Derick,
What is your "nature"?
Where is it and how has it been changed?
I was a worm, dead in sins and trespass, but when I came to Christ, the worm
was changed by the power of the living Christ into a beautiful butterfly.
I see myself in my new life in Christ, cleansed, forgiven, regenerated,
righteous before God, .... not in the old life of a sin-controlled worm.
Christ delivered me from "worm mentality."
I am a new creation in Christ, old things have passed away, and all things
are become new.
I put on the new man and turn away from the old man, reckoning him dead,
crucified, and buried. If he tries to raise up, ... I must kick him back
down, confess my sins receiving forgiveness, and get back on track.
Jerry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Derick Dickens" <Derick@...>
To: <pastorsforum@...>
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 10:45 PM
Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] the ABc's of RW
> Jerry,
>
> THe issue is not that we have righteousness but that we now have
> Christ's righteousness. Yes, we are new creations, we have been made
> righteous, and we are no longer in bondage to sin. Yet, the
> righteousness we have is not our own, but Christ's righteousness. In
> and of myself, I am only a sinner saved by Grace. Again, yes, as a
> Christian I do have righteousness and my nature has been changed, I must
> owe that all to the Lord that by His active and passive obedience I am
> saved.
>
> DrD
>
> Jerry wrote:
>> Derick,
>>
>> You said, "I am merely a filthy wretched worm. "
>>
>> While on a long run last night, I kept thinking about your saying this
>> ....
>>
>> Suddenly, the thought came to me ....
>>
>> .............
>>
>> ............
>>
>> "Catfish bait"
>>
>> .............
>>
>> Catfish love to eat worms.
>>
>> .................
>>
>> Seriously, I take issue with a born again man considering himself a
>> "filthy wretched worm."
>>
>> I can find no Scripture reference that speaks of a new creature in
>> Christ in such a way.
>>
>> The only New Testament reference to "worm" that I could find relates
>> to hell.
>>
>> There are only a few Old Testament references and the majority of them
>> seem to speak of judgment and destruction. There are no "worm"
>> references that are used to refer to people who are living for God and
>> serving God.
>>
>> Because of the following verse, and others, I cannot denigrate the
>> work of Christ in my heart and life when He saved me and changed my life:
>> Acts 10:15
>> 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
>> cleansed, that call not thou common.
>>
>> The Bible actually tells us to think of ourselves as being dead to sin
>> and alive to God ....
>> Rom 6:11-18
>> 11 Likewise reckon [consider] ye also yourselves to be dead indeed
>> unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. [NIV Rom
>> 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in
>> Christ Jesus.]
>> 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should
>> obey it in the lusts thereof.
>> 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness
>> unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from
>> the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
>> 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the
>> law, but under grace.
>> 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but
>> under grace? God forbid.
>> 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
>> servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
>> obedience unto righteousness?
>> 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
>> obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
>> 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
>> righteousness.
>> Since Christ Jesus has come into my life and changed me from the
>> inside out, I CANNOT degrade, belittle, malign, or put scorn upon His
>> handiwork.
>> Eph 2:10 KJV
>> 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
>> works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
>>
>> Eph 2:10 NLT For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in
>> Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long
>> ago.
>>
>> And since I have chosen to identify with what the Bible says I am "In
>> Christ," .... I often affirm these truths about myself and my life.
>>
>> Note: This is not because of anything special about /me/, ....
>> rather, this is who I am because of the wonderful love and grace of
>> God and His mighty power, ... it is about WHAT HE HAS DONE in His
>> wonderful plan of redemption!!!!
>>
>> "I am who God says I am, I have what God says I have, and I can do
>> what God says I can do through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells
>> within me."
>>
>> "I am a new creature in Christ."
>>
>> "I am forgiven of every sin."
>>
>> "I am a child of the Father. He is my Father and I am His child.
>> Nothing can separate me from His love."
>>
>> "I am free from condemnation because I walk after the Spirit of God."
