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.