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Spiritual Satisfaction

I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. (John 6:53 NLT)

Let us remember that this wayis a way that is a constant offence to the flesh, to the naturalman. The Jews strove with one another, saying, "How can thisMan give us His flesh to eat?" But not only did Jews, thereligious people in their religious self-satisfaction, strivetogether, but it is also written, "Many therefore of Hisdisciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; whocan hear it?" Even disciples could not go on sometimes. When theycame face to face with the implications of such a saying, theywere no longer willing to be associated with Him on a basis ofthat kind. The flesh loves to have it in itself to be doing, tobe laying the plans, arranging the programs, organizing thework, superintending it, and getting it going. The flesh revelsin that, and when you come and say to that whole order of things,"The way of God is the way of utter dependence and faith, with theHoly Spirit in entire charge, and you must keep your hands offand be willing to do only what the Lord tells you and no more,"(that which is meant by the declaration, "I can do nothingout from Myself") it is an offence to the natural man, evenin religious matters.

We come up against that constantly, do wenot? It is the difference between meeting together as they did atAntioch to pray things out and get the Lord's witness as to Hiswill, and having a committee meeting to discuss a proposal andmake plans. If the natural man is not doing the whole thing, andarranging it, and ordering it, and running it all, he cannotthink that progress can be made at all. Unless you come out withyour plans, and announce your programs, and declare what youare doing, and present your statistics, the naturally mindedChristian thinks that nothing is being done. It is possible tohave wonderful things done without any of that kind of activity.We cite such a thing purely as an illustration. Application canbe extended in many directions, but this is just to help out thethought. The whole accomplishment of God in Christ is on thebasis of Divine Life mediated through faith. That is another wayof saying that Christ has to be the basis of everything in aspiritual way. This is an offence to the flesh, but asatisfaction to the Spirit.

None of the accursed things shall remain in your hand.

Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean. § Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. § [Hate] even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. § For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Deut. 13:17;  2 Cor. 6:17;  1 Peter 2:11;  Jude 1:23;  1 John 3:2,3;  Titus 2:11,12;  Titus 2:13,14

“Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus.”

It is I; do not be afraid. § When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God … your Savior.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. § Immanuel, … “God with us.”

You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. § If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. § Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Acts 26:15;  Matt. 14:27;  Isa. 43:2,3;  Ps. 23:4;  Matt. 1:23;   Matt. 1:21;  1 John 2:1;  Rom. 8:34,35

Solid Gold Trials

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God" (2 Cor. 4:15).

Since He is both my God and my Father, and since all of the hardships He takes me through are specifically designed to conform me to the image of the Lord Jesus, how can I help but trust Him and rejoice in His faithfulness?

"It is well to remember that the deepest and truest spiritual qualities are not learnt or established in us by our happy or enjoyable times, but in the difficult ones! There is nothing wrong in times of great joy and spiritual blessing; in fact we long for more of them, and look back perhaps to some days of much blessing in our lives or in the work of the Lord; but in the securing of Christ in greater measure in our lives, we find that it is by the things which we suffer that we learn most. So let us give thanks for the joyful days, and learn all that the Lord intends by the days of waiting and difficulty." -C.J.B.H.

"Faith asks for no props from the men and things around it; it finds all its springs' in God; and hence it is that faith never shines so brightly as when all around is dark. It is when nature's horizon is overcast with the blackest clouds, that faith basks in the sunshine of the divine favor and faithfulness." -C.H.M.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17).

Grace By Means of Faith - Growing In Grace (12)

Lord Your Word Abides