Sin Recognition.

 Satan doesn't want us to recognize the sin that runs rampant in ourselves. Satan wants us to make excuses for our failings should we happen to notice them after he tries so hard to keep them hidden. Satan shrouds our sins in covers of being only human, and as long as we are inclined to listen to Satan and make excuses for sins from the tiniest sin to the largest, we are in trouble. Our selfishness, Satan will call 'our right to indulge'. Our covetousness, is simply 'understandable desires all have'. We deserve to treat ourselves, we've earned our longing to partake. Satan loves for us to lose our sense of sin in its most simple forms, relabeling them for broader acceptance. When we recognize the true ugliness of our most basic self, it appalls us. The glimpse into the horrors of sin that has become a way of life for us, so naturally occurring, is something Satan wants to keep us from. However, sometimes Satan will flood us with our wretchedness in an attempt to get us to abandon Christ Jesus our Savior because we believe we are TOO wretched, too sinful, too horrible, too vile, too corrupt to ever truly belong to Christ. Satan wants us to despair and give up. Such trickery will meet us at every turn. Give up! Despair! No, you're fine, you are only human. Don't worry about your sinfulness. Caught in a web of the stickiest silk is it any wonder we find ourselves alternately flailing about between euphoria and despondency as we struggle to simply belong to Christ? We will forever need forgiveness for every single sin we succumb to. We will forever need to be shown ALL of our sins, no matter how intensely vile they make us feel about ourselves. We must cling to CHRIST for salvation all day long, not just on occasion. There is no good in us, all the good resides in CHRIST. It is only HIM in us that enables anything resembling good coming from us. And what is good? It is truth unfeigned the love of God. 

(Excerpt) 

There is a serious and very bothersome mistake which is made by many persons.

That mistake is made in thinking that when they are converted their old sinful flesh is blotted out.

In other words, they make the mistake of thinking that they are to be delivered from the flesh by having it taken away from them altogether.

Then when they find that this is not so, when they find that the same old flesh, with its inclinations, its besetments, and its enticements is still there, they are not prepared for it and so become discouraged and are ready to think that they never were converted at all.

And yet, if they would think a little, they ought to be able to see that that is all a mistake. Did you not have exactly the same body after you were converted that you had before? Was not that body composed of exactly the same material--the same flesh and bones and blood--after you were converted as that of which it was composed before? To these questions everybody will promptly say Yes. And plainly that is the truth.

And now there are further questions: Was not that flesh also of exactly the same quality as before? Was it not still human flesh, natural flesh, as certainly as it was before? To this also everybody will say Yes.

Then also a still further question: It being the same flesh and of the same quality--it still being human flesh,  natural flesh--is it not also still just as certainly sinful flesh as it was before?

Just here is where creeps in the mistake of these many persons. To this last question they are inclined to think that the answer should be "No," when it must be only a decided "Yes." And this decided "Yes" must be maintained so long as we continue in this natural body.

And when it is decided and constantly maintained that the flesh of the converted person is still sinful flesh and only sinful flesh, he is so thoroughly convinced that in his flesh dwells no good thing that he will never allow a shadow of confidence in the flesh. And this being so, his sole dependence is upon something other than the flesh, even upon the Holy Spirit of God. 

His source of strength and hope is altogether exclusive of the flesh,  even in Jesus Christ only. 

And being everlastingly watchful, suspicious, and thoroughly distrustful of the flesh,  he never can expect any good thing from that source, and so is prepared by the power of God to beat back and crush down without mercy every impulse or suggestion that may arise from it, and so does not fail, does not become discouraged, but goes on from victory to victory and from strength to strength.

Conversion, then, you see, does not put new flesh upon the old spirit but a new Spirit within the old flesh. 

It does not propose to bring new flesh to the old mind, but a new mind to the old flesh. 

Deliverance and victory are not gained by having the human nature taken away, but by receiving the divine nature to subdue and have dominion over the human--not by the taking away of the sinful flesh, but by the sending in of the sinless Spirit to conquer and condemn sin in the flesh.

The Scripture does not say, Let this flesh be upon you which was also upon Christ, but it does say, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5.

The Scripture does not say, Be ye transformed by the renewing of your flesh, but it does say, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Rom. 12:2. 

We shall be translated by the renewing of our flesh, but we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The Lord Jesus took the same flesh and blood, the same human nature, that we have, flesh just like our sinful flesh, and because of sin, and by the power of the Spirit of God through the divine mind that was in Him,  "condemned sin in the flesh." Rom. 8:3. And therein is our deliverance (Rom. 7:25); therein is our victory. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." "A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you."

