something which needed to be addressed, although I have no idea at present what it was, which means all the rest goes first.
We all have common faults, common temptations, common sins--some to varying degrees more seemingly offensive than other, yet the core of all is a rebellion against the nature of God, which is wholly good and charitable. There's some aspect of wanton self-indulgence in any sin which is what most fosters idolatry, as indulgence tends toward affording greater degrees of worth unto the object of indulgence (i.e., worship).
The whole of all is that it comes per course of not being in accord with the Lord, as it is a discordance against the Lord.
Further meditating on Finney's assessment, so far as how it was in err for a man to attempt to logically backtrack along the course of a seemingly progressive sinfulness as to route the root...
...the root is routed through deliverance by Christ, as he observed. Anything else really just equates to a patch-job, per inability to eradicate the root--it's an attempt to mitigate a spiritual problem utilizing physical means (mental/"natural"/emotional/logical/reasonable, etc.), which just isn't possible.
Like trying to perform heart surgery on someone inside a sealed airplane...from the outside of the plane. ...any way you propose to do it, the prognosis remains suspended because you--personally--would be incapable of such a feat (according to all standard, present-day methods of surgical operation).
Trying to resolve spiritual matters using physical means is akin to that. Do what you will, you'll only ever be able to alter the external features and traits and processes--never coming near to touching the spirit. The soul is a slightly different matter, but not presently necessary for discussion beyond acknowledgment (eventually, given further revelation).
The difference, though...between spiritual approach and physical/mental approach? One requires faith.
One requires an acknowledgment of personal ineptitude, as reliance upon the spiritual Progenitor.
While the other permits for continuation of perceptions of self-worth, independent of God.
Which is wherein lies the problem.
Sanctification is something, as is salvation...regeneration...that just isn't within our power to achieve. Anything which equates to perception of an individual's ability to self-sanctify unto God equates to delusion. Consider Romans 7--even Paul acknowledged himself incapable of sanctification, lamenting that, except for the blood and glory of Jesus Christ, he would be incapable of doing what he knows he ought and would continue in always doing what he knew he ought not.
It's the same for all of us, ultimately. Some may present an exterior facade of morality, even, per the force of their own self-disciplined efforts unto variations upon ascetism...but, internally? Whited sepulchres, Christ called them...us...all of us who try to achieve sanctification by our own means, according to our own perceptions of what it entails.
Sin's inception, the core of which has ever since utterly perverted mankind's race, is that we strive to be self-reliant, self-sufficient, self-justified--we afford ourselves an inordinate amount of worth per our perceived capabilities. Meaning, ultimately, that we strive to be gods, in our own right...we worship our own abilities--equating to an act of hostile defiance, per implicit, wholly inherent disregard to the incomprehensibly superior majesty and sovereignty embodied within THE God of our creation.
His charity, His faithfulness, His goodness, and all which there is about Him...so far exceeds our utterly limited comprehension of even merely the concepts, let alone their actual expression IN Him--we can't begin to conceive of how utterly, infinitely, wholly transcendently glorious He is, how infinitely superior to us He is..
Yet to add to the travesty inherent of "worshipping self"--self-idolatry, despite total inferiority and incapacity evidenced per the most precursory consideration of God's glory... ...further hostility against His complete holiness is constituted by our refusal to acknowledge the complete insanity inherent of perpetuating such willfully myopic, futile attempts at what equates to treason.
Completely absurd, in all ways. And it constitutes a flagrant offense, just for standing even remotely opposed to One who is so infinitely good and faithful and loving and sovereign--in all ways, completely superior and set apart from us...so holy as is God. Any such act of offense constitutes total rebellion, even in seemingly minor ways as an errant thought. Which, even so seemingly small a thing then actually equates to the most horrendous act of violent hostility, as to the degree of offense--per the sheer force of being in opposition to One who is infinitely holy.
Because He is infinitely good, beyond comprehension, and infinitely powerful, beyond comparison...because He is loving and just and holy, to an infinite degree...then anything which is in opposition to Him...to any degree, whatsoever...stands as infinitely horrendous, beyond the pale of our most grievous conception of hostility, merely per contrast to His goodness.
That degree of offense is constituted by even just an errant thought unto self-sufficiency, as apart from God. So, to go so much further as to indulge in all manner of depravity unto even willful, knowing blasphemy? Yeah...
