“Power Belongeth Unto God”

[WordSword]

Until we leave this life, the walk of a believer is always exactly at the place where God desires him at any given time, because He is using everything in our lives at all times to progressively “conform” our manner of life here. This means all that we encounter and obtain (no more and no less) is exactly what He not only already knows of but also uses to mature us in His Son Jesus.

 

 “Power Belongeth Unto God”

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor 72:11). God never gives intrinsic (of its own accord—NC) power to His saints. “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God (Psa 62:11). If this is important in the lives of the saints, how much more, if I may draw a distinction, is it for those who are called upon to serve in the Word. Yet in every service and in every action in the lives of God’s people, His power is needful, that they may walk and serve in the energy of the Spirit and in the manifestation of the life of the Lord Jesus in their mortal flesh.

In order for the Christian life to be “not I, but Christ,” the Father’s discipline is suited and adapted to each individual soul. This is the reason why, I doubt not, that all speculations as to what was the nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh, end in nothing. God has wisely seen fit to leave it untold. Were it made known, we would have perhaps settled that it was not ours (e.g. that we have no thorn—NC), and then have left it there. To have left it untold, gives us to see that there was a great principle of God’s dealings, seen in this man’s case, but applicable to all. Each would have his suited thorn, the very thing that would counteract his natural tendency; and so act to strip him of every pretension to power, and break any fancied strength of man.

We see this on every hand, but we see it more clearly in our own soul’s history. For it is not always that another is permitted to know the secret thorn which rankles in the breast, such as that we would give the world to remove, until we know the “end of the Lord.” He presses home the “stake” which pins us to the earth, as it were, in much powerlessness. You see this at times, for instance, in incongruous marriages. The soul is worn away, especially in a sensitive, spiritual mind; and there is no earthly power which can change the sorrow, and heavenly deliverance is withheld.

Again, there is a child whose conduct breaks the heart of a parent; every measure fails to deal with him, and the “thorn” rankles deeply in the wounded heart. It may be that some disgrace is permitted, as to which the soul feels that death were easier to beat. It may be that slander has stung the soul with deeper pain. There may be, too, some human weakness, which renders the afflicted one an object of pain to those who love him, or of ridicule to others. Such as these, and the many sorrows of the way are used of the Father as the thorn, to curb the energy of the flesh, to break the strength of “man.”

Circumstances, friends, relatives, health and good name all are touched by Wisdom in this holy discipline of the soul. These things in the hand of the Father are like the river banks which on either side guide the stream of waters useful and fructifying, which, if flowing onwards without these guides, would devastate all around, instead of bearing a blessing on their bosom. How often have we not thought what good Christians we might have been if circumstances were different; in short, if the banks which carry the river were broken down. Nay, these are the wise dealings of our Father to keep us just in the channel and path where we are, in order to glorify Him.

There is a “threefold cord” (Ecc 4:12) which must be found in the saint if he would serve his Lord aright: the motive, the energy and the end. At times the motive may be right and the end also, but the energy may be but the human vessel (Zec 4:6) working out, as it supposes, the things of the Lord. All three must go together, and this is the object of this disciplinary process that all may be of the Father, and not of us.

- F G Patterson

 

Excerpt from MJS devotional for June 20:

“What becomes us now is to have the Lord Jesus before us, and not the correction of the old man. The snare of trying to improve oneself is very common, and it is important to see, that however well-meaning it may be, it is really a denial that our old man has been crucified, and a revival of that which has been judged in the death of the Cross.” – MJS

http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/

[Not me]

55 minutes ago, WordSword said:

Until we leave this life, the walk of a believer is always exactly at the place where God desires him at any given time, because He is using everything in our lives at all times to progressively “conform” our manner of life here. This means all that we encounter and obtain (no more and no less) is exactly what He not only already knows of but also uses to mature us in His Son Jesus.

Just the knowledge of this truth. That is such a strength and joy in the heart to know and understand that God uses “all things” in the life of a believer. Both  things that we would call good and things we would call bad to conform us to the image of His Son. Knowing that He is always at work bringing forth the image of His Son in us to the degree we are capable of.  Which degree is only set by the choice between self or Christ, which one is the believer going to serve at any and all moments of life. It is a constant reckoning ones self dead, and a putting on of Christ. It is this choice that either forms Christ in us or allows self to still rule. 

Many blessings my fellow laborer in Christ, always a pleasure to read your posts, Not me 

 

 

[WordSword]

12 minutes ago, Not me said:

Just the knowledge of this truth. That is such a strength and joy in the heart to know and understand that God uses “all things” in the life of a believer. Both  things that we would call good and things we would call bad to conform us to the image of His Son. Knowing that He is always at work bringing forth the image of His Son in us to the degree we are capable of.  Which degree is only set by the choice between self or Christ, which one is the believer going to serve at any and all moments of life. It is a constant reckoning ones self dead, and a putting on of Christ. It is this choice that either forms Christ in us or allows self to still rule. 

