Posted on 06/22/2014 11:28:54 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
‘Let go and let God’ is a life-saving prayer for many of us who struggle in our daily lives with bad habits. We learn to let go of our attachments, especially the wicked ones, and turn them over to God. ‘Let go and let God’ is a simple prayer, complete in itself. Like most prayers, it works best when repeated over and over.
Advanced theologians might disagree, but I stick with what works.
I see nothing wrong with it.
I think it was Steven King who wrote “There may be farries and there may be elves but God helps those who help themselves.”
Shouldn’t this be in “Religion” or maybe “Chat?”
Sounds like what happens to a lot of people. You accept Christ but there is no immediate change outside of that, you have to struggle for a while before you can say you have truly left the world behind.
Obviously this won’t happen to a lot of people who will struggle with sin and temptation to sin all their lives.
That's an obvious step in the right direction for many.
bump
Many people want to become Christians but how many truly surrender? How many people can truly say they are no longer concerned about worldly things and can ignore temptations that had haunted them before?
I think this article is a bit misleading. It imposes with a broad stroke second blessing Pentecostal theology on Keswick. If one reads a collection of sermons from the forst 50 years of Keswick as can be found in Keswick’s Authentic Voice, Herbert F. stevenson 1875 - 1957. I don’t think one can come to the conclusions summed up in this article. Such great pastors and theologians as Andrew Murray of South Africa and Oswald Chambers hardly downplayed sin or nor advocated perfectionism or a second real salvation experience. I think many people desired and had experienced a indwelling and fullness of the Holy Spirit that empowered them to live victorious lives overcoming sin daily that was sought after and encouraged as a reality as one becomes more yielded to God and His word. How this conflicts with orthodox Christian theology is not apparent. What it conflicts with is certain theological positions that assert nothing else is required after one is in a salvific relationship with God.
A favorite period of mine. Btw, I don’t believe Finney had anything to do with Keswick. However, a real emphasis was placed on sanctification and its concomitant effects. There likely were people who continued in veins of thought that would be considered wrong by many as this was the pre-Pentecostal movement but when people were still serious scholars and not driven by simple emotional experiences outside of scriptural balance. It was nondenominational so obviously divergent views would be expressed. Much of the Protestant missionary zeal of the late 19th and early 20th century coincided and is a direct result of these meetings and we could only do as well today.
I don’t of any Christians who have surrendered to God. By surrender, I mean relinquishing complete control to God. That’s what surrender means. If that were even possible, it would mean that that Christian no longer sins, because God does not sin. If I’m surrendered, i.e. 100%, totally in accord with His will, then I must not ever sin again. That contradicts scripture. The only person to achieve surrender to God was Christ.
That does not mean that I can’t have peace with God through Christ. I can by confessing my sins and asking Christ to forgive me. ONLY Christ has the authority to judge my salvation. It was given to Him by the Father.
I also agree that it’s good to try and let God lead a person in all things, but being the imperfect people we are, we’re going to continue to fall short. We still need periodic washing. I believe this is what Christ meant when He washed the apostles’ feet. They were only a little bit dirty.
Obviously this won’t happen to anyone, because we all struggle with sin and temptation and continue to sin all our lives.
One can only hope to sin far far less.
“The author’s beef is not with the prayer, but with the idea that Christ can be one’s Savior without being one’s Master.”
Many Christians slip into a life of sin or self-control. The church of Corinth a prime example. In all Paul’s discipline, he never said they were not believers. He exhorted them to walk with Christ.
That any believer anywhere would come to the place spiritually, where she realizes she has never submitted to Christ as Lord of here life, is a good thing.
I wish more would do so.
Absolutely. My point, and the author's, is that such a person never genuinely accepted Christ as Savior - a realization that is a good thing as it gives one the opportunity to correct that.
well said. It does work. God’s in charge. It is nice to do the footwork and take responsibility for my actions and also let the all powerful do His job with other people, places, and things which are truly out of my control. Unless I want to choose to be deluded otherwise—which isa always an option and often a painfully, sad one at that.
” from a defeated life to a victorious life;”
As far as I know this is a change which occurs in the heart and may not at all be accompanied any sort of earthly victory. God’s definition, as far as I can perceive, of ‘victory’ is attaining Heaven AFTER your life.
The author is correct in insisting that sanctification is not a work. It is not the result of making a right decision (a work). Sanctification is simply God using actions committed in His name for His purposes. They are “in spite of my failings” actions taken up and blessed by divine spirit. Sanctification is not a reflection of the individual’s state of spirituality. It is God using the actions of His servants.
Paul taught us all that we needed to “renew your mind to the Word of God”. God did NOT tell us to just sit idly by and God will do everything for us. We are required to read the Bible and pray .. and help other people (charity).
However, I’ve met a lot of Christians and the main reason between enjoying your new life in Christ .. is your level of faith.
Faith comes by, hearing and hearing, by the Word of God. Which means that the more you read and study the Word, the more faith you will acquire .. faith that what God has said in the scriptures is true.
I have 30 years of testimonies about God’s ability to heal, and restore. The secret for me was accepting the Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Whether you believe in that or not, God never required it, He only invited those who believe (in Christ), to come and receive. But, when you do receive it, it increases your faith in God’s word, and thus you do experience a higher level of life in Christ.
I am living proof.
But still he writes the most horrible stories that any screwed up mind could imagine.
My concern is that his renewing of his mind has a long, long way to go.
What points did the writer make that you disagree with, and where did he go biblically wrong?
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