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#Post#: 755--------------------------------------------------
Confession
By: Helen Date: March 17, 2015, 10:30 am
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I was pondering today on something I read. It was about "Hating
Sin".
As I thought about it I found myself saying to myself. " When I
think about sin ( which I don't much) I usually just SEE The
Cross.
So, what is all this "hating of sin" supposed to be about?
Obviously like us all, I hate it when I hear or read about
someone doing something devilish to someone else. I hate more
war and killing. But can't say " I hate sin", because for years
I have - " seen sin laid upon Jesus."
I just see punishment for those who are doing evil now,
unrepented of.
So I ended up saying to myself " Why don't I hate sin, as so
many Christians seem to spend their time hating sin.Whats wrong
with me?"
#Post#: 757--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: James Date: March 17, 2015, 2:41 pm
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Do "other christians" hate sin or do they as you describe hate
the results of sin, the evil you see which is the fruit of sin,
the sins that man carries out.
Sometimes when one hears such a thing preached what is being
said is to hate the actions of the flesh.
To which do you refer? Just how was it detailed in your book?
#Post#: 767--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: Helen Date: March 18, 2015, 8:33 am
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[quote]To which do you refer? Just how was it detailed in your
book? [/quote]
Watchman Nee....that a Christian should hate sin as much as God
hates it.
#Post#: 775--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: James Date: March 18, 2015, 1:32 pm
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Makes me wonder what he had in mind. If he was meaning we
should hate the sin self we are when we fall prey to lust, or
the persona of sin itself. I find that it makes more sense to
me if I think of sin in the same light as the Grim Reaper. Does
that make any sense to you.
#Post#: 780--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: Helen Date: March 18, 2015, 5:20 pm
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[quote]Watchman Nee.."The Normal Christian Life"
What I feel more and more the need of in myself, and what I feel
that we all as the Lord's children need to seek from God, is a
real revelation of ourselves. ( * Pause for thought? ) I repeat
that I do not mean we should be for ever looking in on ourselves
and asking: 'Now, is this soul or is it spirit?' That will
never get us anywhere; it is darkness. No, Scripture shows us
how the saints were brought to self-knowledge. It was always by
light from God, and that light is God Himself.
We can never know the hatefulness of sin and the hatefulness of
ourselves unless there is that flash of God upon us. I speak not
of a sensation but of an inward revelation of the Lord Himself
through His Word. It does for us what doctrine alone can never
do.
Christ is our light. He is the living Word, and when we read the
Scriptures that life in Him brings revelation. The life was the
light of men (John 1.4)
Such illumination may not come to us all at once, but gradually;
but it will be more and more clear and searching, until we see
ourselves in the light of God and all our self-confidence is
gone. For light is the purest thing in the world. It cleanses.
It sterilizes. It kills what should not be there.....
(from "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee)
[/quote]
So....there you have a snippet of it.
I USED to be a person who would ring my hands before God on my
knees pleading for the Lord to make me holy. Change me. Soften
my heart. Make all my motivations pure.
Like I said in the opening post..NOW, when I think about
sin/sins I 'see" the cross. " To me" that is where God placed
sin...on Jesus. No wringing of the hands...or walking up steps
on one's bleeding knees can make a person one whit more holy.
The only righteousness we have is His.
Philippians 3:9 - And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith
Galatians 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the
works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
When I read some of Watchman Nee's I had to confess to
myself...I did not quite relate any more to what he was
saying...but felt that I may have flipped to far over the other
way...bobbing along " Happy in Jesus" and all He has done!!
Hence this thread... thanks for interacting in it James.
#Post#: 794--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: James Date: March 19, 2015, 10:58 am
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1Tim1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief. 16Howbeit for this cause I obtained
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all
longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe on him to life everlasting.
I do not believe that Paul is just giving us a C of E homely
such as you find on Sunday mornings, no I believe he really
meant it. He saw how he had been fervent for God and in his "so
sureness " had persecuted the church and thereby Jesus who he
now loved.
I personally believe that Paul who very much knew he was
forgiven could never loose the awareness of what he had done and
what he was capable of. By this I do not mean his conscience
was confused or that he was metaphorically wringing his hands in
self hate, yes he was righteous but he knew what lay in him just
like it did for Cain, remember " [color=black]and if thou doest
not well, sin lieth at the door."
Isaiah a man of self awareness, unclean lips, yes he was touched
by the coal and sent to preach and good stuff it was to, yet
being made clean for purpose and appointed a position does not
remove the awareness of who we could be in an unguarded instant.
I am saved and made white as snow but that does not let me
forget who I might have been and who I could by deceit one day
again become. This I think is the point that Watchman is
making, it is why Paul said "when I am weak then am I strong."
the weakness was seeing that he Paul could never change what he
was deep down the strength was that God could and had and as
long as he Paul had only confidence in that then he would not
one day be a castaway.
"In me dwells.............."
Apologies for scriptures. I need the crutch to make my
point.[/color]
#Post#: 798--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: Helen Date: March 19, 2015, 1:44 pm
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Very good James...that really helped to clarify some things for
me and make it clearer.
I was feeling guilty that I had long ago moved away from the " O
wretched sinner that I am." and focus so much on " Saved and
being delivered."
I tried to get Dave to join in on this...but he is having
another of his forum grumps at the moment LOL
#Post#: 830--------------------------------------------------
Re: Confession
By: James Date: March 23, 2015, 2:16 pm
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I thought that this quote from John Wesley put up by Ivor fitted
in here as we consider sin.
[color=black]“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but
sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether
they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of
hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.” [/color]
I am sure that John Wesley meant fear of sin in themselves, to
such a degree like Paul they would not stop from pressing into
God and his city.
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