Victorious Living Part 4 Kathryn Kuhlman Faith and Humaness

In previous Heart to Heart Talks, we've been discussing this thing of a victorious life. And remember something. The victorious life is not something which is obtained once and for all. This marvelous victory, this glorious... A life of constant peace and constantly being on top of things is a victory that's secured from moment to moment by a moment -by -moment faith. There's a constant victory for the believer so long as he trusts Christ entirely. Only so long. It isn't something that you get all at once and then you sit back and just rest in it and pull in your oars and say, well, I've gotten a good dose of it now and I've been injected with this thing of victory and now it's a once -for -all proposition. It isn't like that at all. The very moment that simple faith is lost, that moment the victory over sin is broken. And the sooner that you and I understand this fact, the better off we'll be. And it's just like that. And if you're one of God's children, if you've been born again, if you're a Christian, more than... Anything else. You desire this glorious victory. The victory over discouragement. The victory over sin. The victory over the enemy of your soul. The victory over temptation. There's nothing more thrilling than to live a consistent Christian life. Moment by moment. with peace of mind and peace of soul. I might have knew that there'll not be deep waters or troubles or problems. You see, I'm so well aware that we are a part of humanity, that there will be problems as long as we're in the flesh, that there will be troubles. Not only troubles, the Word of God says, but tribulations. I have them. You have them. I don't care how deeply spiritual you may be this very hour. I still promise you that so long as you are a part of humanity, as long as you're in this flesh and still living in this world, there will be problems. You will have troubles. And that's the reason that every time I come into your home, I always say, no matter what those troubles are, no matter what your discouragements might be, as long as God is still on his throne and hears and answers prayer, but you'll remember I never stopped there. You do not stop there. The whole responsibility is not God's. We continue, and the next part is what is so vitally important. And as long as your faith in Him is still intact. Remember that. You know, so many of us like to put the whole responsibility on God. And all we see is the bigness of God. That's thrilling. I could not agree more wholeheartedly than that. He's still God Almighty. His promises are still true. And they work. He still has all power in heaven and in earth. He still holds the key to every problem in that life of yours. But it's a two -way proposition. His part and your part. It's your faith in him. Your faith in his promises. Your faith to believe that he'll keep those promises. a moment -by -moment walk of faith on your part. And as long as your faith in him, in his promises, is intact, then you can say all things work together for good. Then you can say, I have victory in Christ Jesus. Then there will be peace of mind at all times. Then there will be victory over temptation and over sin. It's just like that. Now, let's come down to something very practical and something that isn't talked about very often. Do not assume. infallibility. You'll say, what in the world do you mean by that? Well, I can just picture many of you folks smiling at such a ridiculous counsel. I know that when I said, do not assume infallibility, that there are those who'll say, why, I wouldn't think of assuming the fact that I am infallible. Just a minute. There's a real danger in this, in both your life and mine. Oh, there's such a joy in unbroken communion with our Lord, and often such a wonderful consciousness of His power in His presence. Not our power, but that of the indwelling Christ. But I want you to know, there is a danger of our supposing that we always know God's will in any matter and that we are always right. Haven't you met folk? They're so spiritual that they're just dead sure they can never make a mistake. They're so sure. of the indwelling Christ. They are so sure of their knowledge of the Word. They are so sure of their relationship with Him. They are so sure that they are infallible in making any decision that it becomes a danger. I remember. A man, a very marvelous Christian, once telling of an occasion that he had to live with four consecrated men of God. They were all consecrated. All of them far more experienced in holy living than himself. And there was one of them that was indeed deeply taught of God. And he used to spend long hours in prayer. And I have found this to be true, that those who will boast, I say that advisedly because I always sort of feel that one is being very boastful. And I'm not saying this to be critical. Please believe me. But just consider with me. When someone says, I spend four hours every day alone on my knees in prayer. And after you've heard them tell it about 50 times, you sort of get the feeling that they're boasting about it, you know? Now, please believe me, I'm not being critical. That's wonderful. But I would appreciate it far more if you spent an hour, two hours, three hours, four hours a day alone in prayer and just keep it to yourself. And you don't have to tell the whole world about it because there will be the results. And you won't have to talk about it. The people around you, your family, Those with whom you come in contact will see the result of that time spent in prayer. And you will not have to impress anyone by your spirituality by telling them the time that you spend along with God in prayer. Well, anyway, this one man was the kind who spent. hours alone in prayer, and he always assumed that in all things he had the mind of Christ, and that any proposal which conflicted with his ideas must certainly be wrong. He had to be right at all times because of the amount of time that he spent. along with God. He assumed that he was a little more spiritual than the rest of them. And sometimes, you