biblicalthought.com

1. Stephen Macasil

   Regarding your present medical condition, we will ask the Lord to heal you for His glory. Know that all things are working together for your good (Rom. 8:28)! Begin by examining yourself to see whether you are in the faith; prove your own self (2 Cor. 13:5). Self examination includes “judging yourself” as Paul says in 1 Cor. 11:31-32:

   “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

   Examining yourself is looking into the mirror of God’s Law and seeing yourself as you really are. It is only in recognizing and acknowledging your helpless estate that the saving work of Messiah can be received as a free gift from God. Seeing and savoring the work of Jesus on the Cross as your substitute for receiving the wrath of God for your sins, and continually placing your faith in Him as your only hope of heaven, is an…

   “ever-present exercise of the soul in receiving all that Christ gives to spiritually hungry sinners and saints.” – Morey “Studies in the Atonement” pg. 204

   If you have “Studies in the Atonement,” read chapter 15 on the “Assurance of Salvation.” Morey includes a section called “Tests of Assurance” where he discusses the ways to test the reality and validity of a profession of faith. He arranges these tests under two basic headings: FAITH and LIFE. Under FAITH, he covers the “content” of faith (what to believe), and “commitment” (the present activity of believing). Under LIFE, he covers the “outward walk” (the conforming of ourselves to God’s Law), and the “emotional focus” (discovering the objects of our desires and feelings).

   So, if you are struggling with assurance,

   • Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith.
   • Examine the content of your faith (the doctrines which constitute our beliefs)
   • Examine the commitment of your faith (are you right now at the present moment believing in Jesus for salvation?)
   • Examine the outward walk of your life (do you purposefully attempt to keep god’s law? Do you delight in God’s Law? Or do you purposely disobey the Law and look upon it as grievous [1 Jn. 5:3]?).
   • Examine the emotional focus of your life (do you love what God loves and hate what He hates?).

   **Self-examination even along the lines of the Biblical tests of assurance, will not automatically give anyone assurance for assurance is the personal and sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. John points this out in his epistle,
   And hereby we know that he abideth in us, *by the Spirit which he hath given us (1 John 3:24).
   Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, *because he hath given us of his Spirit (1 John 4:13).
   But, we must hasten to point out that the Holy Spirit does not give assurance to those who fail to manifest the Biblical evidences of salvation. Instead, John combines the evidences of saving faith with the work of the Holy Spirit in 1 John 3:24.
   And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, *by the Spirit which he hath given us.
   The Spirit may give us assurance by making us realize that our life and faith meet the Biblical tests for it is “the Spirit who bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16). Thus no amount of personal introspection or mental syllogism will automatically produce true assurance. The Sovereign Spirit is the Lord of Assurance and He gives it to whomever He wishes.** (page 208, 209) [Asterisks added – SM]

   Continue to meditate on these things and do not cease to pray. One of the worst things you can do at this point is fail to pray. this means “talking to God” rather than talking to yourself or others only. The Apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice… do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Ph. 4:4-7 ESV

   Jan 24th, 2008

2. 5pointbaptist

   Hello,
   This is Chris’s sister, Michelle. He is rather distraught at the moment because he is doubting he is not one of the elect. He does believe Jesus for salvation and desperately wants to be one of Gods’ chosen.

   This is a new fear as he has not thought he wasn’t chosen. He rejoiced in the fact that God saved him. But has come to think perhaps he is not one of the elect.

   All of this was preceded by some minor medical issues that he is concerned with being more than they are. Then he meet with a pastor, that he doesn’t personally know. This pastor suggested he is fearful of ‘judgment’. Chris knew immediately where he was going with it and completely fell apart. He made an appointment to see the pastor he had before he changed churches. This pastor, who knows Chris well, told him his repentance over his past sins is one evidence of his salvation.

   Chris respects Dr. Morey tremendously and is now believing he is not elect because of the point made above (are you right now believing in Jesus for your salvation). He is taking this to mean he is not ‘elect’.