Do not be discouraged at sight of sinfulness in the flesh. It is only the light of the Spirit of God, and by the discernment of the mind of Christ, that you can see so much sinfulness in your flesh, and the more sinfulness you see in your flesh, the more of the Spirit of God you certainly have. This is a sure test. Then when you see sinfulness abundant in you, thank the Lord that you have so much of the Spirit of God that you can see so much of the sinfulness and know of a surety that when sinfulness abounds, grace much more abounds in order that "as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

April 18, 1899 A.T. Jones (EXCERPT)

Faith Works

 

 (Excerpt)

"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Gal. 5:16.

What a blessed promise! And as sure as it is blessed, to everyone who believes.

Think of the lust of the flesh. How all-pervading it is! How stern are its dictates! How oppressive its rule! How dismal is the slavery that it lays upon man!

Everybody has experienced it--longing to do the good that he would, yet doing only the evil that he hated;  having ever a will to do better, but how to perform it, finding not; delighting in the law of God after the inward man, yet finding in his members another law, warring against the law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his members; and at last, crying out, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom. 7:14-24.

Thank the Lord, there is deliverance.'[;; It is found in Christ Jesus and in the Spirit of our God. Rom. 7:25; 8:1,2. And the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus having made you free from the law of sin and death, then "walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." There is not only deliverance from the bondage of corruption;  there is also the glorious liberty of the children of God for every soul who receives the Spirit and walks in the Spirit.

"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

See the list of the workings of the lust of the flesh: "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,  witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness,  revelings, and such like." None of these shall you fulfill, over all these things you have the victory, when you walk in the Spirit. It is the faithful word of God.

Is not that a most desirable prospect? Is not such a thing as that worth having? And when it is had for the asking and the taking, then is it not worth asking for and taking?

Accept the deliverance that Christ has wrought out for you. Stand, and stand fast, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

"Ask, and it shall be given you." "For everyone that asketh receiveth." "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." "Be filled with the Spirit," yea, "Walk in the" "Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

March 14, 1899 (Excerpt A.T. Jones)

'Constantly we sense a need, unless we are immersed in Laodiceanism - being in need of nothing.'

'Paul describes his experience of how a "renewed mind will view life. He would be found in Christ having the "righteousness which is of God by faith" that he "might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Did he claim perfection? No. "I have not attained, or am already perfect," but "this one thing I do... I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." '

From <http://www.adventistlaymen.com/WWN%20Text%20Versions/wwn8(98).htm> 

The Word Righteousness.

 Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 

We don't live, truly live unless we live through the word of God, and this word of God is our faith in God, faith in Christ's righteousness to redeem us, as He forgives us our many sins. Righteousness truly by faith. Righteousness by the word of God. Righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Living with Christ's righteousness.

(Excerpt)

The righteousness of God is revealed to faith. Rom. 1:17.

Faith is complete dependence upon the word of God, expecting that word to do what the word itself says.

Is there, then, righteousness spoken by the word of God, so that people can depend completely upon that word,  that the word shall accomplish what the word says?

There is. Indeed, that is the very object of the gift of Christ. For him "God hath set forth . . . to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Rom. 3:25.

Seeing then that God hath set forth Christ expressly to declare, to speak, the righteousness of God, it is certain that the word of God has been spoken, upon which there can be complete dependence, expecting that word to do what that word says. In other words, there is righteousness that can be received by faith.

Wherein is this word spoken? It is spoken in the word "forgiveness." 

"He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins"; "there is forgiveness with thee."

Now what is the meaning of forgive"? The word "forgive" is composed of "for" and "give," which otherwise is give for. To forgive, therefore, is simply to give for. For the Lord to forgive sin is to give for sin. But what does the Lord give for sin? He declares "his righteousness for the remission of sins."

Therefore when the Lord forgives--gives for--sin, He gives righteousness for sin. And as the only righteousness that the Lord has is his own, it follows that the only righteousness that God gives, or can give, for sin is the righteousness of God.

This is the righteousness of God as a gift. As all men have only sinned and if they are ever clear must have forgiveness entirely free, and as the forgiveness of sin--the righteousness of God given for sin--is entirely free--this is the righteousness of God as a free gift "upon all men unto justification of life." Rom. 5:18.

Every soul, therefore, who ever asks God for forgiveness of sin, in that very thing asks God to give him righteousness for sin. Every soul who asks God for forgiveness asks it solely upon the word of God, which speaks forgiveness. And faith is entire dependence upon the word for what the word speaks. Thus righteousness is altogether of faith.

"Every one that asketh receiveth." 

