Wednesday, January 09, 2013

It Sounds like a lot of work.... - by Gina Duffey

Believing, submitting, yielding, surrendering, obeying, sacrificing (self), consecrating, separating, crucifying, denying (self), resisting, striving, pressing on, enduring, depending, and trusting are all biblical words written by the Holy Spirit.

It SOUNDS like alot of "WORK"...and it IS if you are depending on yourself to live it! But we are not supposed to be doing anything in our own power! We are meant to STOP depending on self (even our own wisdom) and totally and completely look to God for his grace which is perfectly sufficient to live the way he requires. Jesus said his yoke is easy...we make it hard because we try to do it in our own strength. Look to God. 

A "works based salvation" is when you are looking at your deeds and performance or even your morality to save you. We are meant to do whatever the Holy Spirit leads us to do...and when we do it's actually HIS WORK not ours! Deeds of any kind can save no one. This way of life IS NOT dependent on our ability to perform anything. Look to God.

If you are sitting under teachers that are telling you to relax (stop worrying) and "just have faith" when you are practicing sin and living out from self you need to run away as fast as you can. If you aren't intimately and actively involved with those words listed above but believe you have eternal life, chances are excellent that you are deceived and not even born again.

I know there is a HUGE and dearly loved teaching out there that once you "gave your life to the Lord" and you really meant it you are on your way to Heaven regardless of how you live... but that is a doctrine of devils.

All those words I named above describe a lifestyle of true repentance which is turning from a self directed life to a God directed life. Not just a proclamation or a confession and not a one time act. Those words have to do with taking up our cross daily which means laying down our self life and it's another way of saying "not my will but thine O Lord" ... every ... single ... day. 

I'm telling you, no matter what you believe, this is the truth. If we aren't living according to those words, we are NOT EVEN FOLLOWING (the real) CHRIST no matter how sincerely we think we are and our assurance is false. It's a deception. These words will not offend a true saint.

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Matthew 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Christ paid the price and we have to pay a price too....our (self) life (our will) is to be laid down. The doctrine of the "free gift salvation" has become perverted. If we think we can keep our (soul/flesh) life AND follow Jesus, we only deceive ourselves. Our part is to repent and believe and LOOK TO HIM. If we submit and trust, his grace is sufficient for living the way he asks. (Which isn't to follow of list of rules but to follow his voice/his lead in everything everyday.)

Deception and delusion is abounding. Apostasy is rampant. This is speaking not of the world but of the church. So many people really believe all of this applies to others but not their church and certainly not them. Please pray for a love of the truth because truth will set us free from deception. 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to look unto God in and for all things.

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