I was asking for some advice re my friend (recently introduced) as she believes she is saved, but has not got the personal relationship with God, the freedom, the joy. She seeks it, cries out for it but it illudes her. She has approached people in the past more learned than me, leaders in churches and their response has uniformly to tell her she is not saved. This has distressed her greatly and she withdrew. <><
Hi Hattie
This may not be much help, but I can only speak from personal experiance as I do not know your friend.
I grew up looking at others in church who seemed to be full of God, but I wasn't. I desperately tried to live a good life for God but I couldn't do it. I was prayed for to receive what is commonly termed the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but to no avail. I felt and saw no power in my life. I heard countless sermons in 'born again' churches, but it made no difference. In the end I gave up with God, believing someone like me could not be a Christian.
Years later I read a book on Grace, and for the first in my life believed I had right standing with the Father solely based on what Christ did for me at Calvary, I was free, my guilt and shame could go, what joy for me who had always felt I was too sinful a person for God to accept or bless.
In the solitude of my bedroom I asked again for the filling of the Spirit, this time believing it did not depend, or hinge on my own personal goodness, but what Christ had done for me at Calvary, I received.
As long as God had first place in my life, I grew, I was happy, happier than I had ever been, and as happy as I saw other Christians. But when God did not have first place in my life that all changed, and at times sent me back to where I had been before Grace discovered me
So what am I trying to say?
Does your friend truly understand Grace? Does she in her heart know she can only ever have one righteousness in God's sight? Faith in Christ. That is the only thing that can ever make her acceptable to God. And she can only truly grow if she looks away from herself, her failings and imperfections and trust Christ to change her by the indwelling Holy Spirit?
Or, does she try and climb that mountain so many try and climb, closeness to God based on her own effort to live a good enough life for him(law)
Or, does she not want to give God from, the heart what he requires of her?
For God requires differently from each of us. We all have our own individual cross to take up, and some are asked more than others.
I have seen often, those who struggle the most can be used the most eventually
However, as Kensys says, the filling of the Spirit is key. I haven't read all of your posts on this, so do not know if your friend has sought this or not
Basically in my own life I have had at times two major Problems
Firstly, I did not understand the truth of the Gospel, and that as I say in spite of hearing numerous sermons, and from those condsidered 'learned' and born again
Secondly, and to my shame I have not for most of my life been prepared to take up my individual cross that has been required of me.
I don't know if you feel any of the above can be related to your friend. But I just wanted to share my own experiance with you on this
God Bless