His Life Within
Posted by jerrywhite on Apr 28, 2010
“Hear the Savior’s promise as though you had never heard it before. He, the Holy Spirit, the Other Comforter, the Higher Mode in which Christ Himself is present, ‘shall be with you and shall be within you!’ You have not known spiritual reality because you have not used the way of inwardness.
It appears to me that the way of inwardness implies three things. There must first of all be an opening of the understanding to comprehend the mystery of God’s Indwelling. Seeing that your quest must end in failure unless there is clear thinking and sincere response at this point, may I urge that, now and often, you kneel and offer a prayer such as this: ‘Most Holy God, in adoring wonder I bow before Thee in the presence of this wondrous mystery of grace; my spirit, soul and body Thy temple. In deep silence and worship I accept the blessed revelation, that in me, too, there is a Holiest of all, and that there Thy hidden Glory has its abode. O my God, forgive me that I have so little known it. I do now tremblingly accept the blessed truth: God the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who is God Almighty, dwells in me.’ [Prayer from Andrew Murray’s The Spirit of Christ]
G. H. Morling
The Quest for Serenity, 72-73
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And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you [emphasis mine].
John 14:16-17 (ESV)
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Do you believe the Lord’s words? Oh, He cannot lie! Are these comforting and instructive words real to you? Surely they can be! These are solid facts and promises from the lips of the Lord Jesus. He spoke them to all His followers. You can live out of His life within you and enjoy His constant presence and strength when you believe what He said and trust Him to make it real in your life.
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A Heart To Praise God
Posted by jerrywhite on Apr 26, 2010
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
Psalm 145:1-3 (ESV)
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Oh for a heart to praise my God
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that’s sprinkled with the blood
So freely shed for me.
A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
My dear Redeemer’s throne;
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone.
A humble, lowly, contrite heart,
Believing, true, and clean,
Which neither death nor life can part
From Him that dwells within.
A heart in every thought renewed
And filled with love divine;
Perfect and right, and pure and good,
A copy, Lord, of Thine.
Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,
Come quickly from above;
Write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
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While sitting quietly at the feet of the Lord Jesus, your soul is nurtured if you pray over the Scriptures you meditate upon. The same is true with significant hymns from the ages.
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Power For Holiness
Posted by jerrywhite on Apr 22, 2010
“Holiness does not depend upon your effort at all. Holiness simply depends upon your abandoning yourself to the indwelling Spirit of God, that He may maintain in health the life which He has Himself communicated. The power for holiness is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. The way in which man can live the Christ-life in health and strength, and ever-increasing strength, is simply that of answering the call of the life within him.
It is true there are responsibilities. What are they? Briefly stated they include—First, a renunciation of all things of which the life God disapproves; second, an abandonment of the whole being to God, that He may possess the territory, and realize it according to His will, and for His glory; third, the maintaining of simple quiet trust in Him, which expresses itself in obedience and patient waiting for His guidance.”
G. Campbell Morgan
Simple Things Of The Christian Life, 36
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And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:24-25 (ESV)
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Early in my Christian life I read Dr. Morgan’s words (quoted above), and for the first time my hungry heart understood my responsibilities if I wanted to walk by the Spirit. In prayer I made deliberate choices to walk this way and my life was changed. Soon afterward I learned that I must continue fulfilling these responsibilities if I would walk this way. It is not enough to understand Biblical truth, but one must act upon the truth for it to become incarnate in heart and conduct. God keeps His Word as we do our part to cooperate with Him.
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Joyful Thankfulness
Posted by jerrywhite on Apr 19, 2010
“Christians joyfully give thanks to the Father. Thanksgiving, too, pleases Jesus Christ. Not to give thanks would be mute testimony to a catastrophic loss of perspective; to give thanks, to give thanks with joy, is to remember that the Father has ‘qualified [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins’ (Colossians 1:12-14).
If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.
What Paul is saying is that to live a life worthy of Jesus Christ is to overflow with joyful thanksgiving in the light of the salvation we have received at his hand. If we have been transferred out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son beloved by God, our only appropriate response is joyful gratitude.”
D. A. Carson
A Call To Spiritual Reformation, 109
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Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20 (ESV)
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Continual thanksgiving is vital for maintaining the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
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Lowliness Glorifies Christ
Posted by jerrywhite on Apr 15, 2010
“Maybe you have thought of the glory that Christ receives from brilliant genius and profound talent, from splendid gifts and glowing zeal, from costly sacrifices, and even extensive usefulness. But have you ever thought of the glory, the far greater, richer glory, that flows to Him from a contrite spirit, a broken heart, a lowly mind, a humble walk; from the tear of godly repentance that falls when seen by no human eye, and the sigh of godly sorrow that is breathed when heard by no human ear; from the abhorrence of sin and loathing of self, the deep sense of vileness, poverty, and infirmity that takes you to Jesus with the prayer, ‘Lord, here I am. I have brought to Thee my rebellious will, my wandering heart, my worldly affections, my peculiar infirmity, my besetting and constantly overpowering sin. Receive me graciously; put forth the mighty power of Thy grace in my soul, subdue all, rule all, and subjugate all to Thyself. Will it not be for Thy glory and the glory of Thy great name if this strong corruption were subdued by Thy grace; if this powerful sin were nailed to Thy cross; if this temper so sensitive, this heart so impure, these affections so truant, this mind so dark, these desires so earthly, these pursuits so carnal, and these aims so selfish, were all entirely renewed by Thy Spirit, sanctified by Thy grace, and made each to reflect Thine image? Lord, it would be for Thy glory, through time and through eternity.’ ”
Octavius Winslow
Morning Thoughts, 451
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For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
Psalm 51: 16-17
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Any believer can offer to the Lord a broken and contrite heart for His glory. Lowliness of heart is like the Lord Jesus and pleases the Father. God resists all others because of pride (1Peter 5:5; James 4:6).
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