“SOUL-DETERMINATION OR SPIRIT-DEPENDENCY?”
BY: J.FARRELL FISHER, AUGUST 27-28, 2018
Have you ever heard it from a friend, a family member, a neighbor, a casual acquaintance, or an “all-out enemy of even the Name of God, Son, or His Holy Spirit”?: “Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong, I’ve got to BE me”?
And through the merciful, caring, love and grace of Holy God, some truly are “sickened” by their ‘spirit’ of trust in themselves, overwhelmed by, yes, “Holy-Spirit-Conviction”, will turn and surrender, and THEN, WILL turn from allegiance to ‘self’ to devotion and dependence upon the Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, “resting” in the Love of God, which IS proven, and become convinced, persuaded, fully aware, that it was their sin and rebellion that led Satan and ‘religious freaks’ to CRUCIFY KING JESUS, THE “BLOOD-ATONER” flowing from the heart, the will, and the grace of MERCIFUL, CARING, LOVING GOD, though not wanting Him EVER to be crucified again, will ‘deny’ Him His rightful place as Savior and Lord, but consider, though converted, that I “since I’m still living in a ‘fleshly body’, though committed to Christ, He’ll ‘excuse’ my ‘fleshly indulgence at times”. Really?!!!
In Romans 5:1-11 and Verses 17-21, Holy God inspires us with His Truth of abiding, proven, and eternally demonstrated love and grace through, yes, the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, His only Son! HEED! AND, BE MADE WISE IN THE WORD TO BE ABLE TO DISCERN BETWEEN ‘SOUL-DETERMINATION OR SPIRIT-DEPENDENCY”!
Paul wrote: Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND, and (as a result!) REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
And not only so, (But maturing ‘in Faith’!), we glory also in tribulations : knowing that tribulation works patience (or steadfastness); patience, experience; and experience, hope; And hope makes one not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which IS GIVEN to us.
For when we were yet without strength (spiritually immature?), in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. BUT God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US!!!! Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD (that’s ‘just as if we’d never sinned!!!), we shall be (being saved continuously) from wrath through Him.
FOR if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, WE SHALL BE BEING SAVED BY HIS (RESURRECTION, RESIDING, REIGNING LIFE) IN OUR INNER MAN!!!!.
And not only so, (what you’ve just read and received!), BUT we also JOY IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, by whom we have now received the ATONEMENT (or “washed in the blood of the Lamb”!!).
Verses 17-21, For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one (Adam); MUCH MORE, they which receive abundance of grace AND the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, (they) shall reign in life by one, JESUS CHRIST.”
Soul Determination? At least for some, atheists, agnostics, or unbelievers, or ‘partial, temporary believers’, or, as I see them to be, by me, “MERCURIAL MIDGETS”, that are volatile, erratic, ‘fickle’, changeable, ‘flighty’… sometimes seemingly ‘normal’ as a ‘professing disciple’, but THEN, explosively, instantaneously, ready to ‘erupt’ or ‘explode’ in abnormal, ‘devil-like’ anger, falling away as an indulger in the ‘likeness’ of ‘flesh’, ‘sinners’, or the ‘devil’ himself!
“Soul-Determination?” Have you ever been, as a faithful disciple of the Master, trying to discern if one you care about as a ‘professing believer’ or ‘fellow church member’ is a ‘pretender’ through ‘ludicrous loyalty’, or is he/she truly one who lives ‘in the life-blessed love of God but momentarily lead astray, momentarily deceived, or momentarily ‘walking with ‘dark glasses’ rather than’ “the eyes, heart, mind, will of Christ in them their only hope of glory”?
Soul-Determination? Have you ever seen unassured believers, even unequipped, untrained attenders to some of the “Truth” but are susceptible to doubts, a ‘blow-viator’ as a ‘wayfaring child’ of the truth or a ‘led-astray-traveler, easily making a wrong turn’, spiritually ‘childish’ as a ‘stranger or uninformed ‘child’ to Truth’, immature in ‘true-disciple-identity’, and are, yes, “disciples” but often never “discipled” by assigned ‘mentors’ who “major on minors, not the Mission of the Master”??!!!
Soul-Determination? Many, in spiritual paralysis, as ‘modern Christians’, have been, yes, BLINDED, after being ‘birthed’, but allowed, or encouraged to “make it on your own” without any of the ministry of “nurturing the children of Faith into spiritually mature sons and daughters, unveiling Father-God, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit Mentor, who so wants to see them “guided into all the Truth”!” Unlearned Biblical Truth can fast-become a ‘deadly enemy’ to an uninformed, untrained, ill-equipped child of God! Sadly, untrained ‘disciples’, fending by themselves in a harsh world-battleground, end up “unarmed”, “fleshly defenseless”, and “ill-informed” that there’s no one to help against the powers of darkness, WHEN…
Almighty God has said, still says, and will say, if YOU listen, Jeremiah 33:3 telling us of Jeremiah, shut up in prison by God’s enemies, and the Lord God Almighty spoke to him, saying, “Call on Me, and I WILL ANSWER YOU, and show you great and mighty things you don’t know about!”
