The Normal Christian Life

[David1701]

3 hours ago, OneLight said:

Can you find this online?  I'd like to hear it and learn this version also.

I haven't found it (I don't know who wrote the Christian version I heard; it might even have been the pastor's daughter (she sang it)).

I'll see if I can remember another verse.  This verse was earlier in the song than the one in my previous post.

Have you seen the young Man, praying in the garden

Asking his Father to lead Him in the wa-ay

See the crowd surround Him, His followers desert Him

The crowd shouts, "No mercy!  He has a debt to pay.".

Chorus

So how can you tell me you're lo-onely

And say for you that no-one cares?

Let me take you by the hand and lead you to the hill of Calvary

And I will show you someone who'll make you change your mind.

Edited October 30, 2022 by David1701
typos

[Starise]

3 hours ago, OneLight said:

At first, when beginning this journey, I was full of energy and expectations, very excited to be on the trail, looking into the unknown with child like excitement.  As time passed, the path became more familiar, knowing the hardships and blessings that may be just around the next corner.  When a day presented more challenges than blessings, the rest at night (in Him) became the greatest blessing of the day as I would become recharged, looking forward to the next part of the trip ... a journey that only ends when I reach home!

What a great way to put this journey we are all on!

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

I had the experience of being immediately delivered from pot smoking - the Lord took the pleasure out of that in an instant.  It used to be a real center of my life, and it was gone, replaced with the pleasure of knowing Him. But I agree that in almost all other things, it's a slower transformation!  I do wish, oftentimes, that He'd take many other things like that.  However, we have to continually give these things to Him (which is more reason for our fellowship with Him).

Amen! So glad to hear this was immediate. I have heard similar from others. 

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

I passed this topic by for a while because apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, I share little in common with most. Some have led a life that was never my place to live, so it's difficult to relate the truth while sparing the listener (or reader) from the worst.

We all take the journey in different ways. Your journey reminds me of one of my uncles who would just decide to go across country with nothing but the shirt on his back. He lived like that for years, he could probably write books on his adventures.

It's assuring to see the Lord's hand work in your life and the ways in which He has used you.

 

[Sower]

23 hours ago, AdHoc said:

But, by having a good diet of the Word, an intimate relationship with Christ and being prepared to set the flesh aside, the Christian gets better and better at living by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit starts to be displayed. This takes years. But there is a problem. The closer the believer gets to Christ in His walk, the closer he is to Christ's Light. And this divine light is also relentless. It shows up every little spot. So the mature Christian is in fact living better and better, but he/she does not have the sensation of it. He/she actually feels like a worse sinner. And it is here that FAITH is exercised. The believer MUST BELIEVE that God has approved Christ's Work of propitiation. Our sins are covered. Then the believer MUST BELIEVE that God is doing His work of transformation. WE have good says and bad days, but God is using every circumstance, especially the seeming negative ones, to teach us holiness.

"The closer the believer gets to Christ in His walk, the closer he is to Christ's Light. And this divine light is also relentless. It shows up every little spot"

Although I describe what you have posted differently, I think we are  talking about the same struggle. I know God is light. We were born with a 'corrupted hard drive' mind. As with most of us, our minds (as unbelievers) have been filled with bad data, darkness, through our formative years, learning dysfunctional coping mechanisms, incorrect (sinful) methods to deal with everyday decisions we make moment to moment.

As a new  believer I learned that sin was missing the mark, God's bench mark-standard. I was able in many areas to begin to hit His targets (mark) simply by giving up so many old habits. Then I realized 99% of my sin started in my mind (the corrupted hard drive) So by hearing-reading the word, light, I began to illuminate false data, darkness, and replace it with light-truth.

I saw/realized the more of these 'easy' targets I hit, the more targets started to show up. And these new targets were smaller in size and further away (so to speak). More difficult to hit! And so many.........Realization set in. I have so far to go.