You have asked the Lord many a time to forgive your sins; that is, you have asked him to give for your sin. But when you ask the Lord to give for your sin, in that you ask him to give the only thing that He does or can give for sin, which is righteousness. That is what it is to ask forgiveness of the Lord.

And He does forgive--He does give for--your sins when you ask Him. He says He does, and He does. "He is faithful"--that is, He will never fail--"and just to forgive us our sins." And the only thing He gives for sins is His righteousness.

Then why not thank Him for the righteousness that He freely gives for your sins when you ask Him to?

Do you not see that righteousness by faith is just as plain and simple as the asking God for forgiveness of sin?  Indeed, it is just that.

To believe that righteousness is given for your sin, when you ask forgiveness, and thankfully to receive that righteousness as the gift of God--this is what it is to exercise faith.

Yet how true it is that "we suffer much trouble and grief because of our unbelief and of our ignorance of how to exercise faith."

"Hast thou faith?" Have the faith of God. "Here are they that keep . . . the faith of Jesus."

March 14, 1899 A.T. Jones Excerpt

Living By the Word, Living By Faith.

 (Excerpt)

"The just shall live by faith."

Who are the just?--They are only those who are of faith, because men are justified only by faith.

For though we all "have sinned and come short of the glory of God," yet we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

For "to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Those who are of faith and those alone are the just in the earth.

Now faith is entire dependence on the word of God, that that word shall accomplish what that word says. "It shall accomplish that which I please." Isa. 55:11.

To be justified by faith, then, is to be justified by entire dependence upon the word of God. The just are those who are of the word of God. This is how men become just.

Men must not only become just by faith--by dependence upon the word of God--but being just, we must live by faith. The just man lives in precisely the same way and by precisely the same thing that he becomes just.

We become just by faith; faith is entire dependence on the word of God. 

We, being just, must live by precisely the same thing by which we become just; that is, by entire dependence upon the word of God.

And this is exactly what Jesus said: Man shall live "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  

When Jesus said that, it is perfectly plain that He simply said, in other words, Man shall live by faith.

There is no other way truly to live than by faith, which is simply living by the word of God. Without faith, without the word of God, men only die.

Indeed, without the word of God everything only dies, for in the beginning everything came by the word of God.  The word of God is the origin and life of everything, for, "He spake, and it was."

All things animate and inanimate--sun, moon, and stars, animals and men--all are entirely dependent upon the word of God for existence. Only in the case of men God has bestowed upon them the wondrous gift of choice as to whether they will do so or not. This gift opens the door of faith. And when a man does choose to live by the word of God, which is the only means of life, faith--entire dependence upon the word of God--is the means by which he lays hold on the means of life.

Thus "the just shall live by faith," and thus "whatsoever is not of faith is sin," which is simply to say, The just must live by the word of God, and whatsoever is not of the word of God is sin.

"We cannot have a healthy Christian experience, we cannot obey the gospel unto salvation until the science of faith is better understood and until more faith is exercised."

"Hast thou faith?" Have the faith of God. Here are they that keep "the faith of Jesus."

March 7, 1899  A.T. Jones Excerpt

You Want Your Prayers Answered.

 We want our prayers heard. We are told to pray.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

So we pray. Then we wonder WHY our prayers are not seemingly being answered- we don't like no response- we don't like no being the answer to our prayers.  We can't comprehend why prayer after prayer seems to be getting the, no response. 

When we realize that our prayers must be prayed for GOD'S WILL to be done, we have to know that He hears, and all of His answers are for the best. 

Jas_1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

Ask in faith. 

Faith comes by hearing.

Hearing by the word of God.

Ask according to the word of God this is asking in faith. 

Everything we pray for MUST be prayed in faith and therefore it MUST be according to God's word!

If you're praying for riches, those that exceed your basic needs, where do we find in the Word of God instruction to pray for riches to give us worldly pleasures? 

If we're praying for specific healing, and the healing doesn't come. We are told in the Word of God that  Paul prayed three times for healing for his infirmity, and he wasn't healed.  God said to Paul- 

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

God knew Paul needed his strength made perfect and perchance the strength he needed was a spiritual strength over a physical healing.  God answered Paul, and Paul was not given healing.  Paul wanted God's will in his life to be done over anything else. God knew that the strength Paul would receive from his having to suffer would give Paul what He truly was asking for and Paul trusted God when he wasn't healed.  Did Paul's asking God for healing go according to God's word? Yes. But God's will supersedes all. We pray first and foremost for HIS WILL to be done. If we mean that, then we must TRUST HIS WILL is being done. Our faith, that faith we get and cultivate through the Word of God, must extend to allowing for God's will and our acceptance even when we can't comprehend.

