The Way of Overcoming.

[Mickiel]

The acid test as to whether I have "Jesus in my heart" is whether I have his words informing and empowering my life.

Who said is was going to be easy? Looks like one would have to die to oneself daily to accomplish this thing call, Love. Loving in a fallen world is a heavy cross to bear.  When you love, you take care of the needs of others ahead of your self. Not so easy is it.  :sigh:

Peace,
Paul

Well yes, I agree. And its not going to be easy, but if you buy into the " Christ does it all for us" interpitation, and have a misguided understanding of that, well then yes, its going to be EXPECTED to be easy, and your going to try to live as if it should be, and I think that will equal more frustration most of the time.

Let me say this about the Way of Overcomming. God has invested many things into our Overcomming, and I like the way you termed " Acid Test", because God has invested the Acid, and he wants it to burn us, for reasons. That needs to be understood. Listen, Salvation is " Taylor Made" for us, hey but the Acid is also Taylor made too. The suffering is taylor made to fit and rattle our lives. I am not so comfortable with the approach by some, as if we will walk right into the Kingdom with no scars, no troubles, no battles, its all just a walk in the sunshine and we will joyfully live out our human lives as if we now are in Gods Kingdom. Well I certainly missed that boat, I hope there are more tickets avialible.

Listen also to this; God has invested so much into Overcomming, that our trials will come upon us, even if we are alone with no one around us. It matters not how one will try to isolate themselves, and some try to do that, hide from trials, the suffering can come to you, because its designed FOR you, God does not need others around you to try and mold you. In many situations, its just going to be him and you. We cannot avoid Overcomming, we cannot shrink back from the test designed. There are certain test ( or sins, you can view sin as a test) that I have failed considerabally, but I must take the test until I pass it. But I learn from failure also, so it is not a waste of time.

Sometimes I look at my trials, or testings, and I can see they are uniquely designed for me. Some of the very things I fear the most, concerning my development, comes right at me, and I know its God dealing behind the scenes. The very things I hate, as the Apostle Paul wrote, comes right at me. WHY? Because God is interested in teaching me to be an Overcommer. Now if this is misunderstood, then the Time God has invested in me Overcomming, learning, is lost, because I may have bought into the concept that Jesus lives for me, dies for me, well then he will go through my trials for me, and Overcome for me. So I don't have to confront those things. No, NO, Jesus Overcame the World, he Overcame the Right for us to be Saved and redeemed, THOSE are the things we do not have to Overcome. We don't have to fight for other peoples sins, we don't have to Overcome the Devils grip on this World, THATS what Christ did. But we do have to Overcome our own sins, NOT to obtain forgiveness or Salvation, but to grow in the area of characther development, to excercise the Spiritual muscle that God has implanted.

Anyhow, Peace to you.

[Mickiel]

One of the things I find most irritating to me personally, is to be at work, doing my job well, and being aware of others who do their job well, but also being aware of those who do hardly nothing, and get paied the same as we. And those who do nothing, will often argue for the benefits from the Job, more than those who work hard. Do you wonder if this has a Spiritual comparrison? People who do nothing for God, but yet argue for all the benefits that God has promised to give.

It makes me wonder why Jesus said in Matt. 12:50 that whoever does the will of his Father, well they are in a new relationship with God, they, the doers of the word, they are his brother. The benefical believers hearts has become dull to this teaching. And the dullness reflects itself in several ways, that are not ways of Overcomming. The benefical Believer does not " Labor in Gods Vineyard", because they view it as Christ job to sow the seeds of the truth. They don't work hard on their own sin because thats Christ Job also. They live a life of Spiritual rest, and are literally just waiting for Christ return, bearing hardly no witness at all. Like a Spiritual turtle, they live under Gods protective shell, and just mosey along doing nothing but holding fast to things they learned are the benefits of God. They have not learned the way of Overcomming.

Ask yourself a question, or give yourself a test. Write down what you think " Doing" the will of God is. Then look at your list. Whats on it?

What is Doing Gods Will? Resting and reaping benefits, is that doing Gods will? Waiting for his return while you tuck yourself away from this world, is that doing Gods Will? For Whoever Does the Will of God, that is the identifying Family trait of God.

What does God want you to do with your life, your time? Well when properly understood, the answer is defined within the Way of Overcomming.

Peace.

[AJ]

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COMPLETE IN CHRIST - and - LABORING IN THE LORD


First - we are made 'Complete in Christ' = our initial salvation status. (Col 2:13)
Then - we are admonished to be 'Laboring in the Lord' = our daily walk with our Savior. (Col 1:10)



First - we have been given abundant life, to enjoy our status of being a 'New Creation in Christ'.
(2 Cor.5:17, Gal 6:15)
Then - we are given Scriptural entreaties to live worthily of 'the calling' given us, and to 'fight the good
fight of faith'.(2 Pet 1:10)



First - we are given a positional standing, that all of God's sons are 'in Christ' with all saints having
this equal status. (Rom 5:10)
Then - we are instructed on conduct / submission and 'Obligations in the Lord', with each saint of God,
having a different function and each will be 'graded' on their performance. (Matt 12:36)(Matt 16:27)



First - Paul spoke of being a prisoner 'of Christ', an apostle and IN HIM there is no more Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.  ALL need and ALL will share one Savour.
Someday everybody will be complete and secure in Him. (Rom 6:11-13)(Eph 3:1)
Then - Paul spoke of being a prisoner 'of the Lord', a slave and yet IN THE LORD each believer differs from his brethren. 
Each has his OWN job to do and must give an account of his OWN performance and actions, both good and bad.  There are different degrees of sovereignty(leaderships) and subjection(babes and etc) and various speeds of spiritual growth. (Eph 4:1)



First - God has promised to be 'Merciful to all'(everyone). (Rom 11:32) - grace is the agent that brings us salvation in the first place overwhelming us with the love of God and prompting us to want to serve our Saviour.  (Rom 6:14)(Eph 1:21-23;2:8)   
Then - we are to let God's great mercy - motivate us to rejoice in rendering 'meaningful service in the Lord'. (Phil 4:4-7)
- grace becomes the very essence of our life of service - enabling us to serve in spite of all obstacles. (Eph 2:7)
Grace is ours, both 'in Christ' and 'in the Lord'.


In our walk (toil), we must take each step ourselves, as He supplies the power and the grace.
"His grace, which is in me, did not come to be for naught, but more exceedingly than all of them toil I, yet not
I but the grace of God" - (1 Cor 15:10)

As Christian believer's we should never confuse our positional  STANDING, it is always 'in Christ' as secure sons of God,...
THEN, when we talk of 'walk' or 'work' with our continuing STRUGGLE to grow into mature members of the body, it is always 'in the Lord'.


AND FINALLY.

A genuine seeker of God, SHOULD loses their fear of any strange or new ideas. - see (Act 17:20).
Please bear in mind, that this study - is incomplete and subject to changes, as I grow 'in the Lord'.

Peace, AJ
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