Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the Ancient Paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16
“O thou Father, thankest thee for making me holier than the rest
For I hold my head high, no one can contest
I’m not like rest of the wretched kin
I am perfect and holy and without sin”
So you say; “Thou art holier than thou O self righteous one”?
as you lookest down on those who are as undone
Far far away are those around thee
You say “For I am without sin and blemish free-
oh how they wish they could be like me”
You pray,”O dear God, thank you, for making me great
I know all the prayers and to mass, I am never late
I know of no sin in my life, for I see none
I am as perfect and holy as the righteous Son”
“”Blasphemy!” I hear others say,
Oh dear, I pity them today”
“For you don’t see my perfectness”
Oh self righteous one, you don’t see your nakedness
You are needy and poor
And no longer hear Him knocking at your door
Your own tongue has condemned and shown thy sin,
You can proclaim all you want, but you will not win
Judgment day awaits you and I
To say we are without sin is proclaiming a lie
Stop, consider, search your heart
So your walk with the Lord will not fall apart
But you still stand aloof and content
But today I warn you – bow down and repent
For a man who says he is without sin
Is wretched and poor and naked thin.
~lisa
If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.” Job 9:20.
Source: Spurgeon Sermons: Delivered on Sabbath Morning, December 16th, 1860, by the REV. C. H. Spurgeon– click link
above for full 10 page Sermon
EVER since man became a sinner he has been self-righteous.. We can overcome lust itself, and anger, and the fierce passions of the will better than we can ever master the proud boastfulness which rises in our hearts and tempts us to think ourselves rich and increased in goods, while God knoweth we are naked, and poor, and miserable. Tens of thousands of sermons have been preached against self-righteousness, and yet it is as necessary to turn the great guns of the law against its walls to-day as ever it was. Martin Luther said he scarcely ever preached a sermon without inveighing against the righteousness of man, and yet, he said, “I find that still I cannot preach it down. Still men will boast in what they can do, and mistake the path to heaven to be a road paved by their own merits, and not a way besprinkled by the blood of the atonement of Jesus Christ.” My dear hearers, I cannot compliment you by imagining that all of you have been delivered from the great delusion of trusting in yourselves. The godly, those who are righteous through faith in Christ, still have to mourn that this infirmity clings to them; while as to the unconverted themselves, their besetting sin is to deny their guiltiness, to plead that they are as good as others, and to indulge still the vain and foolish hope that they shall enter into heaven from some doings, sufferings, or weepings of their own. The sermon of this morning is intended to be another blow against our self-righteousness. If it will not die, at least let us spare no arrows against it; let us draw the bow, and if the shaft cannot penetrate its heart, it may at least stick in its flesh and help to worry it to its grave.
“If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me.” “I say that I have no need of a salvation by the blood and righteousness of another, for I believe that I have kept the commands of God from my youth up, and I do not think that I am guilty in his sight, but I hope that I may be able in my own right to claim a seat in paradise.” Now, sir, your plea and this declaration of yours is in itself a condemnation of you, because upon its very surface it is apparent that you are committing sin while you are pleading that you have no sin. For the very plea itself is a piece of high and arrogant presumption. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “There is none good, save one, that is God.” We are told by the mouth of a prophet sent from God, that “all we like wandering sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” And thou, in saying that thou art righteous, dost commit the sin of calling God a liar. The moment that a man saith, “I have no sin,” he commits a sin in the saying of it,—the sin of contradicting his Maker, and making God a false accuser of his creatures. Besides, dost thou not see, thou vain and foolish creature, that thou hast been guilty of pride in the very language thou hast used? Who but a proud man would stand up and commend himself? Who, but one who was proud as Lucifer, would in the face of God’s declaration declare himself to be just and holy? “Why,” saith he, “I am no worse than my neighbours, in fact a great deal better; I do not drink, or swear; I do not commit fornication or adultery; I am no Sabbath breaker; I am no thief; the laws of my country do not accuse, much less condemn me; I am better than the most of men, and if I be not saved, God help those who are worse than I am; if I cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, then who can?” Just so, but then all that you claim is that you are righteous as compared with others.
