"Oh to Grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be.
Let thy goodness, like a fetter
bind my wandering heart to Thee!"


Friday, July 3, 2009

Jeff Noblit- Human Reasoning Vs. The Word of God

This is one of many sermons in a series from Jeff Noblit called Solving Problems and Healing Hurts. I pray that this encourages you like it did for me. Let this be a good time to test whether or not you are living your life based on the word of God or on human reason and psychology. On the surface, as Christians we would definitely say...THE WORD...but I pray this teaching would really cause you to dig deep and examine if this is true. I know it was able to stop me in my tracks and repent. Only God can change anything, so you can look within yourself all you want but ultimately you will find nothing. There's nothing in there that you can trust. The world tells you to look at yourself, to explore your past, to look at your experiences, to look at your fears, to look at your suffereings. And while all of that may seem like a good idea to us, ultimately we must trust Jeremiah when he says that our own hearts are deceitful. So then where can we turn if we are this capable of deceiving ourselves? We must turn to God and His word and faithful promises. It is the only reliable answer we have. If one has a foundation that this is true no matter what emotions and human reason are saying, then and only then can you go on with your life, trusting in God and His sovereignty. Much easier said than done, as I am daily finding out. Actually, it is an impossible task; only the Lord can grant it. This is so hard and goes completely against all of my flesh which is agonizing, but the Lord is so gracious to even put this kind of teaching in my path so that through His Spirit He may crush my flesh.

Just remember that the Holy Spirit will never guide you to look within yourself. Not for answers at least. Think about salvation. It is a work of God. It is done by the convicting power and drawing of the Holy Spirit. It is not anything of yourself, only the Spirit. So why, when we find ourselves in situations that cause us affliction or hurt, would we run to the world's wisdom? I cannot even act ignorant of that question even though I want to, because I do it all the time. I know I do it because it is a tempation to just appease the flesh, and I give in.

"Are we going to start by the power of the Holy Spirit yet finish with the arm of the flesh? Start with the Spirit and end with humanity and man's wisdom? No we're diciples of Jesus Christ; we're people according to a new Way" -Jeff Noblit

Galatians 3:2-5
"Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith"

I must say that even writing these words right now are hard for me. In the midst of a time when I am battling every second to not rely on the arm of the flesh (and feeling as if I'm failing most of the time), this post is difficult to even publish. Mostly because I feel like a hypocrite. It is not as if I can "feel" the Lord really rescuing me from human reason and from my emotions, because honestly I don't. Not all the time, at least. But I know He is bringing me through all of this for a reason, and I praise Him for even bringing me to a point where I know that even though I don't feel all fuzzy inside, He is still working. And for some reason the Lord is revealing this stuff to me so that I myself would believe it, and even though I am struggling to do so, I cannot keep but writing it in hopes that someone else would read it and be encouraged. I pray that is what happens.








Solving Problems, Healing Hurts: The Foundation p2a -

This series is quite an amazing one. There are many, however, and as tempting as it is to post all of them on here at once, I figured I would start with just this one first. There's enough to chew on here for a lifetime. But, if you want to check out the whole series I got it off the anchoredintruth.org podcast.

3 comments:

Kala said...

Thanks for sharing this. It has really convicted me and at the same time encouraged me to press on towards Christ. I pray that whatever you are dealing with, the Word will comfort you and give you any needed strength.

Anonymous said...

I understand how you feel when you say you feel like you're "failing most of the time" and you feel like a hypocrite. I've been battling that myself the last couple of days. I look at other true Christians and I feel so mediocre beside them. I know I shouldn't look to them, but, well, easier said than done. Praise the Lord because He has brought you and me to the point where we don't have to feel "fuzzy" as you say. I've even been praying that I don't get a feeling to feel that this battle is resolved. What I need to do is just believe what He said in His Word like in Jude 24 and Philippians 1:6.

Maybe this will help you like it sort of helped me yesterday...I was singing "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and the second half of the second verse spoke to me--"And since He bids me seek His face, believe His word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my every care and wait for thee sweet hour of prayer."

Trust His grace, Susan! :-)
Kandis

Anonymous said...

Susan,

Thank you so much for this. I just had an opportunity to read this posting. You could not be more right about human psychology. All of those things that you talk about constitute "anxiety" which Niebuhr believes to be the root of all sin because it portends a lack of faith. By society's standards Christians are crazy because they put away psychology and human emotions and instead trust and focus entirely on God's will. And yet by doing so you are free! Thank God for crazy Christians :).