   I absolutely believe Chris is under spiritual attack. He is under psychiatric care due to his EXTREME despair and anxiety over his salvation (meaning=if he is chosen)

   What can you tell us about spiritual warfare? All of his friends and family are not concerned with his salvation (or if he is ‘elect’) we see fantastic evidence of it, in fact. He is most blessed with a gift for understanding scripture that far surpasses myself and many Godly men I know.

   In you opinion can this doubt mean anything other than he is under warfare?

   I feel like I have not explained this well enough.

   Michelle

   Jan 24th, 2008

3. Mike

   Chris mentioned his OCD that he had as a teenager. I think that is where you should start with his problem. Having that (Panic attacks) will leave him in constant dispair and will not allow him to make a sound judgement about salvation. Point him to the Psalms and have him meditate on them.

   Jan 24th, 2008

4. Stephen Macasil

   Michelle, I don’t know Chris personally (at least that I know of) like you do. A suggestion for you is to read what I have attached and minister to him. I am writing a book on Stratiotology: the Biblical Doctrine of the Christian Soldier, and it is basically about the Christian’s mind-set in spiritual battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. There is a liitle bit here on this site and a few others, but here is a “copy-and-paste job from the first draft that I’ve been writing. This section is the Introduction to the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6. I pray that God uses this to His glory! It may be a little long…

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   Excerpt from Stratiotology: the Biblical Doctrine of the Christian Soldier by Stephen Macasil.

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   “be strong in the Lord”

   It’s almost as if Paul spent so much energy in explaining that salvation is all of God to bring us so low in stature, by stripping us of every possible reason for boasting, while teaching the absolute sovereignty of God’s power and will, so that we may understand these words. Be strong! He says. But this instruction is followed by a major qualifier. In the Lord, Paul says. Whereas your initial salvation was completely a work of God, Paul here is instructing with exhortation what must be done in order in order that the child of God may not fall into invisible traps set by Satan, strategically placed before you wherever you walk. He includes “in the Lord” to further demonstrate our full dependency on God in all things. There are certain things in life that when we approach them independent, or seemingly independent, of God, we seem to be able to get away with it, without Him.

   The Greek word that Paul uses here that is translated “be strong” is one word, an imperative that means to be strengthened, to receive strength, or to be made strong and stronger by growing strong and stronger. Not understanding this can confuse a well-intending Christian into searching himself for strength of his own to rely on. Well, that is not what Paul is saying. He is ordering the Christian to be made strong in the Lord. Therefore, to pump yourself up like a football player breaking from a huddle, ready for the snap, means something only if the attitude is grounded in receiving power from God. So, if you ever experience “getting away” with something and attributing it to your own power, either you weren’t in genuine warfare or you’re just experiencing the self-deception of your own strength’s efficiency!

   Of course it is not so, for God even controls the roll of the dice. But if we ever approach spiritual warfare with delusions of our own power and abilities, we soon become face to face with the consequences, which sometimes hurt and sometimes kill. Therefore, Paul gives the orders to be strong in the Lord! Our commander and Lord guarantees the victory, for it was He who won it. As Paul wrote elsewhere in 1 Cor. 10:9-13, I summarize: “If you think you’re standing because of your own power, take heed lest you fall!”

   “and in the strength of his might.”

   Not only does Paul give the proper order to the Christian for a proper soldierly disposition, but he adds that it is to be even so, in the strength of his might. The Greek word translated strength is kratos. Any Bible software program that has a search feature will begin smoking if you search for “kratos,” or its Hebrew equivalent. There are so many references to this. Therefore, it is a difficult task, one that requires much more space than I have here, to examine each one and group them with whom the strength was attributed, what kind of might or power it was, etc. We can know however, that when Paul used the word kratos, along with it brought the imagery of Roman Soldiers. Paul here is beginning to use the military imagery that our doctrine of Stratiotology was founded upon. In 5:15-17, Paul began to allude to the dangers that faced the Ephesian believers. He warned them that the days were evil, and that being foolish about things was not the way to God’s will. So he instructed them on how to live and interact with each other.

   Here Paul is continuing along that same line, although about to introduce spiritual applications as opposed to the physical applications in previous chapters. Under the same warning of 5:15 where he says to watch carefully with discernment how you walk and live, that it may not be unwise but wise, he begins to form the foundation that the Christian Soldier must have and stand on. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.