Do you not see that this is a very vain and fatal plea, because you do in fact admit that you are not perfectly righteous;—that there is some sin in you, only you claim there is not so much in you as in another. You have sinned. Another man’s sins cannot excuse you; you must stand upon your own feet. At the day of judgment you must yourself make a personal appearance, and it will not be what another man has done that will condemn, or acquit you, but your own personal guilt. It is of no saving avail to you that you have not have committed ten thousand sins, for if you have committed one, you are a lost soul.
“Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them.” Oh! sinner, I cannot help turning aside from the subject for a moment to remind you that there is a way of salvation, and a way by which the law’s demands can be fully satisfied. Christ bore all the punishment of all believers, so that they cannot be punished. But you cannot keep the law, and if you bring up your self-rigtheousness the law condemns both it and you; Out of your own mouth it condemns you, inasmuch as you have not done all things and have not kept all the law. A great rock lies in your path to heaven; a mountain insurmountable; a gulf impassable; and by that road no man shall ever enter into eternal life.
Men know that they are guilty. The conscience of the proudest man, when it is allowed to speak, tells him that he deserves the wrath of God. He may brag in public, but the very loudness of his bragging proves that he has an uneasy conscience, and therefore he makes a mighty din in order to drown its voice. Whenever I hear an infidel saying hard things of Christ, it reminds me of the men of Moloch, who beat the drums that they might not hear the screams of their own children. Do not believe that these men are honest. I think all controversy with them is time thrown away
When men get alone, if in their loneliness the thought of death forces itself upon them, they boast no more of goodness. It is not easy for a man to lie on his bed seeing the naked face of death, not at a distance, but feeling that his breath is breathing upon the skeleton, and that he must soon pass through the iron gates of death—it is not easy for a man to plead his self-righteousness then. Ay, sinner, even while this sermon is being uttered, you may seek to refute it to yourself, and say, “Well, I believe I am as good as others, and that this fuss about a new birth, imputed righteousness, and being washed in blood, is all unnecessary,” but in the loneliness of your silent chamber, especially when death shall be your dread and grim companion, you shall not need me to state this, you shall see it clearly enough yourselves; see it with eyes of horror; and feel it with a heart of dismay, and despair, and perish because thou hast despised the righteousness of Christ.
A deaf man may declare that there is no such thing as music. A man who has never seen the stars, is very likely to say that there are no stars. But what does he prove? If thou dost to-day feel thyself to be guilty, and lost, and ruined, there is the richest hope for thee in the gospel; but if thou sayest, “I am good, I have merits,” the law condemns thee, and the gospel cannot comfort thee; thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity, and thou art ignorant that all the while thou art talking thus, the wrath of God abideth on thee. A man may be a true Christian, and may fall into sin, but a man cannot be a true Christian and boast in his self-righteousness.Thus I know, there never was a man yet who was in a state of grace who did not know himself, in himself, to be in a state of ruin, a state of depravity and condemnation. If you do not know this, then I say your plea of self-righteousness condemns you for ignorance.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins;” “but if we say that we have no sins, we make God a liar, and the truth is not in us.” God will pardon all men who confess their iniquity. The thirsty are welcome; but those who think they are good, are welcome neither to Sinai nor to Calvary. They have no hope of heaven, no peace in this world, nor in that which is to come.
Now be it known unto you, that when Christ died, he took the sins of all his people upon his head, and there and then they all ceased to be. At the moment when Christ died, the sins of all his redeemed were blotted out. He did then suffer all they ought to have suffered; he paid all their debts; and their sins were actually and positively lifted that day from their shoulders to his shoulders, for “the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” And now, if you believe in Jesus, there is not a sin remaining upon you, for your sin was laid on Christ; Christ was punished for your sins before they were committed, and as Kent says:
“Here’s pardon for transgressions past, It matters not how black their caste; And oh! my soul with wonder view, For sins to come here’s pardon too.”
