FEELING TOTALLY "CLEAN" - REPLIES from READERS
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
"normal" Christian life - a life of feeling truly "clean" on the inside
by the blood of Jesus - an actual experience - a constant state
of being. When I read Romans chapters 5 - 8, this experience
glares out to me as the most obvious truth. It is something to
be experienced - not just "theorized" about. A constant "clean"
state on the inside. That is the normal Christian life.
Below are a number of replies from Readers on this topic-
JASON writes:
As a word of encouragement, I have been screaming the message
of deliverance from sin, freedom from bondage, and slavery to
righteousness from Romans 5 - 8 for about the last five years.
The most common response is a list of reasons (actually,
justifications) of why these verses simply CANNOT mean what
they seem to mean. Another response is that simple "mystified"
look - as when one cannot quite process what they have just been
told. Still another sad response is that of sheer anger.
Nevertheless, "He is able to save to the uttermost." The Book of
Revelation declares that He has, "freed us from our sins by His
blood." In yet another place we are told that we "died to sins that
we might live for righteousness."
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MARY BELLE writes:
I just read your word, "My Experience of a CLEAN HEART", and it
is a word that the Body of Christ must hear. If we only lived out
from Romans 6, our lives would be revolutionized. We are not living
the "normal Christian life" because we don't believe that it is
obtainable except through struggle and trying to do our best.
Most of the believers in Christ have never walked or lived according
to what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross for us.
We have no idea what the "new birth" really is or means, and it is
only through those, like you, who have truly experienced this that
the Truth will be known.
Please, Andrew, continue to write the Truth. We have lived the
"sub-normal life" and believed it to be the truth. The lie of satan
must be exposed and the Church of the Living God come into the
complete fullness of who she really is.
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DELYNN writes:
I want to tell you how wonderful it is to hear someone else not only
believe for the fullness of the New Covenant, but to actually preach it.
What little truth we hear from pulpits. The deception that "we are
all sinners" is freely spoken from pulpits while we in the pews
shout "amen!" - not realizing that the New Covenant offers us
freedom from our sin-consciousness. False doctrine disguised as
humility has deprived the Church of holiness, purity, power and the
true knowledge of God because we constantly deceive ourselves
that we can not be holy. Compromise has marched through this
gaping doorway as we agree with such seemingly humble words.
BUT these are the words of pride and unbelief... nothing more than
false humility keeping us blind, naked and poor.... a state far too
familiar for the people of God. We live so far beneath the truth of
who we really are.... a real new creation. Carnality has become
our way of life all the while quoting scripture "I am more than a
conqueror through Christ who loves me."
We have walked as mere men, carnal and blind to our carnality,
not embracing the life of Jesus, much less His death and
resurrection power.
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TERRY writes:
I think your article is exactly right! In fact this has been a normal
life for me. Whenever conviction arises I do something about it and
return to that place of rest and freedom from sin. I don't think there
is any other kind of Christianity, unless a person is willing to live
under conviction of sin and not do anything about it. I'm surprised
you have had a reaction to this article.
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NONNIE writes:
I understand and walk the same. I didn't always. I was raised in
a church that taught that not one person could be free from sin
and repentence---almost moment by moment---was a necessity.
I grew up believing that, if I worked hard enough, repented often
enough, and if God were in a good humor on the day I died, I might
have a chance at heaven. But our Lord is a rewarder of them that
truly seek Him, and He brought me out of that bondage into a wide
place where freedom in Him reigns supreme. Do I never "mess up"?
Well, I'm still alive and still very much human, but I am also very,
very much free from sin by His perpetual grace and the cleansing
power in the blood of Jesus.
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LINDA writes:
Much of these truths aren't taught in a lot of churches... Not death
to self, not the crucified life, and as you know - that's where it all
starts. Many don't know who they are in Christ Jesus, have no
idea we are Clean, Justified, released from our old nature to take
on His nature.
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JEFF writes:
The fact that so few experience this does not mean we should
change the Gospel, so willfully sinning people can feel better about
their relationship with God - so they can feel better than God wants
them to. But I think we also need to give them the tools so they
can live in Romans 8.
