Over coming faith.

Over coming faith.

I believe there may be a great deal of missunderstanding in my posts so please hear and undrstand everything im trying to get across im working and waiting on God to bring to pass in my own life.There is so much more for us all in Christ Jesus and i pray that God the Father may take us all unto perfection in Christ.
CHAPTER 2
THE SCRIPTURALNESS OF THIS LIFE
When I approach this subject of the true christian life, that life which is hid
with Christ in God, so many thoughts struggle for utterance that I am
almost speechless. Where shall I begin? What is the most important thing
to say? How shall I make people read and believe? The subject is so
glorious, and human words seem so powerless!
But something I am impelled to say. The secret must be told. For it is one
concerning that victory which overcometh the world, that promised
deliverance from all our enemies, for which every child of God longs and
prays, but which seems so often and so generally to elude their grasp.
May God grant me so to tell it, that every believer to whom this book
shall come, may have his eyes opened to see the truth as it is in Jesus, and
may be enabled to enter into possession of this glorious life for himself.
For sure I am that every converted soul longs for victory and rest, and
nearly every one feels instinctively, at times, that they are his birthright.
Can you not remember, some of you, the shout of triumph your souls gave
when you first became acquainted with the Lord Jesus, and had a glimpse
of His mighty saving power? How sure you were of victory then! How
easy it seemed, to be more than conquerors, through Him that loved you.
Under the leadership of a Captain who had never been foiled in battle, how
could you dream of defeat? And yet, to many of you, how different has
been your real experience The victories have been but few and fleeting, the
defeats many and disastrous. You have not lived as you feel children of
God ought to live. There has been a resting in a clear understanding of
doctrinal truth, without pressing after the power and life thereof. There
has been a rejoicing in the knowledge of things testified of in the
Scriptures, without a living realization of the things themselves,
consciously fe lt in the soul. Christ is believed in, talked about, and served,
but He is not known as the soul’s actual and very life, abiding there
forever, and revealing Himself there continually in His beauty. You have
found Jesus as your Saviour and your Master, and you have tried to serve
Him and advance the cause of His kingdom. You have carefully studied the
Holy Scriptures and have gathered much precious truth therefrom, which
you have endeavored faithfully to practise.
But notwithstanding all your knowledge and all your activities in the
service of the Lord, your souls are secretly starving, and you cry out again
and again for that bread and water of life which you saw promised in the
Scriptures to all believers. In the very depths of your hearts you know
that your experience is not a Scriptural experience; that, as an old writer
says, your religion is "but a talk to what the early Christians enjoyed,
possessed, and lived in." And your souls have sunk within you, as day
after day, and year after year, your early visions of triumph have seemed
to grow more and more dim, and you have been forced to settle down to
the conviction that the best you can expect from your religion is a life of
alternate failure and victory; one hour sinning, and the next repenting; and
beginning again, only to fail again, and again to repent.
But is this all? Had the Lord Jesus only this in His mind when He laid
down His precious life to deliver you from your sore and cruel bondage to
sin? Did He propose to Himself only this partial deliverance? Did He
intend to leave you thus struggling along under a weary consciousness of
defeat and discouragement? Did He fear that a continuous victory would
dishonor Him, and bring reproach on His name? When all those
declarations were made concerning His coming, and the work He was to
accomplish, did they mean only this that you have experienced? Was there
a hidden reserve in each promise that was meant to deprive it of its
complete fulfillment? Did "delivering us out of the hands of our enemies"
mean only a few of them? Did "enabling us always to triumph" mean only
sometimes; or being "more than conquerors through Him that love us"
mean constant defeat and failure? No, no, a thousand times no! God is able
to save unto the uttermost, and He means to do it. His promise, confirmed
by His oath, was that "He wou ld grant unto us, that we, being delivered
out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness
and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." It is a mighty work
to do, but our Deliverer is able to do it. He came to destroy the works of
the devil, and dare we dream for a moment that He is not able or not
willing to accomplish His own purposes?
In the very outset, then, settle down on this one thing, that the Lord is able
to save you fully, now, in this life, from the power and dominion of sin,
and to deliver you altogether out of the hands of your enemies. If you do
not think He is, search your Bible, and collect together every
announcement or declaration concerning the purposes and object of His
death on the cross You will be astonished to find how full they are.
Everywhere and always His work is said to be, to deliver us from our sins,
from our bondage from our defilement; and not a hint is given anywhere,
that this deliverance was to be only the limited and partial one with which
the Church so continually tries to be satisfied.
Let me give you a few texts on this subject. When the angel of the Lord
appeared unto Joseph in a dream, and announced the coming birth of the
Saviour, he said, "And thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save
His people from their sins."
When Zacharias was "filled with the Holy Ghost" at the birth of his son,
and "prophesied," he declared that God had visited His people in order to
fulfil the promise and the oath He had made them, which promise was,
"That He would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of
our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before Him, all the days of our life."
When Peter was preaching in the porch of the Temple to the wondering
Jews, he said, "Unto you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent
Him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."
When Paul was telling out to the Ephesian church the wondrous truth that
Christ had loved them so much as to give Himself for them, he went on to
declare, that His purpose in thus doing was, "that He might sanctify and
cleanse it by the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish."
When Paul was seeking to instruct Titus, his own son after the common
faith, concerning the grace of God, he declared that the object of that grace
was to teach us "that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world "; and adds, as
the reason of this, that Christ "gave Himself for us that He might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify us unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous
of good works."
When Peter was urging upon the christian, to whom he was writing, a holy
and Christ-like walk, he tells them that "even hereunto were ye called
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should
follow His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth";
and adds, "who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose
stripes ye were healed."
When Paul was contrasting in the Ephesians the walk suitable for a
christian, with the walk of an unbeliever, he sets before them the truth in
Jesus as being this, "that ye put off concerning the former conversation the
old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed
in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after
God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
And when, in Romans vi., he was answering forever the question as to
continuing in sin, and showing how utterly foreign it was to the whole
spirit and aim of the salvation of Jesus, he brings up the fact of our judicial
death and resurrection with Christ as an unanswerable argument for our
practical deliverance from it, and says, "God forbid. How shall we, that are
dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore
we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life." And adds, "Knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin."
Dear christians, will you receive the testimony of Scripture on this matter?
The same questions that troubled the Church in Paul’s day are troubling it
now: first, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" And second,
"Do we then make void the law through faith?" Shall not our answer to
these be Paul’s emphatic "God forbid"; and his triumphant assertions that
instead of making it void "we establish the law"; and that "what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit"?
Can we suppose for a moment that the holy God, who hates sin in the
sinner, is willing to tolerate it in the christian, and that He has even
arranged the plan of salvation in such a way as to make it impossible for
those who are saved from the guilt of sin to find deliverance from its
power?Gopd has a body of believers that belomng to His Son Jesus and Him alone.
 