Blessed privilege of the believer! But if you live and die unbelievers, know this, that all your sins lie on your own shoulders. You live and die in yourselves, lost; in yourselves, ruined; in yourselves, utterly destroyed. But believing—the moment you believe, you may know that you were chosen of God from before the foundation of the world. You do in fact, in the moment you believe, stand where Christ stood as God’s accepted Son; and Christ stands where you stood as the sinner, and suffers as if he had been the sinner, and dies as if he had been guilty—dies in your room, place, and stead.
Oh! Spirit of God, give faith. Win us all from self; knit us all to Christ; may we be saved now by his free grace, and be saved in eternity.
Self-righteousness is the devil’s masterpiece to make us think well of ourselves.- Charles Spurgeon
The self-righteous never apologize- Leonard Ravenhill
Self-righteousness is the largest idol of the human heart – the idol which man loves most and God hates most. Dearly beloved, you will always be going back to this idol. You are always trying to be something in yourself, to gain God’s favour by thinking little of your sin, or by looking to your repentance, tears, prayers ; or by looking to your religious exercises, your frames, etc; or by looking to your graces, the Spirit’s work in your heart. Beware of false Christs. Study sanctification to the utmost, but make not a Christ of it.: Adrian Rogers taken from: Self righteous quotes
Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Let me be united with all who fear you, with those who know your laws. Our hostility toward each other was put to death by means of his death on the cross. Eph 2-13-18John 17:20-26Psalm 119:79Amos 3:3
“I do not pray for those alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word’ That they all may be as one, as You, Father , are in Me and I in You. That they also may be one in Us, that the world May believe that you sent me”
Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand
The bible makes it very clear that we are to conduct ourselves in love- and love is the glue of this oneness! Peace and Love keep us knit together. Why is it important to be one? Because it is a testimony to the world- so that all would believe in Jesus and understand how much the Lord God loves them.
Jesus came to make us one, taking away the dividing line of jew and gentile. How can we be one body if we continue to fight?
Oneness is the work of the Holy Spirit– He gathers us together as one and filling us together with His Holy Power to do good works. How can the toe go off by itself and what good is the mouth if it has no hands? And what good is the hand if it has no mind!
What does Christ want of us? That we live pure and holy lives, gathering in the lost and preparing the way for the coming of the Lord.
Consider what the disciples did to those who caused much confusion and strife– these trouble makers were not of God’s spirit, even though they sat among them in the congregation. They let them go back to Satan in hopes of them coming to their senses and repenting. That can’t be easy to do- arguing a biblical truth with someone who does not have the spirit of God in them is like arguing with a wall. I have found that sometimes silence is best instead of flipping out, keeping calm and bringing it captive to the Lord.
We need to gather in the lost and prepare ourselves and those around us for the coming of the Lamb of God. It is time to unite and be strong together with One Mind- the Mind of Christ and with One Spirit- the Holy Spirit. We can no longer be divided as the world falls into darkness. We must stay united as One for Christ- not wavering in any way, making sure we are not living lukewarm lives. As we live accordingly, the World will see the Power of God in us. The works Jesus did will flow out from us like rivers of running waters. Stand together, warning others in love, spend time in the Word and pray in the Spirit at all times for all believers everywhere.
As the days draw closer to the Lord’s return, we will see clearer than we did before- for the light shines out of darkness and woe to those who think their darkness is light. Seeking out those who have fallen off the path- now we will see it more clearly, and as you do, you must reach out and help them- do not hate them or become proud – but bring them back.
Of course we have people who don’t agree with us, but with opposition, the Lord has taught me a good thing. – to be loving and compassionate with those who angrily disagree. As I prayed to the Lord about how to handle these situations, the Holy Spirit brought this prayer out of my heart : Dear Father, I forgive the words of this person, fill me with love and compassion for them. Help me understand why they believe this and give me understanding as you understand each one of us because you made our hearts. ” Suddenly it disappeared from my thoughts and I continued on, amazed at the lesson the Lord just taught me-be considerate of others with love and compassion- even if we don’t agree on some things.
