Today while reading the assignment from my daily Bible planner the following passage stood out so I paused and waited for Him to inform me:
Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me.”
John 6:43-46 The Message
I enjoy it when little gradations stand out: We’re not in charge. Okay, I assent; I know that—but now something deeper. We are sooo not in charge; we literally have little to do with our own salvation. All we can do, by His grace, is recognize Him doing something in us! He draws us; otherwise our coming is false, pretended, or produced by some ego pressure in us to impress or perform. But when He is mightily at work within us, He gets us ready to be personally taught by Him. At last we know that we know we are taught personally by Jesus Christ Himself. We are personally in on it. We get it first hand by seeing with our own eyes and hearing with our own ears. What a promise to those who believe. He said; you can see me. We can see Him! “And when we see Him we’ll be like Him.” Hunker down and get hold of that!
Amen! Salvation is of the Lord and by His grace. God Himself is the marked difference between who I was and who I am. I was lost and now I’m found. His sovereign grace brought me from unwillingness to willingness, unbelief to belief, blindness to sight, faithlessness to faith. We did not choose Him, He chose us and appointed us to bear fruit (John 15:16). To Him be all glory and honor forever!
I particularly love the way you said, “He draws us; otherwise our coming is false, pretended, or produced by some ego pressure in us to impress or perform.” I’m sure we all can attest to this pressure at one time or another. True freedom is humbling; it is not something we produce on our own, it is a gift. “Whom THE SON sets free is free indeed.”
“And we know that the Son of God is come and HAS GIVEN US AN UNDERSTANDING, that we may know Him who is true…” 1 John 5:20 (NKJV)
Jaque,
“All we can do, by His grace, is recognize Him doing something in us! He draws us; otherwise our coming is false, pretended, or produced by some ego pressure in us to impress or perform.”
That was me. Ego pressure to impress or perform. It came from emotional damage internally and was fed upon and used by the external manipulations of others.
That is still me in many ways. I am damaged by my past. Does that mean I’m not healed from it…probably…maybe I never will be and therein lies the problem. Filters, too many filters….
…”But when He is mightily at work within us, He gets us ready to be personally taught by Him. At last we know that we know we are taught personally by Jesus Christ Himself. We are personally in on it. We get it first hand by seeing with our own eyes and hearing with our own ears.”
Not so sure about this statement…I thought I was being personally taught by Him but I was decieved. I wonder if it’s really possible to eliminate the middle man, so to speak, when in many ways I am the middle man. Even if/when God may speak to me, how do I know that I am truely hearing in purety and not through my own damaged self hearing what I need and want to hear. At this point it’s been 10 years since I ran away from it all and I am more convinced than ever that there’s no way I could do it right. I am too damaged, have too many filters that twist and turn things and I don’t beleive others who would teach me are much better off. I know I am cynical but I don’t believe any of this is possible. It’s very discouraging and sad to be in this place because as much as I want to do the God thing, I know I can’t trust myself or others…too much water under the bridge, the bridge is pretty much gone and I stand alone on the wrong side.
Hi Laramie,
What comes to my mind as I read your comment is that I don’t know anyone who isn’t damaged goods in one way or another. We all get to decide whether to “remain” damaged or to receive Christ’s atonement and forgive those who have hurt us and to even forgive ourselves for holding grudges and hurting others for so long. (I know I did). To say “I’m too damaged” is to negate the sacrifice of Christ. To those who believe, His sacrifice WAS enough. To those who don’t, it will NEVER be enough. Ultimately God leaves that choice up to us.
Christ’s sacrifice is negated because I am still damaged and hurting and hurting others. I thought I had received His sacrifice and I thought it was enough. I wonder if I ever really did because obviously it didn’t take. I thought I had forgiven and been forgiven but since I am still damaged I know that I didn’t/haven’t. I thought I did it right the first time but hind sight now tells me otherwise. So how can I ever trust myself and give it another shot when I can’t trust myself to know it’s really Christ and not just more deception coming from my damage? Sorry if this is confusing to you. It’s cunfusing for me! I thought I was doing it right the first time…I don’t know what went wrong or even when it went wrong…so how could I possible ever do it again and do it right?
Thanks for listening to your fallen friend! I appreciate your time!
Hi Laramie,
The lie can only gain momentum by believing “it didn’t take.” Receiving Christ and forgiving isn’t something we feel; it’s what we believe. It was never about trusting yourself; it’s about trusting HIM. Confusion comes from having too much “I” in the equation. “I thought I was doing it right the first time…I don’t know what went wrong…so how could I possibly ever do it again and do it right…” Did Christ die for Laramie? Yes! Only your enemy says, “it didn’t take.” Faith means making a deliberate choice about your intention. Did you “intend” to receive Christ? Did you ask Him into your heart? If you can answer these two questions in the affirmative then you need to quit listening to the Liar. Would you look up John 10:10 and comment on that?
You’re welcome friend!
I would say, Laramie, that the bridge is never gone because the bridge is Christ. I have experienced a few times in the past where it seemed in retrospect as though I was hearing God wrongly, and I’m sure that we all have. We are human and our minds are swayed by so many things. It was very unsettling at the time but the key was to keep pressing in to Him to find out why. If I had thrown in the towel and decided it was too dangerous to try and hear God, I would have missed all the countless times since that He has given me unmistakable evidences of His reality, favor and protection in a multitude of grace-filled details. I would be stuck on the ‘wrong side of the bridge’ and not been set free from my old mindsets. It’s our choice. We do make mistakes but if we will keep showing up to read and digest Gods word, He keeps on teaching us through the confusion, showing us the truth or even showing us that there are some things we cannot fully understand. There is one thing that we must never change our minds about and that is the fact that God loves us. If we will keep listening to Him even, and especially, when we’re confused and hurting and feeling betrayed he will respond.
O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Is 40: 27-31 NLT
Jaque,
Sorry for the delay…had surgery a couple of weeks ago and am just getting back on my feet.
Yes, I intended to receive Christ and yes, I asked Him into my heart. Not sure that my motivation was pure though…does that make a difference?
I think I still have a Bible somewhere around here…I’ll look up John 10:10 and get back to you.
Thanks for you time.
Laramie
Laramie, while you look up John 10:10 let me ask you; do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died for you along with everyone else?
(I’ll answer the question about motivation later).
Ok…John 10:10 (Amplified)
“The theif comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”
First off Jaque, In answer to your question:
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died for you along with everyone else? I’d have to yes, I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died for me along with everyone else.
Ok so this scripture is one of the basic salvations scriptures…
Right now, living my life as I am today…my life feels more real and truthful and honest than it ever did when I was trying to serve Him. The people in my life both christian and heathen are real and grounded and honest and trustworthy which is more than I can say for some of the ‘friends’ i had 10+ years ago. You find out who your friends are when the shit hits the fan and you’re the only one standing there and nobody even hands you a towel. My friends today have stood with me and have been loyal no matter what and no matter who was at fault. Anyway, I know you’re going to say that there’s too much “I” in there again so I’ll continue on with my thoughts…
I guess what I’m trying to say is that if the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy and that’s what I experienced when I was trying to serve Christ and now that I’m not really serving Him and just living life I feel that life is more enjoyable and abundant and fulfilling than it was back then. So I guess I must be really decieved because according to scripture it’s supposed to be the other way around.
Again…confusion abounds!
Hi Laramie,
I just wrote a long reply to you and lost it. I, of all people should know better than to type it in here instead of in word first. Please forgive me. I’ve spent too much time today and have no more left so, I’ll be back!
Love,
Jaque