Do not reject it, then, dear reader, until you have prayerfully searched the
Scriptures to see whether these things be indeed so. Ask God to open the
eyes of your understanding by His Spirit, that you may "know what is the
exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the
working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He
raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the
heavenly places." And when you have begun to have some faint glimpses
of this power, learn to look away utterly from your own weakness, and,
putting your case into His hands, trust Him to deliver you.
 
TO THE READER
‘Tis strange to me, that they that love to tell
Things done of old, yea, and that do excel
Their equals in historiology,
Speak not of Mansoul’s wars, but let them lie
Dead, like old fables, or such worthless things,
That to the reader no advantage brings:
When men, let them make what they will their own,
Till they know this, are to themselves unknown.
Of stories, I well know, there’s divers sorts,
Some foreign, some domestic; and reports
Are thereof made as fancy leads the writers.
(By books a man may guess at the inditers.)
Some will again of that which never was,
Nor will be, feign (and that without a cause)
Such matter, raise such mountains, tell such things
Of men, of laws, of countries, and of kings;
And in their story seem to be so sage,
And with such gravity clothe every page,
That though their frontispiece says all is vain,
Yet to their way disciples they obtain.
But, readers, I have somewhat else to do,
Than with vain stories thus to trouble you.
What here I say, some men do know so well,
They can with tears and joy the story tell.
The town of Mansoul is well known to many,
Nor are her troubles doubted of by any
That are acquainted with those histories
That Mansoul and her wars anatomize.
 
Holy War in Jesus Name Blessed be the Lamb that was slain but forever lives He is risen glory be to His Holy Name.Come what may the believer may stand in the way for He lives and Faithfull is He who promised Glory be only to Thee.Yahweh Saves for so means His Name Yeshua of Nazarethh is returning again with His Holy Angels to gather His own rejoice ever more dear believer that your name been found in His book sealed with His dear Blood.Whiter than the snow shall thou be when you stand before His awesome glory.How blessed shall all be that are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.So dear believer keep your wick trimmed and your lamp filled with oil.For so shall he return while we be asleepe we shall hear the voice of the bridegroom.And with great joy shall they all leap who are found ready our Loving Saviour to meet.Every eye will surely see His return of this be sure.The only safe place to hide is before His wonderfull feet.At the throne of grace mercy evermore.I know my Redeemer lives and shall see Him on that day when gross darkness shall flee from His presence for His Glorious Light shall make the night as day.
 
