David Miller wrote: >> The concept that the Holy Spirit is working to convict >> believers of various sins, such as stealing, lust, >> covetousness, etc. is dangerous.
Judy wrote: > Why do you see this as dangerous David? Because people confuse the voice of the Spirit with their own inner convictions. Furthermore, they misinterpret the work of the Holy Spirit, and therefore ascribe works to him which are not his. This leads to error. Judy wrote: > Being conformed to the "image of Christ" > does not happen overnight. It is a process, > just as salvation itself is a process of past, > present, future. It depends which image of Christ you are talking about. Are you talking about him in his now glorified state? You bet that is a process. Are you talking about Christ as an infant lying in a manger? No, that is not a process. That is an event called being born again. Judy wrote: > An object lesson is given us in scripture ... when > after Israel celebrated the passover and God led > them supernaturally to the promised land. They > were instructed to go in and take the land which > He would give to them little by little. He did > not clear the land all at one time because they would > not be strong enough to hold it. (Exodus 23:29,30) Good object lesson, but look at it closely. They were no longer slaves in Egypt at this point. Once they crossed that Red Sea and the waters killed the Egyptians that were pursuing them, they were saved. They had deliverance from bondage to Egypt, which represents our deliverance from the bondage of sin to this world system. What they lacked was possessing the promised land, the kingdom of God. This is where faith comes in, and this is where the process of growth is important. We are immediately delivered, but love still is perfected. I may not sin, but that does not mean that I cannot love better. Yesterday I may have helped someone who came looking to me for help, but today I might seek out those who need help. Yesterday, I might have known how to lead someone to a hospital to get help, but today I might pray for him to be healed instantly and thereby better help him in his situation. Jesus at one time did no miracles, but his obedience and love were perfected at that time when he did minister in miracles and healed the sick, and ultimately gave his life a ransom for all, the ultimate expression of love which he did when he was more than 33 years old, not when he was 5 years old. Judy wrote: > Likewise when we surrender our lives to Christ > we also have enemies on the land (our heart) ... You have the wrong analogy here, Judy. The enemies of our own heart were when we were in Egypt, or the unbelief when God tells us to possess his kingdom and we say such is impossible. The enemies in the land, the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites... these enemies represent not defects of our own heart, but enemies in the air, principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places which inspire people to act contrary to us and to mock us and to hate us and kill us. Judy wrote: > Those of us who are honest will admit that we > were walking in most of Galatians 5:19,21 if not all. "WERE" is the proper tense. Why do you try and resurrect it to present tense? Judy wrote: > That the land of our heart is inhabited by some enemies > is evident by what comes out of our mouths (at times). Nothing defiling comes out of my mouth anymore. Once it had, yes, but not anymore. I'm sure my rebukes or corrections appear otherwise to some on this list, as they like to point to such things as evidence of my sinfulness, but God knows what is good and right and what is not. Men of wickedness lack discernment of such things. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