I attended an evangelical seminary for a year, hearing over and over
about imputed righteousness, and almost nothing about actual,
overcoming righteousness, and seeing hardly any.
In "Are You Walking in Romans 8?", you preached that we must
have a pure white robe to be normal Christians and to enter heaven.
Isn't this what Jesus said in Revelation 3? But how many U.S.
'Christians' have heard this preached? No wonder the knee/jerk
reaction that some will have when the Biblical standard for going to
heaven is finally taught.
Jesus' heart is grieved, and He wants us to speak out the truth,
even if this offends some people and makes them uncomfortable.
Smith Wigglesworth said, ~"I want to make people either mad or
glad." We must teach what Jesus requires, as well as how people
can live in Romans 8; otherwise, millions who think they are
Christians will be doomed.
I think the most radical difference... is your statement:
> "God gave me a true 'fear of the Lord' from the start, and a deep
>repentance where I literally went right through my life and
>repented of everything I could find that was not godly."
This happened to me, also, over 30 years ago.... I had a healthy
fear of the Lord. If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
how can the church make right decisions about many things if
they don¹t even have the beginning of wisdom. Satan has taken the
fear of the Lord from the American church, and the 'church' is
mostly not really Jesus' going-to-heaven church.
We will see the prophesied revival which will just be a group of
people who are living as true going-to-heaven Christians. Then the
world will know.
I think one of the biggest keys you¹ve learned is to keep your heart
pure, not just your head. But most Americans don¹t understand
this concept. Most pastors don't understand this, yet it's the first
part of the greatest commandment.
The 'church' must repent, and we need to speak what the Holy
Spirit is putting on our hearts to speak. Then we will be one, not
just a few of us, but many. It will be so awesome!!! We will see it if
we don¹t give up.
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ROZAIN writes:
I understood your message and stand with you. Be encouraged it
is a message that satan fights the most (I have seen it) because if
people really get hold of it they will truly understand the sacrifice of
the Blood of Jesus and satan's domination will be broken.
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SHERYL writes:
The pastor of a church I used to attend was talking about this
issue. He said, "I can go days without sinning in any capacity
and when I do I recognize it, repent and forget it." I believe many
people that day thought he was being "holier than thou." But I
understood him. When you live a life of sin before meeting the
Master then you discover after meeting Him that sin is no longer
an issue. And I mean that, it's NOT an issue. The reason is,
there is no TRYING or STRIVING not to sin. It's the outerworking
of the Spirit. When I openly sin, it's a conscious decision
because I'm feeling rebellious and acting out on that emotion.
But I know it and soon feel the effects of that action. I repent.
It's really so easy and so simple. Once I lived in a daily kind of
condemnation because I could never live up to the perfection of
Christ. Now I know that His perfection is in me and it is daily being
worked out so that not only am I aware of it, but so are others. I
don't have to try anymore. It has become as natural as breathing.
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JAEL writes:
I, and many others walk in what I call 'righteousness conciousness'
daily. As for my walk, I keep in communion with my Heavenly
Father at all times, making corrections and receiving forgiveness
as necessary, but staying in His presence always. He shows me
where to correct, where to re-examine myself, when I need to
repent in order to stay in this blessed state. This should not come
as a major upset to anyone. Isn't this how Christianity is supposed
to be? As far as I can see, this is the only way to live... the only
way I'd ever WANT to live. We are new creations... as it says in
another translation..."we are a new species of being, that never
existed before". Humans with God inside. Hallelujah!! I say we
should live in the light, as children of the light..
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BOB writes:
Andrew, you did the best you could, but unfortunately I find the
same results even when I teach and preach it. I assign "The Normal
Christian Life" as a reading to my students in my discipleship
class at the Bible College and they have to read it and critique it.
I don't expect them to necessarily get it the first time around,
though some do. But I do tell them to not cast the book away but
one day, in 5 or 10 years, read it again and then it will click.
Romans 8:4 will become a reality in your life then. Some have
finally, after ten years of teaching it, come to me and said, "Now
I see what you were saying. God has really done it all for us hasn't
He?" Keep writing and preaching Romans 8 brother. It is the
greatest word in the word. Grace is so misunderstood, and hardly
correctly preached; sadly.