He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets, a bruised reed he will not break.Isaiah 42:2 Matthew 12:19
A bruised reed he will not break means that we are to consider the weakness in others. Sometimes we may get angry at someone and not realize that on the inside they are hurting badly. These are the bruised reeds we are not to break- consider their feelings even though it may not show on the outside
Guidelines for Biblical Oneness
1- Love one another. Love binds us together Col 3:14, Col 2:2 (Love is Longsuffering & Patient) 2- Agreeing wholeheartedly with each other with one mind and one purpose Phil 2:2 3- One body in Communion. We are united when as we break the bread, sharing in the body of Christ. When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar? 1 Corinthians 1;16 -18 4- Live holy lives as citizens of heaven Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News of Christ 5- Being one in spirit and in purpose– fighting together for the faith, which is the good news (Phil 1:27)Be united in Christ – not in the World and the concerns of this world. Remember you must therefore endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ and “no soldier gets entangled with civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” 6-Put on your Shoes of peace. Peace binds us together and it is also protection from demonic attacks (eph 4:3) 7- Let each one do it’s special work so other parts may grow – in other words You are not the only one assigned to work- let each one do his part in the body of Christ. One person can’t be the hand, the food, and the mouth. Let the Lord assign each man his place and work hard so that you will please the Lord. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28 8- Be united in Christ – not in the World and the concerns of this world. Remember you must therefore endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ and “no soldier gets entangled with civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” 9- There is power in unity. Gen 11:6, Numbers 16:3, This is a powerful way we can fight the darkness that has come upon our land. There is power in oneness. Consider this verse: “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!” If the enemy uses this tactic against God’s holy one’s, how can we fight back unless, we, too, are united as one people. Remember Jesus said – – Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand Matt 12;25. (see matt 3;25) 10- United with Christ brings spiritual blessings : Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ11- Be united with others to Fear the Lord and know His laws Ps 119;79 12– It is a testimony to non believers : Oneness , unified as one people with one mind and one purpose is a testimony to the World of Jesus Christ and the love of the Father. Notice Jesus’ words after he prays that we be one together “so that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love meFather” John 17:6-26 and “And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me 13– Christ holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it Col 2 :19, Jesus died for this reason -to bring together and unite all of God’s children Mt 19:5 Jesus wants us to be unified and one as He and the Father are one- John 17:6-26 Jesus prays to the Father and 4x in one prayer He requests that we be one together and unified. 14- Be united in prayer with others Acts 1;14 15- Having the same mind and same judgment. Now I plead with you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. I Corinthians 1:10
16- Jew and Gentile = One, Slave or Free= One, male and female = One!For we are all ONE in Christ Jesus Galatians 3:226-29 and Eph 2:13-18 “He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 17-There is only ONE body! It’s not you alone against the world J There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, whois above all and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:4-6
18- Live for others – not ourselves – For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. II Corinthians 5:14,15 (This reminds me of a verse in Jeremiah when the Lord says to Baruch, the scribe “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it!”- that lesson goes deeper, but just something to think about) 19– That totally annoying person you’ve been arguing with is a fellow citizen with you, the saints and members of the household of God (hopefully) and you both are being fit together growing into a holy temple of the Lord. and you both also, are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 20-Unity is sharing all you have. “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.” 21– We were joined with Christ in baptism and in His death: (and remember peace and love keep us together) “have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was….Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:1-14 and Galatians 3;26 22– We are united with Jesus and now we can produce a harvest of good deeds Romans 7:4So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God 23– Christ has not divided us into factions to quarrel over what teacher we do and do not follow. 1 Cor 1:10-17 Be of One mind, united in thought and purpose “My pastor is better than yours”=not unity. “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter” or “I follow only Christ.”Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.)For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. 24– God united us with Christ 1 Corinthians 1:30:God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin 25- . We are all true children of Abraham through faith in Christ, united in baptism, :For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Gal 3:26-29 26-Oneness is also a tactic of the enemy ; Psalm 2:2The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot togetheragainst the LORD and against his anointed one 27– Consider the power of unity and oneness when the Israelites gathered together to rebuild with Nehemiah, consider the power of oneness in the book of Ester when all the people fasted and prayed to the Lord, consider the power of Oneness when the apostles gathered on the day of Pentecost Nehemiah 10:39The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers. “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.”Esther 4:16“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”
BEWARE OF DIVISIONS:
Division brings chaos and confusion. Remember the Tower of Babel…. Their divided language caused division and confusion. If you search the scriptures you will find division and confusion go hand in hand with noise- too much talk! This confusion is deadly and needs to be taken out of our churches. WARNING: “Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. STAY AWAY FROM THEM. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Romans 16:17-18
Hear the Word of the Lord Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect. Agree wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. You must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. You must stand together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good NewsMake every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Colossians 3:14Philippians 2:2Philippians 1:27Ephesians 4:3Ephesians 4:16Romans 8:17Acts 4:26Acts 1:14Acts 2:1Acts 2:44Acts 2:462 Corinthians 1:242 Corinthians 4:141 Corinthians 3:81 Corinthians 3:161 Corinthians 14:261 Corinthians 12:27Ephesians 2:21Ephesians 2:20Acts 1:14Ephesians 2:16Ephesians 2:14Ephesians 5:32Ephesians 4:4Ephesians 2:15
Oneness used as Enemy tactic : The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against his Messiah.’“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD’s people?” “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.Genesis 11:6Numbers 16:3Acts 4:27
Oneness in Old Testament Prophecy: But the LORD will have mercy on the descendants of Jacob. He will choose Israel as his special people once again. He will bring them back to settle once again in their own land. And people from many different nations will come and join them there and unite with the people of Israel .Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel —when God will again plant his people in his land Isaiah 14:1Hosea 1:11
Spurgeon quote CHSpurgeon Sermon #668 “Unity in Christ Jan 7, 1866
“There are in the visisble churches a certain number of God’s elect, and these are of the body of Jesus Christ. But their fellow professors, if unconverted, are not in the mystical union. Christ’s body is not made up of denominations, nor of presbyteries , nor of Christan societies – it is made up of saints chosen of God from before the foundation of the world– redeemed by blood, called by His Spirit and made one with Jesus. …. They have all been quickened by the same Spirit and made to live by the same energy. And though they knew it not, they were still one. No, more. All true believers are supported by the same strength! The live which makes viatl the prayer of a Believer today is the same life which quickened the cry of a Believer two thousand years ago. And if this world shall last so long as another thousand years, the same Spirit which made the tear trickle from the eyes of a penitent then is that which this day makes us bows before God Most High.
Tell to sinners round
What a Savior you have found
Does God dwell in you, and do you dwell in Him? Then, my dear Brother give me your hand! Never mind about a thousand difference if you are in Christ and I am in Christ! We cannot be two, we must be one. Let us love each other fervently with a pure heart. Let us live on earth as those who are to live together a long eternity in Heaven. Let us help each other’s spiritual growth. Let us aid each other as far as possible in every holy, spiritual enterprise which is for the promotion of the kingdom of the Lrod.
And let us chase out of our hearts everything which would break the unity which God has established. Let us cast from us every false doctrine, every false thought of pride, enmity, envy, bitterness that we, whom God has made one, may be one before man as well as before the eyes of the heart searching God.
May the Lord bless us, dear Friends as a Church. May He make us one and keep us so. It wil be the dead stuff among us that will make divisions. It is the living children of God that make the unity! It is the living ones that are bound together. There will be no fear about that – Christ’s prayer takes care of us, that we shall be one. As for those of you who are joioned with us in visible fellowshop and are not one with Christ, may the Lord save you with His great salvation, and His shall be the praise.
