a grievous time. | SermonIndex

growingholly Aug 23, 2009

brothers, sisters,

i confess before you all that i have fallen into a most grievous sin, the sin of religiousness. it has been about a year now of this, and i got hit hard with it this weekend. i couldn't figure out my misery but today it seems crystal clear.

i confess to you and to God of this, and thereby set out to repent of it. i ask for your prayers that God would restore me unto Himself, that He would quiet my mind, that i would not any longer lean on my own understanding, but go back to the ways He taught me at the first.

i am very young, only almost 2 years old in the Lord, and foolishly began to make my own decisions. based on Scripture and what i believed was God's will, yes...but faulty all the same, for i have leaned on my own understanding. please pray He will grant me repentance. i did not realize fully that i was in this deadly trap, and consider it a huge mercy of the Lord that He has shown me this; i see it!!! please pray my heart will act borne of love for and being led by the Lord, and not what i think He wants.

this will be a fierce battle against the enemies of the flesh, the world, and the devil, but i KNOW that with Christ, ALL things are possible. please pray, please.

thank you and i love you.

sermonindex Aug 23, 2009

Hello Holly,

It sounds as if you're going to be all right in the end, but you're right that it may be a vicious fight. Where the KJV says

~~[i]~~Galatians 5:17 For ~~[u]~~the flesh lusteth against the Spirit[/u], and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,[/i] Tyndale says 'the flesh persecutes the Spirit'. I've found that a helpful way to understand what's going on in that invisible world.

This is not to be confused with Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?...

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Don't give up! Being in God's hands is the safest place. He is gentle and kind, but unwilling to compromise.

NoWhining Aug 28, 2009

Sister, Psalms 51 was tremendously helpful to me when I was going through chastening. But rejoice because our Lord revealed your missteps to you because you are cherished by Him. Psalms 51:17 " A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." God's blessings to you.