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TENNEY writes:
I loved your essay on walking in cleanness. I too experience a
daily walk with the Lord wherein I do not find myself having to
repent all the time. Some things are SETTLED! I was delighted to
hear your story, because I agree, there should be more of this
easy wonderful walk with God.
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KATRINA writes:
At one time in my life I was an alcoholic, drug-addicted prostitute.
I was arrested and in jail when I made a complete and total
surrender to the Lord. He put me in Romans, Chapters 5-8 for
about 3 months continous study and prayer. When I left that jail at
the end of six months I was a set free captive! Today, six years
later, I walk as a new creation that Jesus Christ has made me! I
serve as housemother/counselor in a women's ministry for ladies
coming out of addiction and sin and turning to the Lord for that
victory. I agree with everything that you have "preached"! After all,
"whom the Son sets free, is free indeed!"
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BRAD writes:
Years ago after a wonderful meeting with the Lord in prayer one
night my faith was ignited and my wife would say I went from a 1
to a 10 overnight in my relationship with God. I often shared my
faith with other believers who were constantly contending with my
new faith. One day I was reading thru Romans because of some
contention about the Holy Spirit. I knelt down to talk to God and
He spoke to me and asked me "What do you see?" and I said I
see that I don't have to sin any more, and He said to me "That's
what I wanted you to see". Our Baptism into His death and raised
into His new life should not be contaminated with unbelief or
arguments of "I can't stop sinning, it's too hard". These are lies
that are contrary to the truth. I never knew before that moment
that I was freed from sin through Baptism (Romans ch 6). That
lack of truth in my life was a source of great struggles and self
condemnation for years.
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JUDY writes:
Andrew, Perhaps as well you can post chapter by chapter the
Watchman Nee book, The Normal Christian Life on here for those
on your e-list to read. I am finding that I must read more than once
this book and I also believe that this sinless life as explained in
this book and also in the book of Romans is something that must
be by revelation, not just teaching. It must be "got" as it is so very
deep... hopefully the readers will be able to appropriate the truths
by revelation.
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CANDITA writes:
I finally found someone who believes as I do! I sat at my computer
and cried. I'm not a weirdo after all! I believe it one step further;
When the sanctifying power of the blood of Jesus is activated in
the heart, I believe the "sin-nature" leaves. I can't bring myself to
believe that the "old nature" and the new nature" live in the heart
together. I believe the fight we have in the spiritual realm comes
from the enemy (now on the outside) wanting to get back in. The
desire to sin is not there. There are temptations but it's like water
on a duck's back. I don't believe any Christian should live a yoyo
life (up and down). Another thing that I'm not hearing in the
preaching of the Gospel, is Maintainance - How to Maintain the
Salvation that you receive.... nobody tells you HOW to maintain
what Jesus has given you.
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JEANETTE writes:
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Andrew...you are preaching my
sermon that I have tried to share for some years now and no one
wanted to hear - "after all, we are only human!" I said hogwash
(maybe in not such a polite term!)...we are NOT only human...we
have the divine life of Christ in us and the Cross was all about
being us to the state of walking a holy life - in this life. I John is
one of my favorite epistles for some time now...in fact was going
back through it earlier today. John made no excuses or gave no
quarter to sin. We either are born again or we are not.
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GEORGE writes:
Dear Andrew,
> "Normal" Christianity is this: Walking before God with a totally
> clean conscience and a pure heart - as our 'normal' state before
> Him. -Utterly clean. No STRIVING or "TRYING to be good". This
> is clearly what the New Testament describes as normal. - Literally
> walking before God with "no consciousness of present sin".
Yes, absolutely. That is what we are doing. And if something
"pops up", we take a good look at it (being "transparent" is our
goal) and deal with it. If there is indeed something there, then
repentance and taking authority over it are the order of the day...
and we keep on walking! Is this preached today? Sadly not.
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ANDREW's LAST WORD: You had better believe that this will
be a major - if not THE major doctrine of any coming Revival, my
friends. That is how basic and important it is. Get ready!
God bless you all.