   This foundation is necessary in order to be able to do what is next. To skip the step of being made strong in the Lord and in the power of His own might, is unbiblical. This leaves us with absolutely no other option and may I say that it is idolatrous to attempt to find one. The spiritual battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil is not one that we as physical creations can sustain. It is a reflection of the invisible battles taking place in the heavenly realm, one that we cannot even see. To believe that we are capable within ourselves to find something/anything in this physical world that can prevent us harm is all the evidence needed that harm has already been done. There is not a thing apart from God that can provide shelter in these attacks.

   11 Put on the whole armor of God,

   Immediately following the foundational orders for disposition, Paul begins to itemize the necessary imagery of war in order to make known his spiritual truth. He uses the word enduo which means “put on,” as in clothing. To illustrate how important this word was to Paul, let us look at how he also used it in Romans 13.
   “So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” – Rom. 13:12b-14

   In chapters ahead, we will look at other uses of enduo. The way that he uses it in Rom. 13 is the same way he uses it here in Eph. 6. It was revealed to the apostle that a willed action needed to take place in situations of spiritual danger. These spiritual dangers, if they are to be approached as Soldiers of Christ, must be combated with spiritual action. A fatalistic approach will not do. Even if it is claimed under the banner of God’s sovereignty, it is unbiblical to take no action. Some will say that Stratiotology reflects a lack of trust in the sovereignty of God.

   There is a distorted form of Calvinism out there that rolls everything under the sovereignty of God and doesn’t think willed action such as evangelism is necessary. This distorted view of God’s sovereignty manifests a defective Christianity and leads to spiritual dryness. Most dangerous though, is that this form doesn’t think believers can be harmed in spiritual warfare. My question to them has always been: Then why does Paul say XYZ? Of course I have never received an adequate answer. In certain things, Scripture is totally clear that God is sovereign in full control and that there is no need whatsoever to panic. Like in Phil. 4 for example, we are ordered not to fret or be anxious, but through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving we are given the peace of God who is the God of peace. Notice though, that Paul still orders action. He says to do this and that and then you’ll get the peace of God. Some “so-called” Calvinists are so afraid to sound Arminian that they become unbiblical non-Arminians.

   Calvinists should be the frontline soldiers because after all, they claim belief in the sovereignty of God. What can overcome that? Paul orders us to put on like we put clothes on, the whole armor of God. Would you ever leave the house for work without putting on clothes? How much more important is it then, that you put on the whole armor of God? The order is given to you – to do it!

   The whole armor of God is a phrase that was developed by Paul to encompass the already established “armor of God” language that Jews knew from the scroll of Isaiah. In Is. 59:17, we discover vb;l’ labash, the Hebrew word for “put on.” In the Septuagint, the word used in Greek is enduo. When Paul used enduo to order us to put on the whole armor of God, he was reaching back to Isaiah to teach the Gentiles in Ephesus Jewish concepts that would have come to them for the first time. We see in Is. 59:17, that Isaiah says that God “put on” His [own] armor. This establishes that there is an armor of God.

   To help us understand just how powerful Paul’s orders are, I thought it helpful for us to backtrack to Is. 51 and work our way from there to Is. 59. In Is. 51:1, the prophet Isaiah speaks the word from God saying: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.” In vs. 4 he says: “Pay attention to Me, O My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.” In vs. 9 he commands: “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord;” vs. 12-13, “I, even I, am He who comforts you, who are you that you are afraid of man who dies?…that you have forgotten the Lord your Maker…that you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the opressor.” Vs. 21-22, “Therefore, please hear this, you afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine; Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people.” In Ch. 52 he says: “Awake, awake, clothe yourself

   that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

   Earlier in Eph. Ch. 6, Paul gave orders to the children. As you may recall, I commented on his possible observation of the children’s undeveloped intellect, thus resulting in his brevity in explanation to them. If we compare that to the way that he ordered the husbands and wives, we see that Paul took more time and went much deeper in explaining his orders. The husbands and wives were of a more developed intellect due to their maturity and were probably more capable of receiving doctrine and application. Notice here, that Paul does not give simple orders by saying “put on the whole armor of God,” only. He now communicates to them why.