Did Abraham have all the details - no, he had to live in God's will, trusting in God's will.

Did Moses have all the details - no, he had to live in God's will, trusting in God's will.

The list goes on and on of those whose lives were seemingly wrecked in various ways, as they lived uncertain lives filled with heartache and torturous happenstances. God did not abandon these men and women, he knew their will beyond the day to day prayers was for His will to be done in them and He answered that prayer over all others. 

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

THY WILL BE DONE…

This is the manner we pray after and trust, and have faith in this Word of God! 

A.T. Jones- Excerpt-

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Therefore the word of God is the only means of faith.

Therefore, where there is no word of God there cannot be any faith.

And where the word of God is, faith is entire dependence upon that word for the accomplishment of what that word says.

From all this, which is the truth, it is perfectly plain that in order for anyone to ask in faith, he must first of all be sure that he has the word of God for what he asks.

Having the word of God for what he asks, he, like David, can find it in his heart to pray with perfect confidence,  which is only in perfect faith.

He who thus prays knows that he is asking according to the will of God, for he knows that he has the plain word of God for it.

Therefore he knows that God hears him, and knowing that God hears him, he knows that he has the thing for which he has asked, because the sole basis of his hope for it is the word which has spoken it, and which is the sole basis of his asking.

The Lord tells us thus to pray, and thus he has made provision for the steady, strong, and continuous growth of faith.

Many people pray but do not know whether it is the will of the Lord that they should have what they pray for and so do not know whether they can certainly claim it; and not knowing whether they can claim it, they are all at sea as to whether their prayers are answered or not.

The Lord does not want anybody to move uncertainly. Therefore, He has given His word, which thoroughly furnishes every one unto all good works and by which are given all things that pertain unto life and godliness.

And anyone who seeks in the word of God the things which God has there provided for all and upon that specific word prays for that thing, thus asking according to the plainly expressed will of God, knows that his prayer is heard and that he has the thing for which he prayed.

So doing, the prayers will be always certain, the life will be filled with the direct gifts of God, and the faith will be sure and strong and will be ever increasing in strength.

Many pray the prayer of the disciples, "Lord, increase our faith." This is well. Yet along with this, it must never be forgotten that faith comes only by the word of God. Therefore, as certainly as your faith shall be increased, it can be only by there being in you an increase of the word of God. And the only way that there can be in you an increase of the word of God is by your harkening to that word, praying to the Lord for the thing which that word says, depending wholly upon that word for that thing and thanking him that you have received it. Then and thus that word is received by you and lives in you.

Thus while we can pray, "Lord, increase our faith," at the same time we must remember that we are to build up ourselves on our most holy faith. Jude 20.

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

This is how to exercise faith. Faith can be exercised only on the word of God, for where there is no word of God,  there cannot be any faith.

And "understanding how to exercise faith, this is the science of the gospel."

February 28, 1899

Dying For Faith.

 You know this verse, I know you know it--  Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Our FAITH comes by the WORD OF GOD- HEARING that WORD.

The preceding verses at the beginning of the Book of Romans-

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

The GOSPEL of CHRIST is the POWER of GOD UNTO SALVATION.  That's the WORD of GOD we need to hear. The gospel. We hear and we believe what we hear. There is POWER in the WORD OF GOD.

You CANNOT have faith without the word of God. We need this powerful Word. This is a Word people have DIED for! How many believe they died for nothing, but it was far from nothing. They died in FAITH and their FAITH came from the Word of God. No wonder they died for the Word, to them it was LIFE- ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! It wasn't just a book with empty, meaningless words. These men and women weren't and aren't still today, stupid, ignorant imbeciles, mindless and unable to think logically and rationally as so many would have us believe. These were and are blessed people who recognize the power of the Word of God! 

May WE all recognize the Power of the WORD OF GOD- FAITH!  If our faith is weak we need to delve deep into the Word of God, daily, hourly, as often as we can submerse ourselves in the life giving Word of God. If you can only manage a single verse of Scripture today to sustain your faith, then READ it, read that word of God! Those few words are filled with POWER. Just don't neglect the word of God. Pray, open your heart to God, rely upon Him to guide you to the words you need, to give you the faith you need. Seek Him and you will find Him - when you search for Him with all your heart.

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

Excerpt-

'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Therefore the word of God is the only means of faith.

Therefore, where there is no word of God there cannot be any faith.

And where the word of God is, faith is entire dependence upon that word for the accomplishment of what that word says.

From all this, which is the truth, it is perfectly plain that in order for anyone to ask in faith, he must first of all be sure that he has the word of God for what he asks.'