Many blessings my fellow laborer in Christ, always a pleasure to read your posts, Not me 

 

 

Thanks N M, and always appreciate your encouraging and instructional replies! Myself, I believe all who are reborn are undergoing the Father's "work" (Phil 2:13). None will fail to be brought to where He desires them to be--unless they are not reborn but are in profession only!

[Not me]

22 minutes ago, WordSword said:

Thanks N M, and always appreciate your encouraging and instructional replies! Myself, I believe all who are reborn are undergoing the Father's "work" (Phil 2:13). None will fail to be brought to where He desires them to be--unless they are not reborn but are in profession only!

Can see your heart after God, so it’s always a pleasure. I believe that a believer can choose to remain an infant in Christ or choose to go on and grow in Christ. For God pours the same Grace down on the just and unjust,  it’s  up to us what we choose to do with His Grace. But a heart after God is a treasure before Him. 

Much love in Christ, Not me 

Edited June 21, 2018 by Not me

[WordSword]

21 minutes ago, Not me said:

Can see your heart after God, so it’s always a pleasure. I believe that a believer can choose to remain an infant in Christ or choose to go on and grow in Christ. For God pours the same Grace down on the just and unjust,  it’s  up to us what we choose to do with His Grace. But a heart after God is a treasure before Him. 

Much love in Christ, Not me 

They may take a while before it shows but I would think it's just a matter of time until any believer desires God's pleasure, because He "works" this in all who are born again, this passage (Phil 2:13) doesn't allow for any other conclusion, in my opinion.

[Gideon]

2 hours ago, WordSword said:

Until we leave this life, the walk of a believer is always exactly at the place where God desires him at any given time, because He is using everything in our lives at all times to progressively “conform” our manner of life here. This means all that we encounter and obtain (no more and no less) is exactly what He not only already knows of but also uses to mature us in His Son Jesus.

 

 “Power Belongeth Unto God”

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor 72:11). God never gives intrinsic (of its own accord—NC) power to His saints. “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God (Psa 62:11). If this is important in the lives of the saints, how much more, if I may draw a distinction, is it for those who are called upon to serve in the Word. Yet in every service and in every action in the lives of God’s people, His power is needful, that they may walk and serve in the energy of the Spirit and in the manifestation of the life of the Lord Jesus in their mortal flesh.

In order for the Christian life to be “not I, but Christ,” the Father’s discipline is suited and adapted to each individual soul. This is the reason why, I doubt not, that all speculations as to what was the nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh, end in nothing. God has wisely seen fit to leave it untold. Were it made known, we would have perhaps settled that it was not ours (e.g. that we have no thorn—NC), and then have left it there. To have left it untold, gives us to see that there was a great principle of God’s dealings, seen in this man’s case, but applicable to all. Each would have his suited thorn, the very thing that would counteract his natural tendency; and so act to strip him of every pretension to power, and break any fancied strength of man.

We see this on every hand, but we see it more clearly in our own soul’s history. For it is not always that another is permitted to know the secret thorn which rankles in the breast, such as that we would give the world to remove, until we know the “end of the Lord.” He presses home the “stake” which pins us to the earth, as it were, in much powerlessness. You see this at times, for instance, in incongruous marriages. The soul is worn away, especially in a sensitive, spiritual mind; and there is no earthly power which can change the sorrow, and heavenly deliverance is withheld.

Again, there is a child whose conduct breaks the heart of a parent; every measure fails to deal with him, and the “thorn” rankles deeply in the wounded heart. It may be that some disgrace is permitted, as to which the soul feels that death were easier to beat. It may be that slander has stung the soul with deeper pain. There may be, too, some human weakness, which renders the afflicted one an object of pain to those who love him, or of ridicule to others. Such as these, and the many sorrows of the way are used of the Father as the thorn, to curb the energy of the flesh, to break the strength of “man.”

Circumstances, friends, relatives, health and good name all are touched by Wisdom in this holy discipline of the soul. These things in the hand of the Father are like the river banks which on either side guide the stream of waters useful and fructifying, which, if flowing onwards without these guides, would devastate all around, instead of bearing a blessing on their bosom. How often have we not thought what good Christians we might have been if circumstances were different; in short, if the banks which carry the river were broken down. Nay, these are the wise dealings of our Father to keep us just in the channel and path where we are, in order to glorify Him.

There is a “threefold cord” (Ecc 4:12) which must be found in the saint if he would serve his Lord aright: the motive, the energy and the end. At times the motive may be right and the end also, but the energy may be but the human vessel (Zec 4:6) working out, as it supposes, the things of the Lord. All three must go together, and this is the object of this disciplinary process that all may be of the Father, and not of us.

- F G Patterson

 

Excerpt from MJS devotional for June 20:

“What becomes us now is to have the Lord Jesus before us, and not the correction of the old man. The snare of trying to improve oneself is very common, and it is important to see, that however well-meaning it may be, it is really a denial that our old man has been crucified, and a revival of that which has been judged in the death of the Cross.” – MJS

http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/

Two of my favorite posters, so it hurts me to have to disagree a bit with what Mr. Patterson stated in the opening statement. Here is what was stated that I stand in disagreement with:

”Until we leave this life, the walk of a believer is always exactly at the place where God desires him at any given time, because He is using everything in our lives at all times to progressively “conform” our manner of life here”.

