All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Following hard after God…Is it simply a matter of faith?
God is always trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him if we will but respond to His overtures. God is here. HE is speaking to us. He lives in the spoken Words of HIS book, and causes the power of them to exist all these years.
Before we sinners can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within us; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow.
John 6:44 ‘No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws them to Me, and at that last day I will raise them up’.
So God gets the credit, the impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him, and all the time we are pursuing Him, we are already in His Hand. Is this not an amazing truth to comprehend?
Psalm 63:8 My soul follows hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholds me.
Can we begin enjoying eternal life here and now, on this earth? What is it that keeps us from allowing our mind, will and emotions a continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and us, the redeemed 24/7?
Before we sinners can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within us; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow.
John 6:44 ‘No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws them to Me, and at that last day I will raise them up’.
So God gets the credit, the impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him, and all the time we are pursuing Him, we are already in His Hand. Is this not an amazing truth to comprehend?
Psalm 63:8 My soul follows hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholds me.
Can we begin enjoying eternal life here and now, on this earth? What is it that keeps us from allowing our mind, will and emotions a continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and us, the redeemed 24/7?
Views: 81
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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Our enlightenment begins before we ever accept Him. The Holy Spirit works on us as children of the world bringing conviction regarding the things of God and especially the truth regarding Jesus and His work on our behalf (Jn. 16:8-11) with the desire to lead us to become children of God. Our acepting Jesus as Savior really is a surrendering (this is a positve surrender) to Jesus as guided by the light and power of the Holy Spirit.
Our desire to follow after Him comes as a result of the new life, the change that takes place in us at salvation (2 Cor. 5:17). Unfortunately too many still seek to live for God following the precepts and laws of God legalistically out of fear, when it is God's desire for us to follow Him and seek after Him driven by love. A successful walk with Hm in this life will always be one that is love driven, for the legalist will only live a life of repeated failure and frustration that leaves one wanting. While the love relationship with Jesus will always be fulfilling.
"Can we begin enjoying eternal life hear and now?" The answer is not only yes, but mandatory. If you are a child of God, saved by Jesus, you are at that moment joined with Christ inseperable and thus grafted into His life (John 15). The eternal life we experience is not our own, but His. The problem we experience in the here and now is the war between the transformed spirit and the sinful unregenerated flesh. This battle will be life long, but does not negate that we are partakers of Jesus eternal life from the moment of salvation. The fullness of that eternal life is yet to be realized at the transformation of the flesh 1 (Cor. 15:51-56).
The war between the flesh and spirit is a battle for the mind. The maturing spirit, strengthened by God's Spirit, will control the mind and subdue the body. A weak spirit surrender's the mind and submits to the evil desire's of the flesh.
Food for thought,
LT
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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on
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Lt I really like what you said, I have never heard it stated quite like this.
The maturing spirit, strengthened by God's Spirit, will control the mind and subdue the body. A weak spirit surrender's the mind and submits to the evil desire's of the flesh.
Bob
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Permalink Reply by swtswan on
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WoW! your message is exactly what I needed to hear, It is a spiritual battle of the mind,and we/I need to be on guard @ all times,because the dark one has been attacking me almost nonstop lately. He knows our weaknesses,and he is all too ready to use any tactics @ his diposal to trip us, I have been looking for insight, on how to do battle & yes i did fall; just yesterday,I panicked even though my spirit had not confirmed what may possibly happen soon. I "NEED" to stand,& call on Him to rescue me when I am weary from persecutions on all sides .I have reacted w/love in all situations towards myself; I had withdrawn,to replenish my strength,& yes lick my wounds.I tried to extend friendship(when,having done nothing but go to church,help,care,feed my neighbor.I'm turned away & they cursed My husband out. Any way Thank You,& God Bless even more!
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Permalink Reply by mary jamieson on
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there are those who have just repented and have been on there way to hell turned to face THE LORD and full of all thats not good and the heavenly host sing that they are saved, when there anger flys out at you and is that bad the it can even brake a thick glass vase, then it time to take you eyes of yourself and see that they are in trouble, to pray for that person even though they have just choped you down to peaces with their words. i remember the holyspirit telling me that my reactions are as bad as their actions if not in grace, knowing that GOD SEE ALL AND REALLY WHATS TO SEE IF YOU TRULY LOVE HIM BY PRAYING FOR THEM AND NOT HITTING BACK, ITS HARD SOMETIMES
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Mary Jones,
I truly appreciate your comment, especially the recognition of our actions needing to be grounded in grace and love.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Permalink Reply by Deborah Sue Schenfeld on
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This is what I'm seeking with all my heart. I count everything as loss, to the pursuit of knowing, loving & serving Him! My trials have been exceedingly hard for a person who lives in the U.S., but I count it all joy for the priviledge of being more cut off from fleshly desires, to seek Him better!
I do appriciate this place where we can talk about our God & be encouraged in His word. I'm trying to understand, or at least have the 'love that covers', for those who think differently from myself, yet still love God.
Even though we've had extreme financial difficulty the last several years, God has been faithful to supply all our needs & even made it possible for me to go on missions trips to Thailand & So. Africa. The poverty & plight of the children in both places broke my heart! I want my life to count for Christ.
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