- The Paradox of History
- The Essence of God
- Raw Material
- Available People
- Humility
- Spiritual Gifts
- Meekness
- Baptisms
- Three Functions of the Believer
- Ambassadorship
- Seven Figures of Christ and the Church
- The Mature Believer and Personal Accountability
- Tongues as a Spiritual Gift
- Prophecies of Jesus Christ in the Psalms
- The Perspective of Grace
- Discipleship
- Blessing and Reward
- How to Redeem Time
- Dispensations Timeline
- The Rapture
- The Day of the Lord and The Day of Christ
- The Good Fight of Faith
- Suffering
- Decisions
- No Truce
- Peace
- 10 Principles of Warfare
- God is Able, God Is Faithful
- Present Session of Christ
- Religion: The Enemy’s Ace
- Power In Us
- Faith
- Small Things
- Five Techniques (to spirituality)
- Eight Sabbaths
- Faith-rest
- Strange Tests
- Daily Disciplines
- The Faith-rest Technique
- Three Sources of Temptation
- Divine Wisdom
- The Value of Wisdom
- Evil
- The Royal Code
- The Character of Grace
- The Cross to the Crown
- Water and the Spirit
- Spirituality
- Synonomous Terms
- Reversionism and Recovery
- Soul Strengths and Soul Kinks
- Discipline
- Seven Steps of Spiritual Advance
- The Race of Life
- The Will of God
- The Old Sin Nature
- Energized Prayer
- Abiding: Absolute Thinking
- God’s Faithfulness
- Salvation in The Book of James
- “All things work together …”
- Biblical Spirituality
- Dispensations
- Death
- Endurance
- Essence of God Acronym
- Eternal Security
- Fellowship with God
- Five Commands for Christian Soldiers
- Five Factors of Effective Faith
- Five Techniques of the Christian Way of Life
- Five works of the Holy Spirit
- Five Works of the Spirit in Regard to the Word
- Free Will
- Freedom
- God is Able
- God Revealed
- Greek
- Hebrew Words for Faith
- Hermeneutics
- Imitation of Christ
- Man’s Barrier with God
- Parakaleo
- Seven Steps of Spiritual Recovery
- Seven Steps of Spiritual Retreat
- Spiritual Flexibility
- Spiritual Rest
- Stages of Spiritual Growth
- Take up Your Cross and Follow Him
- The Blood of Christ
- The Call of God
- The Daily Care of the Soul
- The Doctrine of Sin
- The Good Soldier of Jesus Christ
- Christ’s Work on the Cross
- The Church
- The Holy Spirit and Christ
- The I AM Sayings of Christ
- The Importance of the Word of God
- The Overcomer
- The Plan of God
- The Spirit in the Old Testament
- The Way of Salvation
- The Way to be Salt and Light
- The Words of Jesus
- The Work of Christ on the Cross
- Using the Physical to Learn the Spiritual
- Ways of Learning
- The Christian Way of Life
- The Christian Walk
- Scriptural Proof of the Pre-tribulation Rapture
- The Five Crowns
- Jesus Christ in the Tabernacle
Seven Steps to Spiritual Recovery
Jam. 4:6-10
PRINCIPLE: “But He gives greater grace. Therefore the scripture says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble‘”. (Jam. 4:6)
THE FIRST STEP IS SPIRITUAL SUBMISSION TO GOD. The word here means to “Take your rightful place in rank”. This is a total and unconditional release of any right or claim to your life. It is “Putting Jesus Christ on the throne of your life“. (1Pe. 3:15)
IN THIS SUBMISSION, WE CAN NOW RESIST THE DEVIL. This resistance is in the power of faith, in the filling of the Spirit. Satan will try to hinder our recovery. We must lay aside “entangling sins” (Heb. 12:1), “come to our senses” (Luk. 15:17) and “escape the snare of the devil” which captivates us. (2Ti. 2:26)
WE CAN NOW BEGIN THE JOURNEY HOME AND DRAW NEAR TO GOD. Just as the Father in the story of the prodigal (Luk. 15:11-32), God is awaiting our return. Once we start home, He will meet and welcome us. This is the point where we begin applying the steps of 2Pe. 1:5-7.
RECOVERY DEMANDS CORRECTION OF HABITS AND ACTIONS. The hands here speak of what we do. “Cleanse” is “to wash“. This requires confession of deeds done (1Jo. 1:9) and washing our actions in applying the word. (Eph. 5:26)
THERE MUST ALSO BE THE PURIFICATION OF DOUBLEMINDED ATTITUDES. This “doublemindedness” (Jam. 1:8), is a wavering between God’s will and our own will. “Thy Will” (Mat. 26:39) must take precedence over “my will” (Jam. 4:13-15, Isa. 14:12-15). This decision must take place for true revival; see 1Ki. 18:21.
ONLY BY THE TRUE REPENTANCE WILL ONE ENDURE THE LONG JOURNEY HOME. The path of spiritual recovery is often painful. We must face all of the bad decisions made in departing from the will of God. The key phrase is “be turned“, the root idea of repentance. What provided “laughter” on the way down, now becomes a cause of “mourning and weeping” as we return to God. Compare Jesus’ words, Mat. 5:4, Mat. 5:8.
WHEN WE ARE BACK IN HIS PRESENCE, HUMILITY WILL CARRY US TO BLESSING. The “presence of the Lord” is the completion of our recovery. Jonah “fled from the presence of the Lord” (Jon. 1:3), that is, the plan for God for us as far as location, function and attitude. As with the prodigal, we are now fully equipped to serve and enjoy fellowship with the Father, for His plan for us never changes. (Rom. 11:29)
APPLICATION: Whereas Jam. 4:10 speaks to the believer after recovery, 1Pe. 5:6 gives the same instruction, but to one “under the mighty hand of God“. Compare David in Psa. 38:1-2.