I’m going to ask you this question, Eric, because a lot of people ask me this, a surprisingly
large number of people, and it's nothing that I really even realized was an issue, but,
but I've heard it a lot, and I want to ask you what you think about this.
A lot of people have a really hard time, especially in prayer, just with the assurance of their
own salvation and knowing that they're in right standing with God, and because they
question, because they're not sure, because they feel maybe unworthy they just have a
really hard time being consistent and faithful in prayer.
What do you say to people like that? Two things come to mind.
The first thing is is they need a revelation of the word.
They need the spirit to breathe the truth of the scriptures into them so that they are
locked and convicted about it: "I am convinced I am God's Son."
"I am convinced I am loved by Him and accepted by Him completely."
That's number one. Number two, we must recognize that He's
father. He is the father.
And that He is 100 percent at every point wanting us, no matter where we are, even if
you're a prodigal He wants you to run to Him. Anyone who comes to Him can come to Him.
There is no one that is blocked in coming to Him.
And so when we recognize His nature, which is partly found in a revelation of the word,
sometimes some people say, completely found in a revelation of the word, but the
experience of the word if you will. But, that's really what needs to happen
to this person. So you say revelation of the word; give me
some scriptures or description that you feel --
For instance John I 31, you know: "How great of a love it is that He has bestown on us
that we would be called children of God." Not just knowing that, but as you're meditating
upon it, directed by the spirit it breathes into you, and it becomes part of your blood
and pumps through your veins and you're convinced thoroughly that He has loved me in all my
wickedness, in my black heartedness enough to call me His own son and give me His own
spirit so that I might be His own. How about Jesus saying, "He that comes unto
me I will under no circumstances refuse"? Yes, wonderful.
So anyone can come to God, there's no -- there's no barrier, there's no obstruction, there's
no preferential treatment no matter what is in the past, no matter what they've done,
no matter what they've come from everybody has access to God, is that true?
Yes, the lips of the harlot are just as acceptable as the lips of the king on the chalice of
God. That's what Charles Burgess said.
So anyone who wants to drink can come to Him and drink.
The only issue is they have to leave where they are.
In order to come to Jesus you must leave and put behind you the things that you were before.
You have to leave behind you your positive and your negative, your negative and your
positive. No one can come to God saying, "I'm worthy."
You won't come to Him like that. No one can come to God saying, "I'm not worthy."
You have to -- you have to actually put it all behind you and say, "Only He's worthy,
and I come to Him on that basis." Because both those things will stop you from
coming to God: "I'm just not worthy; I can't do it."
The other person says, "I'm worthy, I've done enough, I can get in."
No no no, get your eyes off of you completely and look to Him who died and was slain for
men, to rent the veil so that all can come in.
And that's a really good point because there's some people who have a hard time in prayer
because they feel guilty about their past, they don't feel worthy.
There are other people who have a problem in prayer for, for the opposite problem that
they usually don't even realize why. Their problem is that they do feel worthy,
and their own self-righteousness keeps them out of the presence of God.
Definitely. He has no fellowship with pride.
So let's talk about that for a minute because that's a really powerful subject.
What part does humility play in communion with God?
Humility makes a man dependent. Humility says, "I need God."
That's what I'm in need of. Without Him I cannot come to Him.
I need Him. And so when a humble man recognizes the greatness
of God he recognizes in his aware of God -- humility really is in its basic form is being aware
of God over self. And so when a man turns his attention towards
God that's when a man steps into humility. And the way that that looks is this: "I depend
on you because I recognize it's only you that can do this stuff."
So humility has a fruit, or a way of life and it's dependency.