I then 'felt' I understood Paul when he said 'I am the chiefest of sinners'
I had always wondered why he would say such a thing, as if he sinned more than everybody else. And it came to me. As I try so much to abide, walk in the spirit, change my thinking while taking EVERY thought captive, knowing my position in Christ as overcoming the world, yet still I just can't do it!

I expressed this understanding with my old mentor. He told me I had taken my first baby step in understanding. YOU can't do it. Welcome to the club. It's not you, but Christ. You can not do it. In Christ you can do all things. Remember that.

Like you said above, AdHoc, the more truth-light we hide in our heart/minds, the more darkness (sin) is exposed. The old adage " The more you know (light-scriptural data) the more you realize how much you don't know (faulty data=sin). To whom much is given, much is required. When running the race we look forward, what is yet to come, not behind.
When I am weak then I'm strong. (Trusting God, not my own 'thinking')...

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus...

 

 

 

 

[Starise]

I agree.

This would include sinking thinking I guess if the thoughts are corrupted as a result.

I recently enjoyed John McArthur's recent sermon series DEAD TO SIN

In this series he points out the flesh probably better than I can.

[AdHoc]

11 hours ago, Sower said:

"The closer the believer gets to Christ in His walk, the closer he is to Christ's Light. And this divine light is also relentless. It shows up every little spot"

Although I describe what you have posted differently, I think we are  talking about the same struggle. I know God is light. We were born with a 'corrupted hard drive' mind. As with most of us, our minds (as unbelievers) have been filled with bad data, darkness, through our formative years, learning dysfunctional coping mechanisms, incorrect (sinful) methods to deal with everyday decisions we make moment to moment.

As a new  believer I learned that sin was missing the mark, God's bench mark-standard. I was able in many areas to begin to hit His targets (mark) simply by giving up so many old habits. Then I realized 99% of my sin started in my mind (the corrupted hard drive) So by hearing-reading the word, light, I began to illuminate false data, darkness, and replace it with light-truth.

I saw/realized the more of these 'easy' targets I hit, the more targets started to show up. And these new targets were smaller in size and further away (so to speak). More difficult to hit! And so many.........Realization set in. I have so far to go.

I then 'felt' I understood Paul when he said 'I am the chiefest of sinners'
I had always wondered why he would say such a thing, as if he sinned more than everybody else. And it came to me. As I try so much to abide, walk in the spirit, change my thinking while taking EVERY thought captive, knowing my position in Christ as overcoming the world, yet still I just can't do it!

I expressed this understanding with my old mentor. He told me I had taken my first baby step in understanding. YOU can't do it. Welcome to the club. It's not you, but Christ. You can not do it. In Christ you can do all things. Remember that.

Like you said above, AdHoc, the more truth-light we hide in our heart/minds, the more darkness (sin) is exposed. The old adage " The more you know (light-scriptural data) the more you realize how much you don't know (faulty data=sin). To whom much is given, much is required. When running the race we look forward, what is yet to come, not behind.
When I am weak then I'm strong. (Trusting God, not my own 'thinking')...

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus...

 

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, Starise said:

I agree.

This would include sinking thinking I guess if the thoughts are corrupted as a result.

I recently enjoyed John McArthur's recent sermon series DEAD TO SIN

In this series he points out the flesh probably better than I can.

From my years in the Church I've learned that we mostly all have the same experience. Some can explain it better, but eloquence does not shorten or widen the road we have to travel. Three things;

1. We always underestimate the damage that the Adamic nature has inflicted on us. In Deuteronomy 8 the Lord explains to Israel why He led them through the wilderness. It was so that they would KNOW what was in their hearts. Few of us, even the most honest, will readily admit their depravity. But God's observation is sure;

5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen.6:5)

Note the words "great", "every" "only" and "continually".

2. We equally underestimate the saving power of Christ's Life. It is true that the Old Man must be put to death symbolically in Baptism (Rom.6) and practically by brutally denying its illegitimate demands, but the vacuum must be replaced by a New Nature. I do not speak of Christ's saving work on the cross. That is a work outside of us. I speak of drinking and eating Christ to have those wells of living water spring up and overflow out of our inner being.

