Tyranny or Freedom - a non political perspective

[StriperAddict]

Some of my thoughts on helping us thru a common disconnect. Enjoy ...

The tyranny of religious self effort is abolished in the grace of God. It, truly, is finished.

No other walk than the walk of grace in Christ works because it is a relational walk, not a walk that tries hard to convince the other side of their worthiness. That's faking it and it leads to burn out! Yet many churches stick with Jesus (grace) but add Moses (laws/expectations) and settle for so much less than the Life Christ gave to us freely. They claim too much grace leads to much sinning, when it's grace alone that leads to godliness and wholeness. THAT'S living FROM a Life within, not an unstoppable hamster wheel of try, fail, repeat, with the added ignorance to rededicate our fleshly efforts. Living by faith takes our efforts out of the game, and gives the vine the chance to produce fruit thru us. No, it won't always look "good", and even our personalities will clash, right? But no harm intended if the US we are is the clay pot His hands can use.

How? Revelation of love, broken flesh efforts (often I'll admit) and dependence. Apart from Jesus we can do ... nothing.

But too often Christians settle for a rules based relationship with Christ (See how well I'm doing Lord?) instead of living from faith and trust. And the cross and resurrection secured all the faith you'll ever need, even if it appears tiny. Good to note that Jesus never criticized mustard seed faith, did He? Your God is BIGGER than your faith, and you are growing to believe and understand His grace and your total dependence on Jesus DAILY.

Grace ...
-is relational worth and power for all of life, not just our redemption!
-is Jesus living His Life IN and THRU you as you rest.
And rest ...
-is what Jesus gave us; trust, faith, assurance, and overwhelming love without the hint of abandonment!

He is good with you, enjoys you thru the rain and the sunshine, and on your very worst day, with emotions and thoughts all over the place, your Abba Father gives you the assurance that He has no where else He'd rather be than in you, rejoicing over you with shouts of JOY.

And that's called -- free to be you. You in Christ, Christ in you. That's His best Life for you to know and experience in every moment. Even with my foibles and idiosyncrasies? Why certainly! What can EVER stop or get in the way of the most daring Love on the planet?

Enjoy His Life and HIS rest today.


- Walter

 

[StriperAddict]

Thank you brother. Sowing and reaping - of words is, both encouraging and can be a tripping thing, but never my intention. Sometimes we could stop and take in the condition of the soil a word of grace may receive, whether it can sprout good fruit, or turn away the sower's reflections. Yet, is it up to the reflectors to know the soil(s)?

In such a question comes the concern of some that a degree of bashing (rules, dogmas, Moses, etc.) might well "break up" the fallow ground. I suppose so. But from experience the oldness of Moses never brought my heart the life of Another, who was more equipped than I to show the value of the gift in the here and now. Of course of future too.

I have seen hearts changed by grace alone. And I have been condemned by religion hundreds of times, even my own thoughts when flesh does some speaking ... to go to those past blunders with a big cringe. Don't we all, in Christ, have that reaction? Perhaps it's a sign of the Life within, but I won't boast of this, aside from in this, my soul-weakness, I see this Life unobstructed, still passionate, still in union.

Yes, those "old words" as you say. Maybe another illustration comes from Silly Putty. Bear with me in some foolish fun to make a point!

Aren't our minds like a computer? If we "hear" something over and over again, it's like taking silly putty and pressing it hard against "news"paper print and seeing the image "engrafted" there. (Remember?) The news-print sticks there until the users hands take the putty and mush it up into a new, neat glob, ready for the next print and subsequent pressure on the paper. Yes, ready for a news flash of higher value (the gospel) to displace the old and get a new "stick-on" from a Good Printing Source!

Such it is with us. Our minds have fed for years on lifeless religion. Yet even when the New showed up, it took many years and much pounding (at least for me) of that former false imprint on the putty to be replaced of the Life giving truth, of the One holding Life never leaving. I've gotten more excited over the gospel than I ever was in those try-fail-rededicate years of self sufficiency, where the old imprints spoke louder than the truth that sets us all free.

Have great joy in Him my friend, and all you learners & gleaners of this grace. Joyfully, and perhaps disappointingly for some, I have no other Life message.

Yours for grace and truth. - Walter

 

[Israel]

Yes!

I don't know (but am open to persuasion) that to us is ordained anything but the "trail of man".
(Which could easily be turned to the trial of man)

Paul said "I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came sin revived and I died" I believe only the revelation of Christ he received is what caused him to understand this.

Even as Adam had in memory "I once was free...(alive in the garden) was given commandment, found I couldn't keep it...and died".

In that estate...he then found "more commandments" coming...and thinking he had "learned his lesson" struggled to find his way back to life..."OK, I will do them!".
But he had no idea in this estate (for sin had now deceived him, colored all his thinking and perceptions) that these could "no more be kept by him" than the original commandment. He had yet to despair of himself. Of his ability.

Is this not "our trail"? Still to whatever extent thinking we can redeem ourselves (Yes! even as christians!) in God's eye? O! what wilderness we wander...finding failure and frustration at every point. "I will perform! (and this time I really mean it!)

We have touched the rock, tasted the water that has kept us alive...but...there is yet that coming "throwing ourselves upon the rock to be broken".

The dread working of sin comes to be appreciated as we seek to know Christ in His triumph over it. Ahhh...before I thought myself a sinning man because I swore, or had a "bad temper" or drank too much. But then I find...uh oh...there's something going on way deeper that I cannot deal with...

If we while seeking to be justified by Christ find ourselves sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? God forbid!"

I cannot blame Christ for this, this showing...it is not His making me a sinner...indeed it is only because of His revelation I can even begin to appreciate the value of salvation and grace, to finally see a thing that cannot help itself against sin given the only One who can avail!

yes! this is all ours in Christ...I cannot say "every man must come as I have" to it...but I cannot deny "that man of sin" was ordained to be revealed...and as much as I may have once cared to believe it was "something or someone else" I would be a liar to maintain that.

Jesus says something that is sobering because there is no "if" in it.

"Offenses must come...but woe to the man through whom they come" (Does Adam come to understand? Can he?) How do I, is there any way provided that I "not be that man?"

I must take or receive another identity. Is one offered...given? I am all of lost otherwise...now with nothing but dread in my own powerlessness.


Ahhh, then something begins to shine in a very very once dark place.
I must turn aside to see this great sight! And in beholding comes only change.

 

[StriperAddict]

My thanks brother. I have real appreciation and joy of these incredible union discoveries we share. And because they are indeed a revelation, then a gift worth cherishing.

And powerlessness is a good place, boasting of our weakness is enjoying the real strength of God ... which is the good Word of His grace, Christ Himself, unmoved by our nearsightedness.


2 Timothy 3:14
"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them"
\/\/

1 John 2:27 EXB
[As for you] ·Christ gave you a special gift that is still in you [ The anointing that you received from him abides/remains in you; 2:20], so you do not need ·any other teacher [ anyone to teach you; Jer. 31:34]. [ But just as] His ·gift [ anointing] teaches you about everything, and it is true, not false. So ·continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you [ just as he taught you, abide/remain in him].

 

[StriperAddict]

Paul said "I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came sin revived and I died" I believe only the revelation of Christ he received is what caused him to understand this.

And understatement! But a critical revelation for certain.