The WAY He Has Made!

[Gibs]

It sure is true Gerry self must be kept crucified and it takes strong denial of self at times, I know, for I am a weak one of myself.

As probation still holds we do have an Advocate with the Father. We do want to be more and more dedicated to not falling back as the close will come unexpected.

1Jo 2:1 ¶ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Jo 2:3 ¶ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

He knows how weak we have become and so He strengthens us to stand, we receive by faith He is able to keep us from falling.

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[joeb]

Quote:

The Way He has made for us is the same Way He did it. Yes He was fully God in the body of a man but He took no power but what is ours to overcome from where we must. Yes He did take our sinful and fallen nature! Jesus was born of a woman of the seed of David and so He the man was one of us for certain in that way.

He must overcome as a man and not as God! Satan watched this very closely, notice when Jesus prayed He always did so as one of us, not as God.

The crux of this matter is it is not just believe and you will be saved. The continuing in sin must be overcome by us using our will and love of Him and the big one is He in you that you may walk as He did above sin and continuing in sin.

I know that is a popular belief, that sin must be overcome by a combination of our willpower and God, but that's not what Jesus taught. He didn't teach anything like that, nor does the rest of the Bible.

Here's the clue. Is sanctification by faith? If so, how can it then be partially by our works?

Read John 15: 1-11, Galations 5: 16-23, Romans 6, Matthew 7:17,18, Matthew 12:33, Ezekiel 36: 26-32, Jeremiah 24, James 3:12, Phillipians 2:5,13, Hebrews 8:10, and 1John 3:5,6.

What is the overall message in these verses? That it is God who writes His laws in our hearts, gives us His Holy Spirit who brings the attributes of Christ's character into our lives as long as He abides within us, and that whoever abides in Christ sinneth not. Who is it that does all these things? God. Who is it that convicteth of sin? The Holy Spirit. Who is it that reveals to us the troublespots in our character? The Holy Spirit. If we are connected to the Vine whose life is flowing through us? Christ's. So, whose job is it to sanctify us? Ezekiel 20:12. It is God who sanctifies us and the Sabbath is a sign of just that. We have no more a part in it than we have in our justification. Sanctification is as much by faith as justification is.

How are we to overcome? Luke 4:4. By every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We overcome by faith in God and in His word. Our will power is mentioned no where in the Bible as being part of anything by which we are saved.

[Gibs]

Joeb please read these that Jesus stated,

Re 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Re 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Re 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Re 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Re 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Re 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Re 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Re 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Re 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Re 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Re 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Re 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Re 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

I didn't mention will power, but it is the power of the will that we can choose to be of His will or of self and or Satan.

Sister White has a word and this is one of a great many the same!

" We have no hesitancy in telling you that in order to obtain the immortal inheritance and the eternal substance, you must be overcomers in this probationary life. Everything that blots and stains the soul must be removed, must be cleansed from the heart. We must know what it means to be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Are you willing to wage war against the lusts of the flesh? Are you ready to battle against the enemy of God and man? Satan is determined to enslave every soul if he can; for he is playing a desperate game to win the souls of men from Christ and eternal life. Will you permit him to steal from you the graces of the Spirit of God, and plant in you his own corrupt nature? or will you accept the great provision of salvation, and through the merits of the Infinite Sacrifice made in your behalf, become a partaker of the divine nature? God has given His only-begotten Son, that through His shame, suffering, and death, you might have glory, honor, and immortality."--Signs of the Times, June 15, 1891. {TDG 175.2}

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[joeb]

I did misread your comment on the will. I do agree with you at least partially on it's usage. Let me know if you disagree with any of the following, and why. I'd prefer that in your own words as I know you can quote scripture all day long. I just want to see your thinking.

Quote:

Many are inquiring, “How am I to make the surrender of myself

to God?” You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in

moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your

life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You

cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The

knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens

your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that

God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to

understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power

in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything

depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God

has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your

heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can

choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work

in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your

whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ;

your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in

harmony with Him.

In this paragraph Ellen White explains both the "true force of the will", and how it is we become overcomers. It is God who changes us after we give Him our will. He brings our entire nature under the control of the "Spirit of Christ"(the Holy Spirit) and then works in us to will and to do his good pleasure. This centers our affection on Him and changes our thought patterns to be in harmony with His. This last can be nothing other than changing our heart, or in other words, purification, i.e. sanctification. This makes sanctification entirely God's work. We don't even take any part in any of it other than to choose give our will to God.

Here's another quote from The Desire of Ages. In it she is talking about John the Baptist and then references just what we may have from God if we make the choice to entirely give our will to God, and hold nothing of self back.

The soul of the prophet, emptied of self, was filled with the light of the divine. As he witnessed

to the Saviour’s glory, his words were almost a counterpart of those that Christ Himself had spoken

in His interview with Nicodemus. John said, “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is

of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all.... For

He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto

Him.” Christ could say, “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.”

John 5:30. To Him it is declared, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God,

even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:9. The

Father “giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.”

So with the followers of Christ. We can receive of heaven’s light only as we are willing to be

emptied of self. We cannot discern the character of God, or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this the Holy Spirit is given without measure. In Christ “dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him ye are made full.” Colossians 2:9, 10, R. V. DofA 180,181

[Gibs]

Yes, it is a complete surrender, falling broken upon Him as we know of ourselves we are so weak we are nothing against the wiles and sophistry of Satan and his devices and many handed out by them who are his, Satans but make the pretense of being of God.

It is when we come broken that He can enter the cleaned soul temple and His Spirit makes a mighty change and we become a new creature, born again of His Spirit.

Man must cooperate. None will be made to be a new creature, it takes surrender and sorrow for our old way and our heart and soul given to Him to be the FULL MASTER of.

The WAY He has made we easily can walk in it while He is Master in the soul temple!

For sure as when He dwells in us Satan and his can see Him there and are defeated foes, and so we do have an advantage knowing, my signature verse states it,

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[joeb]

Yes, it is a complete surrender, falling broken upon Him as we know of ourselves we are so weak we are nothing against the wiles and sophistry of Satan and his devices and many handed out by them who are his, Satans but make the pretense of being of God.

It is when we come broken that He can enter the cleaned soul temple and His Spirit makes a mighty change and we become a new creature, born again of His Spirit.

Man must cooperate. None will be made to be a new creature, it takes surrender and sorrow for our old way and our heart and soul given to Him to be the FULL MASTER of.

The WAY He has made we easily can walk in it while He is Master in the soul temple!

For sure as when He dwells in us Satan and his can see Him there and are defeated foes, and so we do have an advantage knowing, my signature verse states it,

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Well, it appears we are on the same wavelength on this subject, Gibs. Glad to see that.