3. The road is long. Hebrews equates it to an Olympic race - the Marathon. There are hedges and ditches and we often do fall. The danger is that we become frustrated and/or disillusioned. The remedy - keep your eyes on the goal. Keep your eyes on the prize. I do not speak of our salvation. that is a settled issue. I speak of our walk while on this earth. We have a Great God Whose testimony we must uphold. We also have a duty as bond-servants to build His House. And we have the task of preparing OURSELVES for the Wedding Feast. A great help on this long road is daily to search out a scripture of reward. It is not mercenary. It is God's incentive to gain His goals. That does not mean that we do anything in a cold-hearted fashion. Let our affections be set on our Father's Person and His Son's Person, but let us appreciate that their goals are to be rewarded.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1st Cor.2:9)

[Space_Karen]

49 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

1. We always underestimate the damage that the Adamic nature has inflicted on us.

 

Do we have scriptural support for the original sin aspect to catholicism.

 

[Alive]

This is an excellent thread.

[Justin Adams]

44 minutes ago, Space_Karen said:

 

Do we have scriptural support for the original sin aspect to catholicism.

 

There is 'original death' that we all partake of, but the RCC "sin theme" is not there. We do NOT inherit Adam's guilt, just his legacy of death.

[Space_Karen]

7 minutes ago, Justin Adams said:

There is 'original death' that we all partake of, but the RCC "sin theme" is not there. We do NOT inherit Adam's guilt, just his legacy of death.

 

I inherit nothing from Adam.

My choices are my own.

[AdHoc]

21 minutes ago, Space_Karen said:

 

Do we have scriptural support for the original sin aspect to catholicism.

 

I know that the Roman Church teaches this, but would like to put forward my argument straight from scripture. That saves me having to write a few paragraphs of defense for a concept I do not hold.

The direct statements concerning the Adamic nature we inherit are in Romans 5.

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ... 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead,... 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Ro 5:12–19)

I'm inclined to let scripture speak for itself, but the matter is complicated by the closeness of two different precepts. Romans uses the word "sin" (singular) to depict this inherited nature we speak of. But the fruits of the sin-nature are "sins" (plural). I do not propose to change translation, but the Old Testament contrasts these two better by using the word "trespasses" instead of "sins". We commit trespasses because we have the sin-nature.

But there is more. Among the major sacrifices of Leviticus we have a special one called the "Sin-Offering" and a completely different one called the "Trespass-Offering". Christ fulfills BOTH quite distinctly. In John 1:29 He is "the Lamb of God Who takes away the "SIN" (singular) of the WORLD. But in 1st John 2:2  Christ takes away the "SINS" (plural) of the WORLD. Our Lord fulfills two distinct Offerings. Why?

Roans 6:23 says that wages of "sin" (singular) is death. We can see from Chapter 5 that this death is our physical death. But the wages of Trespasses is "The Second Death", or, the Lake of Fire. When Jesus dies as the Lamb He gives God the judicial right to RAISE MEN FROM THE DEAD. Contrariwise, when Jesus died for the "sins" of the world, He gave God the judicial right to not put men into the Lake of Fire.

The grand type of this matter of the Adamic nature is found in John Chapter 3 and Numbers 21. Israel had murmured and fiery serpents were sent to bite them. The Israelite that was bitten was not sick. He was healthy except that a deadly poison coursed through his veins and would anon kill him. This depicts our situation. Adams nature, inherited at conception, courses through our veins. When the Israelite "looked" upon the brass serpent he was NOT healed. Scripture says; "he LIVED".

So also our Lord Jesus when He spoke with Nicodemus in John Chapter 3. He said; "If I be lifted up I will draw ALL men to me". If one does not know what He meant, it would seem that all men are save from the Lake of Fire. This is not the case. If Jesus was "lifted up" as the brass serpent, he would set the grounds for ALL men to be resurrected. This is confirmed in 1st Corinthians 15:22.

This is not all, but I hope to have shown the Adamic nature - an ever present fact of our inner man.