tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post1294469360898952694..comments2023-10-10T09:31:36.354-05:00Comments on By Grace Alone: Touched By GodScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620657390402998257noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-78367085893248925192011-02-18T09:19:49.349-06:002011-02-18T09:19:49.349-06:00KE
I am glad to hear of your faith, and will certa...KE<br />I am glad to hear of your faith, and will certainly be in prayer as you deal with what is for anyone a great deal of grief. And it is true that those experiences will put us "on edge" spiritually, opening the door for the enemy to try and discourage, confuse, etc.<br /><br />Some of the best advice I ever received as simply this: We don't interpret Scripture based on experiences, we interpret our experiences based on Scripture. God's Word is the standard, and everything else comes through the lens of the God of the Bible. It's proven to be a good rule of faith. <br /><br />I hope and pray you are part of a solid, Bible teaching fellowship. I would urge you to sit down and talk with a godly, biblical leader in you church; your pastor, elder, etc. Share with them all that is going on and seek their godly counsel. God gave us His church for just these things, for encouragement, direction, etc.<br /><br />May God give you clarity regarding your faith, His gracious, sovereign nature, and His will for you and your family. To God be the Glory.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17620657390402998257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-88528715741885980262011-02-17T23:14:56.249-06:002011-02-17T23:14:56.249-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.KEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14133362118776880153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-68225136156896983152011-02-17T09:06:52.929-06:002011-02-17T09:06:52.929-06:00KE: To be honest, I almost did not allow these com...KE: To be honest, I almost did not allow these comments to be posted. But I wanted to share some things with you and this was the only way I could figure out. I hope you come back and read this.<br /><br />I don’t doubt that you had a real “experience.” But not all experiences are necessarily of God. We spent several years on an Indian reservation where folks had all sorts of encounters with spiritual power. But we must always remind ourselves that God is not the only One at work in the spiritual realm. We have an enemy who is called the Father of Lies. He is a deceiver and does all he can to trick people into thinking he is divine, on par with God. He is not.<br /><br />The experience you relate is not at all consistent with God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture. Since He chose to reveal Himself to us in this way, we are to then interpret any other experiences by what He has already said and done. He has never, and will never contradict Himself, or act out of “character.” Your experience does not “jive” with the God of Scripture. <br /><br />John Wycliffe wrote: “The true Christian was intended by Christ to prove all things by the Word of God, all churches, all ministers, all teaching, all preaching, all doctrines, all sermons, all writings, all opinions, all practices. These are his marching orders. Prove all by the Word of God; measure all by the measure of the Bible; compare all with the standard of the Bible; weigh all in the balances of the Bible; examine all by the light of the Bible; test all in the crucible of the Bible. That which cannot abide the fire of the Bible, reject, refuse, repudiate, and cast away. This is the flag which he nailed to the mast. May it never be lowered!”<br /><br />God has already reached out to His people, ultimately and permanently in the person of Christ. If you want a true touch from God, to truly experience Him, seek a relationship with the Father through the Son; and search for Him in His Holy Word. Only there will you find Him. In fact, He tells us clearly that you can’t know the Father apart from the Son. <br /><br />The truth is, God is more than “annoyed.” Because of our sin, we have become separated from Him. Because He is pure and righteous, He must punish that sin. He must! But in His grace and mercy, He chose to send His Son to die in our place, to take that punishment upon Himself, and give the righteousness of His Son in its place. There’s the only “sign” you need. If you’re seeking an experience, seek the experience of God’s grace through faith in Christ.<br /><br />Seek Christ. Seek Him in His Word. This is the only way to know Him, the only way to experience Him. Everything else is a fake and a fraud. Don’t be deceived. Seek Christ. Confess you sinfulness and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17620657390402998257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-17700919224438938932011-02-17T02:10:13.090-06:002011-02-17T02:10:13.090-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.KEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14133362118776880153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-67499437266203821822011-02-17T01:58:52.296-06:002011-02-17T01:58:52.296-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.KEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14133362118776880153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-72746554245551289692011-01-08T12:21:56.320-06:002011-01-08T12:21:56.320-06:00Gregg, Sometimes I'm weeping and praying for m...Gregg, Sometimes I'm weeping and praying for myself. I'm reading a book on holiness right now by Thomas Brookes, and sometimes I wonder if I see those things in my life the way I should. It's a daunting challenge, and makes me run to the cross for grace and mercy, because apart from that I'm doomed.Scottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041509706154090534.post-32951791139761659942011-01-08T06:28:44.976-06:002011-01-08T06:28:44.976-06:00Great post brother! Chilling thoughts to be in a g...Great post brother! Chilling thoughts to be in a good church most of your life and still not possess the righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees. "If I condemn thee, blame me not." Wow. took my breath away for a moment.<br /><br />As pastors all we can do is hope, pray, plead, and weep for someone of these people - ultimately it is up to a sovereign God.Gregg Metcalfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16413691313803396844noreply@blogger.com