Bearing the cross

[Simon]

The spirit is saved through Christ bearing the cross for me; the soul is saved by my bearing a cross myself. The spirit is saved because Christ lays down His life for me; the soul is saved because I deny myself and follow the Lord. The spirit is saved on the basis of faith: once having believed, the matter is forever settled, never again to be shaken. The soul is saved on the basis of following: it is a life-long matter, a course to be finished
Madam Guyon had these encouraging words to the saints:-
"Let me assure you, this is not attained, save through pain, weariness and labor; and it will be reached by a path that will wonderfully disappoint your expectations. Nevertheless, if you are fully convinced that it is on the nothing in man that God establishes his greatest works,—you will be in part guarded against disappointment or surprise. He destroys that he might build; for when He is about to rear His sacred temple in us, He first totally razes that vain and pompous edifice, which human art and power had erected, and from its horrible ruins a new structure is formed, by His power only."

Praise the Lord!
Simon

[mysticmike]

Bearing the cross,
that was awsome and it helped me a lot. thanks.
-mike

[Simon]

For the whole battle is in our souls. After the fall, the soul went on rampage following the path of indepedence. Satan was most glad for this indipedent ability is his factory and power. Today, through the sure work of the Lord Jesus Christ which restores our spirits we can again rule over our souls into depedence upon Christ within [by the Holy Spirit]. Thus we close out Satan completely. Whether or not we are yet able to accept it as the way of going on with God fully, the fact is that all of the soul’s energies and abilities for knowing, understanding, sensing, and doing will come to an end as we willingly deliver them to the cross. And subsequently, we will stand bewildered, dazed, numbed, and impotent.

Then, we will discover that only a new understanding, only another constraint, and only the Divine enabling will give us the strength to keep us going. In such times, we shall have to say to our souls: ‘My soul, be thou silent unto God’ (Ps.62:5)—‘My soul, come thou with me to follow the Lord.’ But what joy and strength there is when the soul has been constrained to yield to the spirit. Eventually, the higher wisdom and glory, derived from such a suffering experience, will be recognized as its vindication. Then it is that praise and worship will break forth: ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior’ (Luke 1:46). First, the ‘spirit hath,’ and then the ‘soul doth’—note the tenses.”