The prophet Isaiah heard God also when, in Isaiah 41:10, concerned about the enemies of God angry with him, God spoke: “Fear not, Isaiah; for I AM with you; be not dismayed; for I AM your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH THE RIGHT HAND OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Soul-Determination? Have you ever witnessed, ever heard, about ‘true children’ who, too often, turn ‘deaf ears’ to parental authority? Of course, many never consider “ears to hear” what Father God has clearly spoken, even unconcerned, after “praying the sinner’s prayer and surrendering”, then decide, “it’s OK if I walk on my own!” Really?
In Psalm 81:10-14, we read: God Himself speaking, “I AM your Lord, the God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, (out of the world around you and its strong influence!); OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE, and I (your loving, merciful, caring Father!) WILL FILL IT!” (He says, “I’m not leaving you!”). He continued:
But My people would not hearken (they didn’t listen and obey!) to My voice, My Holy Word, My divine, eternal Truth; they WOULD NONE OF ME! SO…
I gave them up UNTO THEIR own hearts’ lust; and they walked in their own counsels. (It BROKE God’s heart again!). Oh, that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel, My people, had walked IN MY WAYS! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My hand against their adversaries!”
Soul-Determination through the Word of God IS clearly seen as, yes, even ‘believers’, day in day out, often choosing the “self-motivated life” rather than daily denying ‘self’, surrendering willfully to God’s Sovereign control, optioning in worldly influences to honor and submit to Christ’s abiding Presence, His power, discarding ‘pretenses’ and willfully obeying, submitting, and daily yielding to the awesome power of the Holy Spirit’s control, manifestations, and “fruit”!!
How inspiring, how encouraging, how empowering do you find God speaking in Isaiah 40:17-31 saying, (Thank God!!!): “All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing. To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare unto Him?
The workman (‘flesh devotees’!) melt a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks for himself a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you FROM THE BEGINNING? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in: that brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth as vanity.
Yes, ‘their vanity’ shall not be planted; yes, it will not be sown to deceive My people; yes, their roots will come to nothing, He’ll ‘blow’ upon them, they’ll wither, and His whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will you liken Me, or shall I be just your equal? Says the Lord. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who has created these things, that brings out their host by number: God calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, in that I AM strong in power and authority; not one fails.
Why do speak like yourself, O Jacob, and say, O Israel, ‘Our way is hid from the Lord, and our ‘judgment’ is passed over, yes, even from God Himself.’ So… Have YOU not known? Have YOU not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, never faints nor ever grows weary? There is no searching of His understanding. (It’s as clear as, yes, both ‘night’ AND ‘day’.) He gives power to the faint-hearted; and to them that have no might He increases His strength graciously. Even the youths shall faint and be weary; and the young men shall utterly fall:
BUT they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Soul- Determination? What about “HOLY SPIRIT DEPENDENCY”? Do YOU not understand? Kingdom of God citizens were AND ARE “birthed in and by the Spirit” for ANY man to “enter His Kingdom reign and Kingdom rule! A disciple’s life is ‘convicted by the Spirit, convinced in the Spirit, converted by the Spirit, consecrated by the Spirit on God’s Holy Altar, and sent by the Spirit in full anointing to share Christ, preach the Word, testify to Truth, and to call all around you to accountability before Holy God, sharing His “gift of repentance”, His “gift of understanding”, His “gift of anointed authority as His witness”, and His faithful “gift” of interpreting for you God’s Divine Truth!
I close with a blessed hymn of praise and thanksgiving entitled “Holy Ghost, With Light Divine”, out of “The American Hymnal”, published in 1933 by Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee. It says:
“Holy Ghost, with Light divine, Shine upon this heart of mine; Chase the shades of night away, Turn my darkness into day.
Holy Ghost, with power divine, Cleanse this guilty heart of mine; Long has sin without control, Held dominion over my soul.
Holy Ghost, with joy divine, Cheer this saddened heart of mine; Bid my many woes depart, Heal my wounded, bleeding heart.
Holy Spirit, ALL DIVINE, Dwell within this heart of mine; Cast down every idol throne, Reign supreme – and reign alone.”
THERE IS NO “FLESHLY CO-REIGN WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT”, but, “TRUE DISCIPLES, DAILY, TAKE THE SENTENCE OF DEATH DAILY THAT, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, CHRIST IS EXALTED, MAGNIFIED, YES, GLORIFIED IN A BLOOD-REDEEMED, REDEEMED, REIGNING, VICTORIOUS LIFE THROUGH THE RESIDING HOLY SPIRIT!!!