WAKE UP!

Members,

It is becoming abundantly clear to me that I am unregenerated and in grave danger of the fires of hell.

If anyone is reading this and may think for a moment that you are in this same condition go now to the Text Sermons section and read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards.

I have to stop deluding myself by thinking I have more time to deal with unrenounced sin in my life.

We must learn to love the fear of God and realize it is the only hope of our souls to send us running to Christ to deliver us from our exceedingly wicked and sinful lives!

Murray

Murray,

Have been following from afar your expressions of late, this, from another thread;

Does anyone else here have a problem discerning their own motives? There is so much about myself that I don't trust.

"Lean not to your own understanding"

[i]For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and [u]have no confidence in the flesh[/u]. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:[/i] Phi 3:3,4

And after that whole laundry list...

[i]Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,[/i] Phi 3:8

Dung, the loss of all things (his 'knowledge'?)amongst others. Muse on that whole section.

Even the Lord Himself;

[i]Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.[/i] Joh 8:28,29

It is becoming abundantly clear to me that I am unregenerated and in grave danger of the fires of hell.

What hinders you if that be the case? Give up already, you will never produce in the flesh that which is acceptable, it is your spirit, "you" that repents and puts no trust in the man to accomplish anything ...

Difficult to ascertain just exactly what it is you might need to hear, but your seriousness is telling of it's self. Here's two bit's; Often here the great obstacle seems to be a lack of just [i]thinking[/i], truly contemplating, musing long and hard on these penetrating truths. Paradoxically the same [i]thinking[/i] may be at the root of so much trouble ... Too much thinking on the wrong things.

[i]Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;[/i] 2Co 10:5

Dissect that for everything it's worth.

There is also a measure of unbelief that has to be met head on ... Is He not able to deliver us? You repent and will you not accept forgiveness? I know brother this struggle, feeling our unworthiness to be something ... unforgivable, but the Lord has said otherwise.

Besetting sin? Right back to casting down imaginations, at their inception. Give them not the first foothold. That [i]thinking[/i], that allowance of entrance. No! Must be your response. Instantly. Distract yourself and your thoughts elsewhere.

[i]Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.[/i] 1Pe 4:1,2

There it is, suffer... [i]in the flesh[/i]. It is worth every ounce of it to clear your conscience before God brother. Throw the word "can't" out of your vocabulary in this matter. You must, you can and you will. Otherwise you would not be here making all these expressions. You will be knocked down again and must get up, I do not necessarily mean by whatever it is that besets you but by your own wrong thinking, by the devils minions, by the height of sin, unbelief, that is the [i]high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God[/i].

How goes the prayer life brother? Dwelling on your sin or on the Lord who takes away your sin?

One of the most helpful and difficult to accept things I learned here from some experienced brothers was to get off so much self introspection. It can be something of a 'wiggle' to put in Chamberesque language .,.. Once you reach bottom and realize what Jeremiah said about the heart, what Paul said about the flesh, what even Jesus Himself said ([i]you being evil[/i]) there must be an end of so much pinning away at this 'self'. That I believe is what it is to 'die to oneself'. It begins to fade into the background of importance, that is the beauty of ...

Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

For [i][b]His sake[/b][/i]

There is no reason you cannot be regenerated at this very moment if that is what is really going on. No preacher, no saint can tell you what is going on in your heart, only you and the Lord know. Give up brother, surrender already.

Then you will [i]find it[/i].

This is from T. Austin Sparks "The School of Christ" Takes our eyes off of ourselves and puts them on Christ.

But when you are in, Lesson No. 1 begins here. It is but a reiteration of what has been strongly said in earlier meditations. The first lesson in the School of Christ which the Holy Spirit takes up to teach us is what we have called the altogether 'other-ness' of Christ from ourselves. This may be not only the first lesson but a continuous lesson throughout life. But this is the one thing with which the Holy Spirit begins, the altogether 'other-ness' of Christ from what we are. Will you take up the Gospel of John with that one thought in mind and read it again, quietly and steadily. How different Christ is from other people, even from His disciples. You can expand from John's Gospel to all the Gospels with that one thought. It will be an education to you if the Holy Spirit is with you as you read. How utterly different He is! That difference is again and again affirmed. "Ye are from beneath; I am from above" (John 8:23). That is a difference, and that difference becomes a clash all the way along; a clash of judgments, a clash of mentalities, a clash of minds, a clash of ideas, a clash of values; a clash in everything between Him and others, even with His disciples who are with Him in the School. His nature is different. He has a heavenly nature, a Divine nature. No one else has that. He has a heavenly mind, a heavenly mentality. They have an earthly mentality, and the two cannot meet, at any point. When the last word has been said, there is a big, big gap between the two. He is so utterly other.

Mike,

How goes the prayer life brother? Dwelling on your sin or on the Lord who takes away your sin?

This is a big part of it. "No man is greater than his prayer life". So this should explain alot of my problem.

"Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

The time I spend beating myself up I should spend in prayer.

Murray