   He had previously warned them that the days were evil, but now he begins to open up to them how it is evil. Paul stresses the importance of God’s armor by presenting them with the value to them. He orders them to put on the whole armor that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. In other words, if you don’t put it on, you won’t be able to stand. This adds weight to Paul’s argument for the enabling power of God in battle. Paul says that putting on the whole armor of God is what enables you to stand. This is why Calvinism puts so much emphasis on God’s sovereignty. The Reformed doctrine that teaches the sovereignty of God over all things, including evil, is an absolute necessity in order to make sense of why we even pray. If God is not sovereign over evil, then how can we pray like Jesus taught us and ask that God “deliver us from evil?” Furthermore, as we learn from the book of Job, Satan is not God’s rival enemy and equally powerful, eternal, and free. On the contrary, the Bible teaches that Satan is created by God and can only do whatever is permitted him by God. The book of Job is foundational and very helpful in understanding God’s sovereignty over evil. Without the book of Job, we would never understand that God uses Satan to His own glory. This invisible battle between the angels of God and Satan’s army is sovereignly orchestrated by God and will one day come to an end. The end will result in the ultimate and eternal destruction of all evil including Satan, his minions, and all that are outside of Christ. The victory has already been won by God in Christ, but the effect of the victory has not yet reached its final stage of completion. In the “mean-time,” The father of lies is actively and eagerly deceiving the whole world, which the elect are in and part of, for now. Satan has strategies that he has been developing for thousands of years. His strategies begin in his mind and are carried out by his servants. Between him and his wicked staff, they combine to form a force that is aimed at keeping people away from God. His cunning and deception is played out millions of ways. The believer is not exempt from being deceived, but is not at Satan’s mercy either. This is what Paul is affirming.

   The whole armor of the sovereign God is the only defense against Satan and his schemes. If you have ever experienced getting caught by Satan’s schemes it is because you weren’t able to stand in combat. Imagine a hand-to-hand battle with someone where they had full strength to stand and you couldn’t. Who do you think would have the advantage? Standing is essential, and the ability to do so only comes from putting on the whole armor of God. That is what Paul is saying. Moreover, Paul is revealing that it is not just the devil, but his schemes. The importance of standing against the devil’s schemes is nowhere near the importance of the ability to do so. Therefore Paul orders us to put on the full armor of God that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

   The whole armor is our next focus. The Greek word panoplia that is translated “full armor” or “whole armor,” refers to the complete set of items issued to a soldier to provide him with full protection, both defense and offense. The full armor includes shield, sword, lance, helmet, greaves, and breastplate. As we will see in later chapters, it would be unwise for a soldier to go to battle with less than full armor. That is why Paul gives orders to:
   “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” – Eph. 5:15-17

   12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

   Verse 12 and variations of it, is one of the most quoted passages of Scripture, only a runner-up to a few others found in Matthew and John. Sadly, I must say that most of the time it is used it is done so incorrectly. I have heard various interpretations of what this verse means and for a long time I thought I understood it. It was not until I began to write this book that I learned that I was wrong.

   When Paul used pale which is the Greek word for wrestle, he did so by choosing very carefully. As he has been known to do, Paul used a sporting metaphor to communicate his message. Wrestling would have been a sport that did not need explanation, for it was well known in the Greco-Roman world. But that is not why he used it. After all, archery was well known and so was running, but he used neither of them here like he does elsewhere. Wrestling, unlike archery or running, has unique characteristics about it that apply to what Paul is saying here better than any other sport. Wrestling is “a contest between two in which each endeavours to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck.” – Strong’s 3823

   According to Strong’s, “this term is then transferred to the Christian’s struggle with the power of evil.” Stratiotology recognizes this one-on-one contest of power, and aims to equip the Christian mind to embrace the victory won by Christ which in turn holds the opponent down with the hand of God upon the enemy’s neck. Like Paul, Stratiotology makes known the awareness of danger while teaching the troops the way of safety. Since none of the battle is fought with our own strength but God’s, Stratiotology teaches that spiritual war with evil brings glory to God as he delivers his people from the evil. As we will see in later chapters, God requires full worship and devotion of the whole self of the Christian Soldier in order to partake in this means that he has chosen to be glorified in.

