One of the biggest errors in the Body of Christ is that we spend too much time massaging our feelings and fighting our emotions.
If we would simply enter the Rest that is promised to us in Christ, the full provision that we have in Christ, resisting all attempts by Satan to draw us our of our eternal heritage in Christ, we would solve many of our problems.
A good friend of mine, Steve H. a resident of Carson, had been a confidant whom I had called many times for help and guidance.
He had helped me, or so I thought, when I was struggling through some hard times in life.
Whenever I had issues or concerns, I found that I would call him and ask for help. This habit of mine continued for a long time.
Then one day he called me: "I have to talk to you."
I had reached a rough patch in my life one week, and I had been trying to get in touch with him a few times, with no answer. He finally explained to me what was going on.
"I cannot keep helping you. I have my own family to take care of. I don't want you to think that I am shining you on, but I cannot keep taking time out of my day to help you."
Then he exhorted me in a way that I had not yet heard, yet so much needed to hear:
"You know the Word of God so well. You do not need my help, and I don't think that I'm really helping you, anyway."
He informed me of the Truth: the Word of God, which leads everyone of us through the storms of life. He was right. I did not need to keep calling someone to get the answers that I needed. It was only later in the Scriptures when I read that any answers that I need, I can find them in Christ:
"But ye have an
unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2: 20)
and
"But the anointing
which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach
you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is
no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. " (1 John 2: 27)
The great heresy that brings many people in the Body of Christ into bondage is this notion that we have to run our lives by other people, so afraid are we that we may make a mistake, somehow step out of God's Will for our lives, or invite his displeasure.
First of all, we must be skilled in righteousness (Hebrews 5: 12), fully versed and renewed in our minds that we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21), and therefore we can never invite God's displeasure in our lives:
"To the praise of the
glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1: 6)
Any mistakes, sins, faults, failures that we have made, make, or will make are forever cleansed away by the Blood of Jesus:
"But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)
We cannot step out of the will of God:
"Wherefore, my
beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more
in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
"For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2: 12-13)
God gives us the desire to do the things that He wants us to do. We cannot step out of the will of God because the will of God is at work within us, His grace is leading us by His Holy Spirit:
"This I say
then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5: 16)
How do we know that we are led by the Spirit of God? When we know who we are in Christ:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8: 14)
By faith we are made the sons of God (1 John 3: 1)
We have received a new heart (Hebrews 8: 10-12), we have received the Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15).
We are in the Kingdom of Heaven, where righteousness, peace, and joy live in us through the Holy Spirit (Romans 14: 17)
This peace is what leads us in all our dealings on this earth:
"And let the peace
of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be
ye thankful." (Colossians 3: 15)
and
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things
wherewith one may edify another." (Romans 14: 19)
We need never worry about doing something that will displease God, and therefore we need never be fearful in doing something, that we may do something wrong. As we rest in Him, his grace flows through us:
"For the grace of God
that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
"Teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly, in this present world;
"Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ;
"Who gave himself for
us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a
peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2: 11-14)
It is the grace of God that helps us to live righteously, Beloved!
We have the Spirit of God that has made us into children of God, who reveals to us all that we are, all that we have, and leads us and empowers to do all that God has purposed to do. We do not need to spend our time running around for validation or verification, for when we know the truth, it will make us free, and by walking in the truth, we prosper and enjoy good health!
Steve did me the greatest favor when he told me what I already had, that it was neither necessary nor acceptable for me to keeping reaching out to someone else for help and wisdom. Christ is made to us wisdom (1 Corinthians 1: 30), and the more that we know and believe in Him, the more that we will see ourselves led through every difficult to accomplish His will in our world.