Growth Are You There?

[netchaplain]

Of all the information I share, I believe the Hungry Heart devotional is the most universal teachings that are linked to the articles I share. There are two sites you can access the None But The Hungry Heart devotional anthology:
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/ (flagship site)

http://www.fbcva.org/files/Ministri...Topical studies/NONE BUT THE HUNGRY HEART.pdf (secondary site that has permission to post, and has a more versatile access)

Are You There?​

The great and peculiar privilege of the believer now is, that he is united to the risen Lord Jesus in glory, and therefore where He is determines everything. The old association was not to be resumed, as He said to Mary Magdalene, “Touch Me not . . . but go to My brethren and say into them, I ascend to My Father and your Father; and to My God and your God” (John 20:7).

There is a great deal of enjoyment of the Lord Jesus which does not spring solely from personal fellowship with Him*. There is a sense of perfect remission of sin; there is the heart burning because of the opening of the Scriptures; and there is the action of the light, the sense that I belong to it, and am really of a divine origin*. There is the knowledge of His favor in service and circumstances, yielding a very distinct joy; and yet none of these rises to the height of association with Him where He is. All of these, however great, could be and are enjoyed on earth.

Nothing can divert from earth but another place, and a greater, and this is one of the primary effects rising from fellowship with the Lord Jesus in glory. Then I know my citizenship is there; I become loose to earth, because I am conscious of having real enjoyment of heart with Him in heaven where He is. If I only get heaven when I die, I retain earth until that event takes place. But when I know my position above I am deflected from this place, which is so entirely, in the best of circumstances, inferior to it.

There are other great and deep experiences which cannot be known unless the believer has been led by the Spirit of God into heaven. First, there is no true and clear sense of the priesthood of Christ, unless I know Him now appearing in the presence of the Father for me. How could I enjoy the effect of this, if I were not in spirit associated with Him there?

How can I know what it is to “enter into the Holiest by the Blood of the Lord Jesus, by the new and living way” (Heb 10:19, 20), unless I were associated with Him by the Spirit? If I am not with the Lord Jesus where He is*, I have neither a clear, well-assured sense of how He maintains me in the presence of the Father, nor have I, however great my intelligence of doctrines and truth generally, ever really tasted of the true place of worship in the Holiest of All.

This accounts for the constant references in hymns and otherwise, by many apparently advanced saints, to the work of the Lord Jesus and their need of atonement*. I believe that everyone in the Holiest deepens in his appreciation of the wondrous work which has procured entrance for him into the perfect scene; but I say that one there, is not seeking or reverting to the way to get in, because he is in, and he is praising and blessing because he is there.

A saint might have the faith of an Abraham, and not enjoy occupation with the Lord Jesus in heaven. He might have the courage of a Daniel, and not know union with Him in heaven. He might be assured of the forgiveness of his sins, and not know that he is united to the Lord Jesus in heaven. He might have the devotedness of a Mary of Bethany, and be as sure of heaven as a Simeon or the thief on the cross, while still not knowing the deep, wondrous effect of being in spirit with the Lord Jesus; hidden with Him in God.

- J B Stoney



“Not one of us is beyond the work of the Spirit in us. Many think, because they have the light of a truth that they are in the power and reality of it. No, you may have all the Bible, have much light, but there is no growth beyond the measure of the Spirit’s work in us.” - MJS
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/



Poster’s Comment:
“There is a great deal of enjoyment of the Lord Jesus which does not spring solely from personal fellowship with Him”: I believe our “personal fellowship” with Christ has mostly to do with our service and worship of Himself and the Father; and in this fellowship the Father, using the life of Christ (Col 3:4) through the life of Their Holy Spirit gives us “richly all things to enjoy (1Tim 6:17).

* “am really of a divine origin”: Brought into this life by a divine Creator.

* “with the Lord Jesus where He is”: Through the Spirit of God (2Cor 3:17).

* “need of atonement”: One of the primary spiritual growth truths the Spirit teaches the believer’s concerns that of the sufficiency of Christ’s propitiation for all their sin, which can be highly problematic when attributing the attaining or retaining of salvation by works. Though works cannot effect salvation, they will manifest that salvation has been obtained and is retained (Jam 2:18).

 

[Eugene]

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Brother @netChaplin, from your edification of true union with Christ, and of course we all are in personal spiritual stages of growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the thought of Eph 2:6 “And (God) hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” comes to mind. Our Father sees us in His Son, and when we do also there is communion, and our reasonable service is experiential.

Heb 5:8 Though He (Jesus) were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Now Jesus didn’t need to learn to obey, but in sacrifice He experienced the very thing He preached. Without the same we become sounding gongs in our testimony. James said it his way to others as to pertaining to a living faith:
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Sorry, I’m beginning to ramble, and hopefully didn’t detract from the thought you were making. I appreciate your efforts of teaching.
Blessings in Christ Jesus.

 

[Brother Mike]

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Sorry, I’m beginning to ramble, and hopefully didn’t detract from the thought you were making. I appreciate your efforts of teaching.
Blessings in Christ Jesus.

The things you want to say, and the Lord checks you on it, and you have to edit it.

Saying I wish people would teach their own revelation, not copy and paste skill. That way, being a forum you can discuss things with them, but you can't discuss something with someone who the information was not revealed to.

Trying to sift through the old style of writing prior to the 1900's, it appears J.B Stoney had a revelation of our seated position in Heavenly places, not seated on earth under it's bondage. To have that revelation at that time is pretty amazing, and so I liked the post.

It was this type of teaching that helped the Holy Spirit give men greater revelation to others of not having to be in bondage to sin, but also sickness.

 

[netchaplain]

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Brother @netChaplin, from your edification of true union with Christ, and of course we all are in personal spiritual stages of growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the thought of Eph 2:6 “And (God) hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” comes to mind. Our Father sees us in His Son, and when we do also there is communion, and our reasonable service is experiential.

Heb 5:8 Though He (Jesus) were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Now Jesus didn’t need to learn to obey, but in sacrifice He experienced the very thing He preached. Without the same we become sounding gongs in our testimony. James said it his way to others as to pertaining to a living faith:
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Sorry, I’m beginning to ramble, and hopefully didn’t detract from the thought you were making. I appreciate your efforts of teaching.
Blessings in Christ Jesus.

Hi Eugene - Good input, and never be concerned how I consider how you reply, because I know you're always concerned only for Biblical truth and growing in it! Thanks!

 

[netchaplain]

The things you want to say, and the Lord checks you on it, and you have to edit it.

Saying I wish people would teach their own revelation, not copy and paste skill. That way, being a forum you can discuss things with them, but you can't discuss something with someone who the information was not revealed to.

Trying to sift through the old style of writing prior to the 1900's, it appears J.B Stoney had a revelation of our seated position in Heavenly places, not seated on earth under it's bondage. To have that revelation at that time is pretty amazing, and so I liked the post.

It was this type of teaching that helped the Holy Spirit give men greater revelation to others of not having to be in bondage to sin, but also sickness.

Hi Mike - I pretty much agree with you concerning what God teaches and reveals to some believers, and all others can do is comment on it. What God shows one He desires all to know, but it is only for those prepared by Him to receive it. Preparation mostly comes from not always understanding Scripture but starts from at least knowing Scripture, for what can God show to us if we do not know Scripture well enough for Him to teach us what it means?

There are many Christians who have not read through the Scriptures (esp. the NT) enough, so this must occur before there can be much growth in Christ's image. I'm convinced that the majority of my learning which continue is from re-reading Scripture. Got to at least have exposure to get tanned, and maintain a sufficient amount of exposure to keep tanned!