   Since wrestling is a physical sport, Paul explains how this contention with evil is not something physical that can be killed by physical force. He says that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. The Greek word sarx which is translated flesh is one that was quite active in Paul’s vocabulary. This word had several meanings. It could have referred to the soft substance that covers the bones and blood of humans and animals. It could have simply referred to the “animalistic nature” of man. There are several ways to use sarx. Here, Paul is using it to describe what it is that we are wrestling with. He is using it to denote natural or physical origin. He is saying that we are not wrestling with something that is native to earth. To further his argument, Paul adds “and blood.”

   Blood can also have several meanings. It can refer to the red liquid that is inside the veins. It can be used to refer to the seat of life. But because Paul uses it in the phrase “flesh and blood,” and because of what comes immediately after, it seems that Paul is using haima (blood) to illustrate that what we do wrestle against cannot shed blood due to violence, or by slaying. Paul is describing the invisible enemy.

   Since Paul has said that the enemy is invisible, not flesh and blood, we can conclude that the following examples of what we are wrestling with are cognitive spirits. The principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world, are all manifestations of spiritual wickedness of heavenly origin. This last phrase “ponhri,aj evn toi/j evpourani,oij” means “the supernatural wickedness.” This is the antithesis of “flesh and blood.”

   This presents a sense of helplessness when it is realized that we have just been drawn into a pre-existing battle between cosmic forces. If they are invisible and cannot be detected or killed, then how are we to withstand?

   13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,

   There is a slight variant in this phrase from the last time Paul used it. Noticing this slight variance has brought me great reward. In Jeremiah 46:1-4, Jeremiah, in receiving the word of the Lord, gives specific orders for battle.

   The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle! Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor! – Jer. 46:1-4

   %r;[’ `arak, which is the Hebrew word translated as “Prepare,” means to arrange, set or put or lay in order, or to become prepared. As we can see from the text, preparing for battle precedes advancing. It would be foolish to advance unprepared. The fascinating discovery is that when the Hebrew Scriptures were translated to Greek (Septuagints), the translators had to pick a Greek word for `arak. They chose avnala,bete as their word. This is the very same word that Paul uses in Eph. 6:13 when he orders us to “take up” the whole armor of God! The militant mind of Paul, no doubt influenced by the OT, utilizes the strongest military language that he could think of to communicate with his readers.

   Once again Paul mentions the full armor of God. He does this because he is about to explain the different pieces of the armor but first wants to be sure that everyone understands that the full armor of God, not almost full or partial, but the whole armor of God is what is needed to advance in battle. Paul is repeating himself here to be sure that he has been clear in his instructions. As we learn from Luke’s historical record in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul declared to the Ephesian elders that he was innocent of the blood of all of them, because he did not shrink from declaring to them the whole counsel of God. Neither is he shrinking here.

   and having done all, to stand firm.

   The whole or full armor of God is not one thing. It is a category of things. It is comprised of several pieces that can be individually described, recognized, understood and applied. Each of the components that make up the whole are interconnected with each other to the degree that they are individually necessary as parts in order that the whole may function properly. That is why Paul implies that in order to stand firm, having done all must be first.

   The Christian Soldier must have an understanding of what “all” is if there is any hope whatsoever that he might stand firm. The teleological order has “to stand firm” as its goal, with all the necessary means arranged in ascending order to reach that goal. Thus Paul’s order “having done all” results in standing firm.

   The order may look something like this:

   Command: Put on the whole armor of God…that you may be able to stand.
   Reason: For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood.
   Restated Command: Therefore, Take up the whole armor of God…to withstand.
   Combined Reason and Restated Command: Having done all…to stand.