>>
>> "The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from
>> the law of sin and death."
>>
>> "My mind is submitted to the Spirit of God and I am full of God's life
>> and peace."
>>
>> "I am the redeemed of the Lord."
>>
>> "I am sanctified, made holy, and set apart unto my Lord and Savior."
>>
>> "I am wise, righteous, sanctified, redeemed, ... and I reign in life
>> through Christ my Lord."
>>
>> "Greater is He (Holy Spirit) who is in me than he (Devil) that is in
>> the world."
>>
>> Jerry
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Derick Dickens" <Derick@...
>> <mailto:Derick@...>>
>> To: <pastorsforum@... <mailto:pastorsforum@...>>
>> Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 4:51 PM
>> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] the ABc's of RW
>>
>> > Psychology and Biblical Theology:
>> >
>> > I am not a fan of psychology. Yes, I now Dr. Dobson and others who
>> > support it but to be honest, the premise of modern psychology is
>> > antithetical to Biblical Counseling. I do support Nouthetic Counseling
>> > which believe that our major problem is that we are sinners. Granted,
>> > there are legitimate physical issues that need addressing from a
>> medical
>> > standpoint, but besides those issues, psychology assumes that there are
>> > other barriers that are in our way and that that Bible is helpful but
>> > not sufficient in meeting the problems we have today.
>> >
>> > Nouthetic believes the reason we have problems is because we are
>> > sinners. In this counseling, we take a stand clearly that there are
>> not
>> > only right and wrong, but the only way to improve is to have the
>> Word of
>> > God bear on the life of people. Dr. Powlison has a decent article on
>> > the difference here:
>> >
>> >
>> http://sites.silaspartners.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID314526|CHID598014|CIID1941418,00.html
>> <http://sites.silaspartners.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID314526%7CCHID598014%7CCIID1941418,00.html>
>> >
>> > As for self esteem, the problem is not necessarily says but what is
>> > meant by what is said and more importantly what is left out. Self
>> > esteem believes that we are worthy and worth individuals who deserve to
>> > have self worth. They believe that we find our true esteem and
>> worth by
>> > looking inside of us. Yes, we are to love ourselves and we are worth
>> > something... but the question is not asked "Why?" I reject self esteem
>> > because of the "why" which, in my opinion, perverts the love and self
>> > worth as a result.
>> >
>> > Why am I worth anything? First, I do not have worth in and of myself.
>> > God said in His Word I am a sinner who deserves hell. My righteousness
>> > is as filthy rags.
>> >
>> > Secondly, I am worth something because of God alone. I am made in
>> > "God's image", again, it is God who is the focus of my worth not me.
>> >
>> > Thirdly, I am worth something because I was bought with a price, by
>> > God. My worth is focused entirely upon the work of Christ alone.
>> >
>> > Thus, to tell us how good we are based upon some "good inside of us"
>> and
>> > that we love ourselves other reasons is ludicrous. My worth is not
>> what
>> > I should study. The worthiness of God should be the focus of our
>> > attention. Only when we truly love God and see God as the only one
>> > worthy, will we see that the talents we have belong to God and that our
>> > worth is not in ourself but in God.
>> >
>> > Now, I am not saying that we refrain from encouraging people when they
>> > do a good job (which is positive). But we should also remember that
>> our
>> > worth and esteem rests in who God is and not who we are. If we truly
>> > believe God is all powerful and can accomplish all His Holy Will
>> then it
>> > does not matter how talented we are, we can rest assure that God can
>> > accomplish anything with such as I. Who needs to think of themself as
>> > being good and able... when we think of God as good and able.
>> >
>> > Thus, do I love myself. Yes, but that is not because I am worthy or
>> > worth loving. I love myself because of who God is. I am made in God's
>> > image and I was bought by God. I am merely a filthy wretched worm.
>> And
>> > so are you... and I love you too, not because of how good you are but
>> > how great God is.
>> >
>> > DrD
>>
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>>
>
>
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