John Owen...on fighting sin giants...a lengthy but relevant quote

There Will Be No Mortification of Any Sin Without Sincerity and Diligence in a Universality of Obedience

A man finds any lust to bring him into the condition formerly described; it is powerful, strong, tumultuating, leads captive, vexes, disquiets, takes away peace; he is not able to bear it; wherefore he sets himself against it, prays against it, groans under it, sighs to be delivered: but in the meantime, perhaps in other duties--in constant communion with God--in reading, prayer, and meditation--in other ways that are not of the same kind with the lust wherewith he is troubled--he is loose and negligent.

Let not that man think that ever he shall arrive to the mortification of the lust he is perplexed with...

Hatred of sin as sin, not only as galling or disquieting, a sense of the love of Christ in the cross, lies at the bottom of all true spiritual mortification.

(self-love)...You set yourself with all diligence and earnestness to mortify such a lust or sin; what is the reason of it?

It disquiets you, it has taken away your peace, it fills your heart with sorrow and trouble and fear; you have no rest because of it. Yea, but friend, you have neglected prayer or reading; you have been vain and loose in your conversation in other things, that have not been of the same nature with the lust wherewith you are perplexed.

These are no less sins and evils than those under which you groan. Jesus Christ bled for them also. Why do you not set yourself against them also? If you hate sin as sin, every evil way, you would be no less watchful against everything that grieves and disquiets the Spirit of God, than against that which grieves and disquiets your own soul.

It is evident that you contend with sin merely because of your own trouble by it. Would your conscience be quiet under it, you would let it alone. Did it not disquiet you, it should not be disquieted by you.

Now, can you think that God will set in with such hypocritical endeavors--that ever His Spirit will bear witness to the treachery and falsehood of your spirit?

Do you think He will ease you of that which perplexes you, that you may be at liberty to that which no less grieves Him? No. God says,"Here is one, if he could be rid of this lust I should never hear of him more; let him wrestle with this, or he is lost."

Let not any man think to do his own work that will not do God's. God's work consists in universal obedience; to be freed of the present perplexity is their own only. Hence is that of the apostle: "Cleanse yourselves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Cor. 7:1)

If we will do anything, we must do all things. So, then, it is not only an intense opposition to this or that peculiar lust, but a universal humble frame and temper of heart, with watchfulness over every evil and for the performance of every duty...that is accepted.

BE SURE TO GET AN INTEREST IN CHRIST--IF YOU INTEND TO MORTIFY ANY SIN WITHOUT IT, IT WILL NEVER BE DONE."

Christ in our place...It Is Well With Our Souls!

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5)

"if your brother is grieved...you are no longer walking in love"

I tend to concern myself with my immediate family, I prefer to spend and be spent for them, and I don't mind if the Lord uses them to teach me lessons...

The Lord had a "dilemma"! I am in myself and apart from His work of grace so utterly selfish. I allow no one to get to me and I have a tendency to surround myself with indifference as with a cloak. The Lord loves me and He continues to pursue me. He needs varied instruments to use in my life to accomplish His purposes...so...

Yesterday the Lord posed a question to me: "If your brother Daniel was alive, would you tolerate his personality/behavior idiosyncrasies ?" I realized that I would, that I would want to walk in love and I would not want to grieve him. Then the Lord said: "Go and do that for Florin!"

I have had issues with Florin...only because I don't like his "secret ways" and the way he "hides" things from me...but I didn't realize that I grieved the Lord with my attitude.

"Who are you to judge...? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14)

I was also confronted with the verse in Isaiah 58:7d

"...not hide yourself from your own flesh" was brought to mind...for I had dismissed Florin's concerns from my mind and soul...since he appeared to me aloof and self sufficient. Nehemiah 5 also deals with a similar calloused attitude on the part of some brothers toward others...

"Holiness unto the LORD" no doubt includes such incidents...relating to those outside our immediate families whom we grieve...though the Lord would have us walk in the 1 Cor. 13 kind of love toward them...

I realize now how wise the Potter has been! He never brings to the surface dross until I am ready to see it for what it is and not continue to make excuses in my mind for "not walking in love" toward those whom He placed in my path.

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
(James 5:16)

"righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14)

"Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow; and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace,then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations." (Frances De Sales)

"Are we prepared for what sanctification will cost?" (O. Chambers)

"...in the name of our God we will set up our banners!" (Ps. 20)

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mt. 24:35)

"Not I, but Christ"...a hymn!

Not I but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.

Not I, but Christ, to gently soothe in sorrow;
Not I, but Christ, to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ, to lift the weary burden;
Not I, but Christ, to hush away all fear.

Not I, but Christ, my every need supplying;
Not I, but Christ, my strength and health to be;
Christ, only Christ, for body, soul, and spirit;
Christ, only Christ, live then Thy life in me.

Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my vision;
Glory excelling soon, full soon I'll see...
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling;
Christ, only Christ, my all in all to be.

(hymn by A.B. Simpson)

The HOME...the hardest place to minister...

I listened today to C.J.Mahaney's sermon from Phillipians 1

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ...for God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ."

He said that Paul's distinctives in terms of ministry were the following:

• expressing gratefulness to God and to those around him...which leads to joy (a spirit of complaining kills joy)
• confidence and faith in the One who authors and finishes faith because of His promises
• expressing a "theologically informed" affection to those he ministered to...knowing the price Christ paid for them

I confess that I was discouraged these past few days as I analyzed my mistakes in training the children, the excuses I gave myself for failing to "stand in the gap" when the need arose along the years and the awareness that I did not like the harvest I was currently reaping...

I was encouraged by the Spirit of God through the use of His humble servant (who has a tendency to compare himself with others...but who above all desires to be pleasing to God in private before addressing a congregation).

I realized that in my discouragement I had forgotten that "without faith it is impossible to please Him".

"I'll stay where You've put me; I'll work, dear Lord,

Though the field be narrow and small,

And the ground be fallow, and the stones lie thick,

And there seems to be no life at all.

The field is Thine own, only give me the seed,

I'll sow it with never a fear;

I'll till the dry soil while I wait for the rain,

And rejoice when the green blades appear;

I'll work where You've put me."

poem in the devotional Streams in the Desert

Resolved:

To minister in the strength of the Lord within my own family...for His greater glory...until He makes the passage in Phillipians 1 a reality for me as I relate to my husband and each one of my children!

"Say to my soul: I AM your salvation." (Ps. 35:3b)

The Captain of our salvation

I was very much encouraged in church this Wednesday night...We are studying the passage in Hebrews 2:9,10

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Since He is the Author and Finisher of my faith...I can entrust to Him the souls of my children...so that He can author and finish faith in their lives...through suffering. It is apparent that faith cannot be perfected by any other way.

Embracing the will of God...the Hand of God that applies the pressure...the circumstances and people that He uses as instruments to sanctify my life...so that He can bring me to glory...and rejoicing in the fact that He is not ashamed to call us His brothers...