And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
John 17:51- He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. 52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world
Jesus Prayed: “Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love meFather, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” John 17:20-26
I was reading through Spurgeon notes and sermons on Grieving the Holy Spirit and thought I’d post some of his thoughts and teaching on this. I think you’ll enjoy this and find it quite thought-provoking. ( click here for more on “Grieve not the Holy Spirit” Eph 4:30)
(notes/ phrases taken from Charles Spurgeon 1859 sermon no. 278)
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
Notice the bible does not say “Don’t make him angry” but instead it reads “Grieve Him not”. Some people are barely moved when someone is angry with them, but who cannot be somehow moved when we know we have caused someone grief? For grief is a sweet combination of anger and of love. Love sweetens the anger. Perhaps you wouldn’t care much if you made someone angry without cause, but to grieve that person and without intention, would cause you distress of heart and you would not rest until this grief had subsided, until you had made some explanation or apology or had done your best to take away the grief. When we see anger in another, we at once begin to feel hostility. Anger begets anger, but grief begets pity and pity is next to love and we are to love those we have caused to grieve. Grieve not the Holy Spirit; do not cause Him to mourn.
The Love of the Holy Spirit for you
Oh, how He loves you! It is difficult to put into words, except to look at actions. Look back on your life from childhood and see how the Holy Spirit searched you out in love to stir up your conscience and correct us on account of our youthful sins. How often has the Spirit of the Lord gone after us. How often have I remembered his guiding? He has whispered in our ears “ My son, give me your heart, go to thy chamber, shut they door , confess thy sins, and seek a Savior’s love and blood” –and how often or not have we listened and obeyed? How often have we put those words aside? But blessed be his dear name, that He has never let us go! Though our steps were leading us straight to the fires of hell, he sought after us to pluck us from the fire. He wrestled with us and would not let us destroy our souls. Oh, how many times have we ill-treated Him? Wasn’t it the Holy Spirit who guided you to Jesus? Who opened your blind eyes and your deaf ears to hear of a pardoning love? Who opened your clasped hands to receive the Savior’s grace? Though we are all still learning, He is our blessed instructor and continues to lead us into many truths. The Spirit comes down to dwell with us stubborn, unruly wild colts to teach us the mystery of the kingdom and make known to us the wonder’s of a Savior’s love. He has helped you in all your labors; He has comforted you in all your distress. He has filled you hearts with peace and Joy in believing. How many times would your heart be broken if He had not bound it up?He bound up your wounds. He teaches, preaches, commands with authority, how many of us are willing to do this- to bear with unbelievers, with sinners, and to search out the troubles souls helping them find compassion? How wonderful is the Holy Spirit, who would stoop down from heaven to become a comforter to us.
We, ourselves, groan within our spirit which the spirit hears and it reaches the heights of heaven to the ears of Christ. He is full of tender compassion, he helps us in our infirmities. He gives us strength, and we cannot say it is on our own accomplishment. He has so sweetly enabled us, and how often have we forgotten to thank Him, must we not admire His love? Must it not be a fearful sin indeed to grieve the Holy Spirit by whom we are sealed? The Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of all God’s redeemed and blood-washed people. Oh, my friends, when I think how often you and I have let the devil in, I wonder the Spirit has not withdrawn from us. Hepreserves the saints– what a wonderful miracle. It is a wonder that the Holy Spirit is there at all, but he must be daily grieved with all the evil guests, false traitors, that try to enter the heart of man. We often talk about the love of Jesus, but when do you talk about the love of the Holy Spirit? Now we are not here exalting one person of the trinity above another, but I do feel this: that we should love Jesus with all our hearts, and let us love the Holy Spirit too. Do not forget Christ’s cross, let us not forget the Spirit’s operations.
The Holy Spirit Has Sealed You
The Spirit himself is said to be our seal and our pledge of inheritance. He confirms we are truly the children of God, we are born of God. No faith is true if it is not sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Lord has anointed us and has sealed us and has put the Spirit in our heart. Unsealed faith is like a poison, but sealed faith is true faith. The Holy Spirit seals us with preservation until Christ comes to fully redeem us.