   This is the Basic Training for spiritual warfare in the Christian faith. These instructions imply the high level of priority for Bible teaching and receiving Bible teaching. What Paul is ordering Christians to do cannot be done by way of nature. Humans do not have a natural ability to tap in to the spiritual realm apart from revelation and therefore need to be determined to learn from God His word. The natural man has no clue as to what the whole armor of God is or why it’s needed. He does not even know who God is!

   With myriads of lies in our culture like seeds thrown by the hand of Satan, Christian Soldiers must be on the alert at all times. The Apostle is verifying that it is indeed possible to be protected against these powers. That is why the whole armor of God is given as the solution to our greatest problem as Christians: to withstand against the schemes of the devil! To be taken captive by his schemes is to be a prisoner of war.

   14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,

   Having completed giving the orders to the Christian soldier, Paul now begins to give the application of the orders. He repeats by commanding again to stand. He says “stand therefore,” looking back to all he has commanded thus far. His application begins by assuming that you are able to stand which implies having put on and taken up the whole armor of God. He says that we stand, having already fastened the belt of truth. Because Satan is a liar and the father of lies, the best defense against him is truth.

   Paul is saying that it is impossible to be deceived if you are in the truth. Imagine that a strange man that you have never seen before walks up to you and asks you to get into his car. Imagine that he appeals to the authority of him being your father or husband and demands that you get in. If you already know for certain who your father or husband is, then it is impossible for him to deceive you into believing that he is who he says he is. The same principle applies to the Christian Soldier. If you know for certain the truth as revealed in Scripture, it is impossible to be deceived by lies that run rampant in the age.

   The truth in Scripture prevents the schemes that Satan has designed to destroy you with, from ever becoming true. These schemes are comprised of lies that if believed, lead one away from the saving knowledge of God. To believe lies and base life’s decisions on the foundation of lies is to be in bondage. Bondage restricts, and in most cases prevents freedom. To believe lies is to be captive, and thanks be to God for sending Jesus to set the captives free. Freedom is directly tied to truth. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said that we shall know the truth, and the truth shall set us free!

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   This is an unedited first draft, and I apologize for any unnoticed errors. It is my prayer that our friend Chris will be blessed, and that God may be pleased to glorify Himself in delivering Chris tonight, or soon!

   Jan 24th, 2008

5. Eric Rogers

   Hello Chris,

   You said that you were worried about having committed the unpardonable sin.
   No one can come to God save save The Spirit draw him.
   Committing the unpardonable sin means that the Holy Spirit no longer draws you to the Father (You will not care about it).
   If you have a desire to come to God, it is being provided by the Holy Spirit and is evidence that you have not committed the unpardonable sin.

   Hope this helps.

   Jan 24th, 2008

6. 5pointbaptist

   Thank you both.
   I will absolutely read this and use it, as well as the previous post, to minister to Chris.

   He is on medication and it has helped a little. But he is still struggling. He is in constant prayer for God to forgive his doubting his salvation. We have prayed with him and for him.

   This behavior is so different from the ‘normal’ Chris. He loves a good debate! He seems to have been growing substantially in Christ over the last several months (being convicted of sin from the past…changing his movie, music, and friendships to more Christ honoring ones etc…) So, this is just, well, surprising.

   Thank you again and I will continue to check back.

   Jan 24th, 2008

7. agogley

   5pointbaptist:

   I will pray for Chris.

   I know what it is like to question your own salvation. Am I too worldly? Have I sacrificed enough for Christ? Have I witnessed enough? “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” Am I actually chosen?

   Perhaps a study of Romans 7 would bring some comfort.

   I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie, “Luther.” He apparently suffered from severe spiritual attacks and I think the movie portrays that very well. I’ve read Dr. Morey’s book, “Satan’s Devices” but seeing it visually really made an impact.

   Jan 24th, 2008

8. Reformed Mama

   Michelle,

   I think all of the advice above is very sound and helpful.

   Perhaps these issues are not completely spiritual. If you have any way of contacting Dr. Bob Marshall’s team, they could really help. They understand the body inside and out like no one I’ve ever heard. The site is helpline.cc. Here you can find a phone number- call the number and tell them you are looking for a QRA (type of doctoring) in your particular area. They should be able to direct you to the nearest office- discuss prices and specific needs. This could very well be physical and easily remedied.