know, he was right and sometimes he was wrong. And no matter how spiritual any of us may be, there are times when we can be wrong. We're still human. Nobody's always right all the time. And then one morning, He very quietly said, Now, I want you to know that in this decision, you'll have to choose my decision because I've spent more time alone with the master, and I know I'm right. One of the group said, Oh, my dear Jim, some of us think that we also are lit. a god. Do not misunderstand me. Remember, we all can be wrong because as a human being, it's possible that we can be fallible. For there's only one who is infallible. And that's Jesus Christ. You see, he always assumed that he was absolutely guided by God in all his proposals. The best of us is not a little deaf spiritually sometimes. And we do not always catch God's message. Just as the deaf... person does not always catch the right message from a telephone. It's true. You perhaps have someone who's a little deaf in your family, and if that one's answering the telephone, that one is liable to make a mistake because of their deafness. It's very easy for them to get the wrong number. And so it is also true that we are a little deaf spiritually sometimes. There must be a perfect doing of God's will before there is a perfect knowing of the doctrine. Let us recognize that we are fallible. We may be mistaken sometimes. This does not mean that the majority is always right. For remember the word of God, ten men once said, we're not able to go up against the people, for they're stronger than we. If the majority is always right, then they would have been right. They were the majority. And the ten said, We're not able to go up against the people. They're stronger than we. And only two urged and said, Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it. Read it. It's in the Old Testament. Numbers, the 13th chapter, the 30th verse. The people sided with the ten, and years of misery and rebellion ensued, because the two were right and had the mind of God. But again I say to you, and I say to myself, do not assume infallibility. Any one of us can be wrong, regardless of how spiritual we may be. Now, here's another thing. Oh, I know these little heart -to -heart talks are practical. That's the reason we call them old -fashioned Missouri cornbread. But these are the things that help us grow. These are the things that are not discussed very often, you know. Oh! we like to hear about the wonderful mountaintop experiences. Those are glorious. We like messages regarding the Holy Spirit. But remember, even after that wonderful mountaintop experience that Peter, James, and John had, as they saw Jesus transfigured before the very eyes, and they saw Moses and Elijah, yet even after After that wonderful experience, they still had to come down the mountainside. Down to good, practical, everyday living. And that's what I'm talking about. Everyday living. We cannot ignore this world. Because we do not have to become a part of it. but we're still in the world. Jesus himself said exactly that when he prayed for us as he came in the presence of the Heavenly Father. In that glorious prayer, the prayer that Jesus prayed, it's his prayer, and he was praying for us. Oh, Father, Holy Father, I pray that thou, shouldest not take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. We are not to become a part of the world. But that does not mean that we are not in the world. We are. We're in the world. and we cannot just close our eyes and ignore it. Our father said that he had an experience with a little boy. He asked the question, do you think it's wrong of me to play marbles with my little boy of four? What a question. Do you think it's wrong for me to play marbles with my little boy of four? He was a Christian. He was a saint of God. I wonder what you would have said. I wonder how you would have answered him. I get questions like this every day of my life. I knew in that moment, it would delight the heart of satan if he could persuade all holy sanctified people that all pleasures were sinful and there's some folk who feel that way dear man of god by all means play marbles with your little boy if you are not tempted to cheat If you're tempted to cheat, then that becomes sin to you. And no matter what you do, how innocent the thing may be, you can make sin of anything. I don't care what it is. You can make sin of anything. We're living not only a spiritual life, but a bodily life. And whether we like it or not, a very large part of our time and interest is taken up with things which concern the body. Men living the victorious life are the happiest, the most human of all people, overflowing with the joy of the Lord, bubbling over with innocent fun and mirth. I believe that God's children should be the happiest people in the whole world. I believe it's very inconsistent that as a Christian you go around with a long face. A depressed attitude. Your very presence throwing off depression, despondency. I'm glad I don't have to live with you. I'm so glad I can't stand to be around people. who can't smile, who do not have the joy of the Lord. It's a wonderful world. This thing of living a Christian life is a wonderful life. You can still smile in spite of circumstances. The joy of the Lord is your strength. And that's the word of God. We are to rejoice evermore. And that means that we're to begin now on earth. Dear me, these people who enjoy being long -faced, I don't see how in the world they're going to enjoy heaven. Because there's going to be laughter. It's eternal joy in heaven. is kind of like our salvation. We don't wait until after death has come to become the sons of God. No. Now, beloved, are we the sons of God. Right now. This very moment. I haven't passed over into the other world. I'm still here in bodily form, in the flesh, in the world. Yet now, beloved, am I the Son of God. I do not have to wait until I get home to heaven to be happy and to rejoice. The joy of the Lord is my strength now, right here on earth at this very moment. Start enjoying your inheritance. In Christ Jesus.