Grieving the Spirit
How can I grieve the Holy Spirit? You may grieve Him with impure thoughts. He cannot bear sin and it grieves Him if your heart is lifted up to anything other than Him. We also grieve Him if we indulge in outward acts of sin. For he cannot dwell in our hearts if we continue to carry on that way. Is you prayer closet cob-webbed? Have you neglected Him? Is your bible collecting dust on the shelf in the back room? Do you not seek to do any good in this world? Do you only live for yourself? As the scripture says “ They have forsaken me, they have left the fountain of waters, they have hewn unto themselves broken cisterns”I can see the Spirit grieving when you sit down to read a novel and there sits your bible unread. Don’t you know how precious this book Is? You have no time forprayer, but the Spirit sees you very active about worldly things, and you have many hours to spare for relaxation and amusement. He is grieved when He sees you love worldly things better than you love Him.
Take care that He does not go away from you, for it will be a pitiful thing for you if He leaves you to yourself. He is grieved with your unbelief, doubt and worry. (Read Hebrews 11) Do you doubt His trustworthiness? His Power? Let us make a confession, that we have grieved the Holy Spirit. What happens to us when we grieve the Holy Spirit? He is grieved again and again and again, and still bears with us. But finally, when His grief become excessive, He will say “ I will stop my operations here, I will leave” What a miserablestate we will be left in if this happens. His instructions we will hear no more, we open the word- but no longer understand. We go to our notes, but they make no sense. Where has our comfort gone? Where has our joy gone? Now there is darkness and no presence of spiritual power. Once we could do all things, but now we can do nothing.. The Lord will withdrawal himself at that time, no longer will light shine, joy will not be found, spiritual power and comfort –all gone. Oh, how thankful I am to the Holy Spirit for the abundance of grace and gifts He fills us with.
Now consider this: Some may not agree, however, some of the present day churcheshave grieved the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit deals with the churches just as it does with individuals. Consider this- how many lost are the churches bringing in? Is the pool of baptism unstirred? This is sad, but the churches seem to like it that way. For the Spirit of God is grieved there in our churches and He is gone. He is still present here with us. He has not left us, even though we are unworthy. Oh, how I want to see the Holy Spirit poured out on the churches!!
Now, go home to your houses and humble yourselves before God and cry aloud that he will visit His church and open the windows of heaven to pour out His grace- that nations would be born in a day, and sinners saved by the thousands- oh, that revival would come. The Spirit of God never leaves His people finally, He leaves them for chastisement, but not for damnation. Sometimes He leaves that they may get good knowing their own weakness, but will not leave them finally to perish. Are you in a state of backsliding or coldness?
Listen to me and may the Lord bless these words: Brother, do not stay any longer in this condition and in the absence of the Holy Spirit. Use every means so that the Spirit may come back to you. Search out the sin that has grieved the Spirit, give it up, slay that sin, repent with tears and sighs, continue in prayer, and never rest until the Holy Ghost comes back to you. Pray “Return, return, O Holy Spirit return, and dwell in my soul” Yield to Him, resist Him not, and grieve Him not.
Repent and be converted every one of you, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord and remember these words:
He that believeth in the Lord Jesus and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” May the Lord grant that we many not grieve the Holy Spirit. Amen
Pray Psalms 51:
Have Mercy on me, O God
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt
purify me from my sin.
For I recognized my rebellion,
it haunts me day and night.
Against you and you alone, have I sinned,
I have done what is evil in your sight
You will be proved right in what you say,
any your judgement against me is just.
For I was born a sinner
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me
But you desire honesty from the womb
teaching me wisdom even there
Purify me from my sins and I will be clean
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again, a
you have broken me
now let me rejoice
Don’t keep looking at my sins
remove the stain of my guilt Create in me a new heart, O God Renew a right spirit within me
Do not banish me from your presence and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore me to the joy of your salvation
and make me willing to obey you
Thank I will teach your ways to rebels
and they will return to you
Unseal my lips, O Lord that my mouth may praise you
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit
you will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God
Ancient Paths 