‘Tis strange to me, that they that love to tell
Things done of old, yea, and that do excel
Their equals in historiology,
Speak not of Mansoul’s wars, but let them lie
Dead, like old fables, or such worthless things,
That to the reader no advantage brings:
When men, let them make what they will their own,
Till they know this, are to themselves unknown.
Of stories, I well know, there’s divers sorts,
Some foreign, some domestic; and reports
Are thereof made as fancy leads the writers.
(By books a man may guess at the inditers.)
Some will again of that which never was,
Nor will be, feign (and that without a cause)
Such matter, raise such mountains, tell such things
Of men, of laws, of countries, and of kings;
And in their story seem to be so sage,
And with such gravity clothe every page,
That though their frontispiece says all is vain,
Yet to their way disciples they obtain.
But, readers, I have somewhat else to do,
Than with vain stories thus to trouble you.
What here I say, some men do know so well,
They can with tears and joy the story tell.
The town of Mansoul is well known to many,
Nor are her troubles doubted of by any
That are acquainted with those histories
That Mansoul and her wars anatomize.
Then lend thine ear to what I do relate,
Touching the town of Mansoul and her state:
How she was lost, took captive, made a slave:
And how against him set that should her save;
Yea, how by hostile ways she did oppose
Her Lord, and with his enemy did close.
For they are true: he that will them deny
Must needs the best of records vilify.
For my part, I myself was in the town,
Both when ‘twas set up, and when pulling down.
I saw Diabolus in his possession,
And Mansoul also under his oppression.
Yea, I was there when she own’ d him for Lord,
And to him did submit with one accord.
When Mansoul trampled upon things divine,
And wallowed in filth as doth a swine;
When she betook herself unto her arms,
Fought her Emmanuel, despised his charms;
Then I was there, and did rejoice to see
Diabolus and Mansoul so agree.
Let no men, then, count me a fable-maker,
Nor make my name or credit a partaker
Of their derision: what is here in view,
Of mine own knowledge, I dare say is true.
I saw the Prince’s arm’ d men come down
By troops, by thousands, to besiege the town;
I saw the captains, heard the trumpets sound,
And how his forces covered all the ground.
Yea, how they set themselves in battle-‘ ray,
I shall remember to my dying day.
I saw the colors waving in the wind,
And they within to mischief how combined
To ruin Mansoul, and to make away
Her primum mobile without delay.
I saw the mounts cast up against the town,
And how the slings were placed to beat it down:
I heard the stones fly whizzing by mine ears,
(What longer kept in mind than got in fears?)
I heard them fall, and saw what work they made,
And how old Mors did cover with his shade
The face of Mansoul; and I heard her cry,
‘Woe worth the day, in dying I shall die!’
I saw the battering-rams, and how they play’ d
To beat ope Ear-gate: and I was afraid
Not only Ear-gate, but the very town
Would by those battering-rams be beaten down.
I saw the fights, and heard the captains shout,
And in each battle saw who faced about;
I saw who wounded were, and who were slain;
And who, when dead, would come to life again.
I heard the cries of those that wounded were
(While others fought like men bereft of fear),
And while the cry, ‘Kill, kill,’ was in mine ears,
The gutters ran, not so with blood as tears.
Indeed, the captains did not always fight,
But then they would molest us day and night;
Their cry, ‘Up, fall on, let us take the town,’
Kept us from sleeping, or from lying down.
I was there when the gates were broken hope,
And saw how Mansoul then was stripp’ d of hope;
I saw the captains march into the town,
How there they fought, and did their foes cut down.
I heard the Prince bid Boanerges go
Up to the castle, and there seize his foe;
And saw him and his fellows bring him down,
In chains of great contempt quite through the town.
I saw Emmanuel, when he possess’ d
His town of Mansoul; and how greatly blest
A town his gallant town of Mansoul was,
When she received his pardon, loved his laws.
When the Diabolonians were caught,
When tried, and when to execution brought,
Then I was there; yea, I was standing by
When Mansoul did the rebels crucify.
I also saw Mansoul clad all in white,
I heard her Prince call her his heart’s delight.
I saw him put upon her chains of gold,
And rings, and bracelets, goodly to behold.
What shall I say? I heard the people’s cries,
And saw the Prince wipe tears from Mansoul’s eyes;
And heard the groans, and saw the joy of many:
Tell you of all, I neither will, nor can I.
But by what here I say, you well may see
That Mansoul’s matchless wars no fables be.
Mansoul, the desire of both princes was:
One keep his gain would, t’ other gain his loss.
Diabolus would cry, ‘The town is mine!’
Emmanuel would plead a right divine
Unto his Mansoul: then to blows they go,
And Mansoul cries, ‘These wars will me undo.’
Mansoul! her wars seem’ d endless in her eyes;
She’s lost by one, becomes another’s prize;
And he again that lost her last would swear,
‘Have her I will, or her in pieces tear.’
Mansoul! it was the very seat of war;
Wherefore her troubles greater were by far
Than only where the noise of war is heard,
Or where the shaking of a sword is fear’ d;
Or only where small skirmishes are fought,
Or where the fancy fighteth with a thought.
She saw the swords of fighting men made red,
And heard the cries of those with them wounded:
Must not her frights, then, be much more by far
Than theirs that to such doings strangers are?
Or theirs that hear the beating of a drum,
But not made fly for fear from house and home?
Mansoul not only heard the trumpets sound,
But saw her gallants gasping on the ground:
Wherefore we must not think that she could rest
With them, whose greatest earnest is but jest:
Or where the blust’ ring threat’ning of great wars
Do end in parleys, or in wording jars.
Mansoul! her mighty wars, they did portend
Her weal or woe, and that world without end:
Wherefore she must be more concern’ d than they
Whose fears begin and end the selfsame day;
Or where none other harm doth come to him
That is engaged, but loss of life or limb,
As all must needs confess that now do dwell
In Universe, and can this story tell.
Count me not, then, with them that, to amaze
The people, set them on the stars to gaze,
Insinuating with much confidence,
That each of them is now the residence
Of some brave creatures: yea, a world they will
Have in each star, though it be past their skill
To make it manifest to any man,
That reason hath, or tell his fingers can.
But I have too long held thee in the porch,
And kept thee from the sunshine with a torch.
Well, now go forward, step within the door,
And there behold five hundred times much more
Of all sorts of such inward rarities
As please the mind will, and will feed the eyes
With those, which, if a Christian, thou wilt see
Not small, but things of greatest moment be.
Nor do thou go to work without my key
(In mysteries men soon do lose their way);
And also turn it right, if thou wouldst know
My riddle, and wouldst with my heifer plough:
It lies there in the window. Fare thee well,
My next may be to ring thy passing-bell.
John Bunyan.
 