   May God do amazing things in Chris and your whole family, to His Glory!

   Jan 24th, 2008

9. Reformed Rich

   Michelle,

   I’m reading a book by Charles Spurgeon called prayer & spiritual warfare. The word of God and this book by spurgeon I think would be a great help. Let me take a couple of quotes from the book to incourage you.
   Call upon me in the day of trouble:I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Psalm 50:15
   Real Prayer Has Faith
   The Lord loves such pleadings because there is a measure of faith in them. When the person in trouble cries, “Lord, deliver me!” he is looking away from himself. You see, he is driven out of himself because of despair in his life. He cannot find hope or help on earth; therefore, he looks toward heaven.
   God loves to discover even a shadow of faith in an unbelieving person. God can spy out even a small trace of faith, and He can and will accept prayer for the sake of that little faith.
   Oh, dear heart, what is your situation? What is the condition of your heart? Are you torn with anguish? Are you sorely distressed? Are you lonely? Are you pushed aside? Then cry to God. No one else can help you. He is your hope. Wonderful hope! Cry to Him, for He can help you. I tell you in that cry of yours will be the pure and true worship that God desires. He desires a sincere cry far more than the slaughter of ten thousand rams or the pouring out of rivers of oil (Mic. 6:7). We undoubtedly find in Scripture that the groan of a burdened spirit is among the sweetest sounds that are ever heard by the ear of the Most High. Woeful cries are anthems with Him, to whom all mere arrangements of sound must be like child’s play.

   Sister, My family will up hold Chris in our prayers. Please let us know how he’s doing.

   Jan 25th, 2008

10. Mike

    I know of other Christians who have experienced the same symtoms as Chris. The above information is great. I do believe he needs to be on an antidepressant to help him out of this situation. I’m not suggesting thats the fix but biblical counseling will also be needed.
    Mike

    Jan 25th, 2008

11. Tand

    This might be of help. It’s a letter the most honest-hearted, loving Christian I know wrote in reply to someone who was suffering (partially) similar fears. Seems only partly relevant to Chris’s situation initially, becomes more so toward the end, but might hit the right note to offer some peace.

    http://www.christian-thinktank.com/hnoblood1.html

    Jan 25th, 2008

12. Will

    Dear Michelle: I want to second what Reformed Mama wrote about Dr.Bob Marshall. His website, by the way, is Healthline.cc ; The “live-source” nutrients are the finest in the world, and they have helped me alot. I’ll be getting some of the Natural B-Complex for my Mom, to help with her depression (following my Dads passing-away). In Germany, anybody with depression or anxiety cannot get drugs for this, until they go through a natural-source B-complex vitamins protocol. In about 85% of the cases, the depression (anxiety often goes along with it) is cured. The QRA testing, which Mama referred to above, will determine exactly what nutrients are needed to get the mind and body into balance. All of this is an adjunct to getting the spiritual components into alignment. No better way to do that than by studying the superb commentary provided by our friends in the above entries. I went through similar difficulties, but emerged from the gloom with the unsurpassed combination of prayer, surrender to Gods Grace, and, yes, nutrition to feed my “Earthsuit”. I will keep Chris in prayer.

    Jan 25th, 2008

13. Reformed Mama

    Thanks Will! I did not realize I wrote “helpline” instead of “healthline”…until now! Feel better soon Chris!

    Jan 28th, 2008

14. Mario

    Chris,

    The fact that you are reaching out to fellow believers says alot! I hope you are doing much better! Chris, I have studied the schemes of Satan and have found that he always attacks the Christian in this manner. His goal is to keep you in derision, confusion, anxiety, and ultimately depressed and useless. Chris, in this battle you are in, you must sanctify Christ as Lord! Confess your sins to Him afresh because He is faithful to forgive us of all our sin! Turn your focus away from you and turn your eyes upon Jesus! He is your righteousness, He is your salvation! He is your shelter and strong tower! Remember one important thing above all!