I would say that, in order to clarify that statement better, and make it more accurate, it should be stated that this truth applies IF the believer is walking in all that he or she has been shown and is pressing in for more. But as written,  it would be hard to accept, given that many scriptures do not stand behind the statement nor uphold it as truth. 

Comsider God’s words to the church at Laodecia. Was He pleased with them? They were addressed as the church.... God’s people.... yet He clearly states that the hardness of their hearts made Him sick. Or Paul’s words to the  Galatians wanting to go back under the law. Or James addressing believers as adulterers, warning them that real faith will bear real fruits. If what was stated was true, then there is no need for warnings or chastening at all.  There is no need to warn us of satan’s devices, for everything will work out just fine. But that is not necessarily the case, is it? 

To the elect, I agree, God does indeed work all things together for good, but that in no way means God is pleased with us not matter where we are walking at the moment. His love for us is steady and sure, but to state that if a man falls int adultery, which can certainly happen if a man is not walking with his armor on and his shield up, God is still pleased with him is simply not true. And because He is not pleased, but still over him, He will chasten that one in order to bring repentance and restoration of fellowship. It we can resist his chastening, can’t we? Our hearts can indeed become hardened through the deceitful ness of sin. 

The danger of accepting such a statement as truth is that unless we are walking in our renewed mind, having put off our old carnal nature, with our shields of faith up, we can simply assume we are the elect so that we are convinced that there is no responsibility on our end to cooperate with the guiding of the Holy Spirit.

“Hey, if all things are going to work out just fine, why worry? Enjoy the moment, for God will turn me around in good time, right?”

This gives Satan great advantage over us, for he can use our dalliance into sin to harden our hearts more and more until faith slowly is turned into head knowledge. A man can be a believer yet still be walking in his or her old nature. Here, if we are walking in our fleshly nature, we are told clearly that  it is impossible to please God and our carnal nature is not subject to the leading of God, for there resides a traitor deep within us. The solution, as Notme points out,  is to get rid of our carnal nature by a reckoning our old man dead and never lowering our ahield of faith that keeps satan’s arrows quenched. 

I hope you do not take this in a spirit of criticism, but rather simply loving  exhortation. 

Blessings to you,

Gideon

 

[Not me]

37 minutes ago, WordSword said:

They may take a while before it shows but I would think it's just a matter of time until any believer desires God's pleasure, because He "works" this in all who are born again, this passage (Phil 2:13) doesn't allow for any other conclusion, in my opinion.

He is always at work is a truth no one can deny.

Though I may see things differently, concerning your conclusions, it matters not, as long as we both are pressing into Christ to the best of our ability(s). He is He that causes and gives increase. To the end that we might get to know Him in all reality and truth.

Blessing to you and much love in Christ, Not me 

Edited June 21, 2018 by Not me

[WordSword]

2 minutes ago, Not me said:

He is always at work is a truth no one can deny.

Though I may see things differently, concerning your conclusions, it matters not, as long as we both are pressing into Christ to the best of our ability(s). He is He that causes and gives increase. To the end that we might get to know Him in all reality and truth.

Blessing to you and much love in Christ, Not me 

Yes, we'll just vary in our understanding here, but as you've mentioned--we will continue in Christ!

[Gideon]

45 minutes ago, WordSword said:

They may take a while before it shows but I would think it's just a matter of time until any believer desires God's pleasure, because He "works" this in all who are born again, this passage (Phil 2:13) doesn't allow for any other conclusion, in my opinion.

I think it is evident from the fact that some will enter heaven with nothing to show, with all their works burnt up, that it is indeed possible for a man to live his life out as a Christian, and find heaven to be his home, but never put down roots deep enough to truly become Godly. To one of the church letters in Revelation, God says that there are a few there who will walk with Him in white for they are worthy. This is not mean to scare any, but simply to make sure we understand that our part in all this is to always be seeking to be led into a life pleasing to God. 

If what you say were true, then would not all the saints that have served the Lord for thirty, forty, fifty years, be shining examples of this, exuding holiness and piety? And if they do not and your thoughts here were correct, does this not mean that they were never saved to begin with? Do you see the slippery slope this presents to us?  

Blessings, 

Gideon

Edited June 21, 2018 by Gideon

[Not me]

28 minutes ago, WordSword said:

Yes, we'll just vary in our understanding here, but as you've mentioned--we will continue in Christ!

Yes, it is our personal relationship with Christ that is of importance. As long as we are both feeding our personal relationship with Christ He will cause increase in His time. Many believers differ on many areas but we are all believers if we have been “born again”. It is this understanding that none of us see things totally clear. We all see as “in a fog”, it is this that is the unifying  factor. Though is is true that some have more light in this area and some in that,  but it’s all for the unity of the faith. Blessings that you see this. 

Much love in Christ, Not me 

Edited June 21, 2018 by Not me