Her perplexity became so great, that at last
she began to ask God to teach her the truth about it, whether He really was
in everything or not. After praying this for a few days, she had what she
described as a vision. She thought she was in a perfectly dark place, and
that there advanced towards her from a distance a body of light, which
gradually surrounded and enveloped her and everything around her. As it
approached, a voice seemed to say, "This is the presence of God; thi s is
the presence of God." While surrounded with this presence, all the great
and awful things in life seemed to pass before her, — fighting armies,
wicked men, raging beasts, storms and pestilences, sin and suffering of
every kind.
She shrank back at first in terror, but she soon saw that the presence of
God so surrounded and enveloped each one of these, that not a lion could
reach out its paw, nor a bullet fly through the air, except as His presence
moved out of the way to permit it. And she saw that, let there be ever so
thin a sheet, as it were, of this glorious presence between herself and the
most terrible violence, not a hair of her head could be ruffled, nor anything
touch her, unless the presence divided to let the evil through. Then all the
small and annoying things of life passed before her, and equally she saw
that these all were so enveloped in this presence of God that not a cross
look, not a harsh word, nor petty trial of any kind, could reach her unless
His presence moved out of the way to let them through.
Her difficulty vanished. Her question was answered forever. God was in
everything; and to her henceforth there were no second causes. She saw
that her life came to her day by day and hour by hour directly from His
hand, let the agencies which should seem to control it be what they might.
And never again had she found any difficulty in an abiding consent to His
will and an unwavering trust in His care.
If we look at the seen things, we shall not be able to understand the secret
of this. But the children of God are called to look, "not at the things which
are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which
are not seen are eternal." Could we but see with our bodily eyes His
unseen forces surrounding us on every side, we would walk through this
world in an impregnable fortress, which nothing could ever overthrow or
penetrate, for "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear
Him, and delivereth them."
Be encouraged dear believers truly if God e for us who can be against us He loves us so.Jesus is LOrd.
 
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