    Satan is not free to do as He pleases! He is fully under the control of the Sovereign God of the universe, our Abba Father! Take Job’s example. He was taken to the wood shed. In Job chapter 1 and 2, it was God who pointed Job out to Satan. Job as we know lost everything! Note this important point: Job never acknowledged that the devil was attacking him. When his wife had mentioned curse God and die, Job stated, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept evil?” Job’s understood that God is sovereign over all of life! This is exactly what sanctifying Christ as Lord means. Remember that Christ is Lord of over ALL! Even the worst of circumstances are for our good! We must endure them as coming from the hand of the Father. Even if it were best for us to die, we must still trust Him! I think about that at times, however, there is much work to be done on the planet.

    Chris, you are a soldier, as Stephen told you, you must press on! You must put on the Lord Jesus Christ and continue to grow in Him through the trial! He is faithful. I want you to read The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink……meditate on it and may it cause you to be strengthened!

    http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Sovereignty/sov_12.htm

    Here is a passage from it: ” How blessed it is to know that God’s strong hand is upon everyone and everything! How blessed to know that not a sparrow falleth to the ground without his notice! How blessed to know that our very afflictions come not by chance, nor from the Devil, but are ordained and ordered by God-”that no man should be moved by these afflictions for you yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto” (1Thess. 3:3)! But our God is not only infinite in power, He is infinite in wisdom and goodness too. And herein is the preciousness of this truth. God wills only that which is good and His will is irreversible and irresistible! God is too wise to err and too loving to cause His child a needless tear.”

    May the Lord strengthen you and keep you! You are in our prayers!

    Jan 28th, 2008

15. 5pointbaptist

    Hey brothers and sisters,

    These last couple of days have been much better for me. I have ups and downs. I have been praying quite fervently and reading Gods holy word.

    I cannot explain how much I appreciate your prayers and support in this time of distress. It is so incredible to see how brothers and sisters in Christ who do not even know each other come together to support one another. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

    I do ask that you will continue in your prayer for me that the Lord would heal my mind as well as my body to His glory alone and for my good.

    I love you all and will report back as the Lord grants.

    I recall Dr. Morey saying before when asked about why he (morey) believes in God. He said something to the effect, “despite the world, the flesh, Satan, and other Christians, I still believe.”

    The point is that given all the opposition that we face in this life, we still believe. Praise our Lord for that.

    Thanks again

    Chris

    Jan 28th, 2008

16. Stephen Macasil

    Amen brother,

    You know whom you have believed, and you’re persuaded that He is able to keep that which you’ve committed unto Him against that Day!

    Divine Preservation of the saints.

    Jan 29th, 2008

17. sharon

    I live in tent city in Ontario, Ca. We need your help in getting out to the puble what the city of Ontario is doing. And please help me with a question. Where is God in all of this ? The mayor of the city was a pastor and where is the justice in killing pets that are family to them, slowing down the food that comes in and making us hungry and just terrioring us by locking us up at night. They the city of Ontario has put us in a yard with a fence around it and lock on that fence. They already started arresting people from coming to feed us and visiting us.
    Where are are rights ? Does God think this is o.k. No legal person will come and fight for us. Please we need your help desperately.
    sharon

    May 9th, 2008

18. Mario Herrera

    what is this all about?

    May 11th, 2008

19. Jean Cauvin

    Hi Sharon,

    When they say smoke the salmon you’re suppose to eat it. You’re not actually suppose to smoke it.

    Jean Cauvin

    May 11th, 2008

20. Stephen Macasil

    “what is this all about?”

    Mario, tent city is the homeless field in Ontario, CA by the airport. They are bringing the homeless off the streets and allowing them to live in a big field with tents and food, etc. To my knowledge, they don’t provide wireless internet. So how one can have internet access while being fenced in to a field is beyond me.

    She has not been back since the post.

    May 11th, 2008

21. Mario

    I was not clear on it. Thanks brother. By the way, Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! Grace and Peace to you in the affections of our Great God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ!!!!!!! Here is a song that reminds me of my mother! I first heard it at brother Reformed Rich’s wedding and then used it at ours! Bless God for our mothers! 1

    May 11th, 2008

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