Just makes the miracle of Jesus's sacrifice for our salvation that much more incomprehensible and precious...
...but, yeah...in contemplating sanctification...
...my tendency has been still along the lines of discerning sinfulness--indulgence in one thing or another to the extent that it detracts from my worship of God, or even begins to become uncharitable to others or harmful to self in some capacity, or begins to esteem something other than God...
...discerning sinfulness, then seeking to plan for ways to oust it. Because...if I got myself into something, I should be able to get myself out--makes sense, right? Only, apparently not...except as by the grace of God. Otherwise, works-based salvation would also be a "thing"...and it's definitely not.
He allows various of us to operate under varying degrees of conscious reliance upon Him, though. It's not presently given to understand all that, but the whole is entirely operative of His designs for each individual, regardless. Same as ever for why each of us has a different walk with Him.
Just...even as Paul said that all should pray to prophesy...then so shouldn't we each seek to know Him as our closest friend and confidant?...our nearest and dearest counselor and advisor?...our most trusted source of necessary rebuke and correction?...our greatest comfort and most strident supporter?
Such as the course of sanctification.
Even as salvation.
As is not of us.
It's HIM.
Jesus Christ, Lord Almighty--Savior and King.
It's all, always Jesus. Always has been, always will be--regardless of whether any one of us is conscious of that fact, still He remains the end all, be all, in all.
So, I can sit and make plans for how to stop sinning and stop doing this, that, and the other, all day. And, sure, perhaps there'll be varying degrees of success in maintaining discipline. But outside of faith, all things are sin. So, if I'm doing it in my own effort, on my own justification, and per my own discretion...? ...even if I'm maintaining the "law," I'd still be sinning. Because I'd be doing it without consideration for God's glory...I'd be doing it as a means of glorying in self, as a means of being able to achieve satisfaction in "acquiring" a greater projection of holiness.
The distinction, as it's actually experienced, is very, very subtle. The difference between praising the Lord and being self-satisfied in the act of praising Him. The distinction is undiscernable, except by the grace of God, so there's a lot of prayer necessary for those who are on each side of that line.
My plans amount to nothing, is all, except that I rest in the Lord as the one to inspire them. And, even then, ofttimes those plans are only given moment-to-moment. With plans which are more far-reaching across time oft "forming" along the way.
Just--it's all the same, whether in regard to a "10-year plan," grocery shopping, attending church, compiling research materials, listening to music, praying, fasting, or whatsoever else...there's the need for Him in whom all consists, otherwise nothing would exist so to be planned or partaken. Thus, He is to be glorified and acknowledged in all, and even as by grace so to do.
Read Brother Lawrence's letter, compiled. He talks about the same thing, only from another perspective slightly.
We must rest in the Lord, as to venture this walk in Christianity. There is no other way. All other ways lead to destruction. Jesus is the ONLY way. A narrow gate, a narrow path.
Him.
Resting in Him, evermore, increasingly.
That is the way of sanctification.
For, any time I see myself beginning to take on sinfulness again, rather than looking to the external details as to which is what and how each led to the next... ...as they do... ...one temptation yielded to equates to a momentary departure from complete reliance upon the Lord, unto a self-reliance which denies Him... ...and as one step away from Him yields to a further degree of self-reliance, then further temptation may yield to a further departure from rest in the Lord.
Someday, I hope to describe that in terms which will be adequate. It's not up to me, though.
Just...I'm tired of hearing preachers justify sin. I'm sick of it, really. It's disgusting to hear.
Yes--we are all sinful beings. Yes, we are full of sin. We do "drink it like water," most oft. But if we rest in the Lord, abiding always in Christ...? Therein, there's the knowing that sin resides in the flesh, but that we are victorious over it...that we need not continue in sin...that we need not always succumb, when there is the exceedingly superior option of remaining in Christ's love which constrains us from capitulation...wherein even all thoughts are brought into subjection to the Lord.
Not that we might never sin again, but that we won't freely give way to it, ever. The Lord will keep us, and He will teach us, and He will guide us as we need be given. For, even as those who say they have no sin are not of God, then so are those which habitually sin. The balance is in Christ, always.
There will come deliverance.
Through much prayer and fasting, by whatsoever means as the Lord directs.
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