I’m beginning to see better what you’re talking about; I always believed in what you call “methods”… because for me there were lots of examples in the Bible…
But what I am beginning to understand (and hope it is true) is that if we put these things into practice of ourselves, without God showing it to us (Jesus said that He was only doing what He saw the Father doing – John 5:19), then yes this necessary is only human methods.
But if it is taking authority in one of these “ways” that God will have shown us in this precise moment for this precise situation, while being led in this obedience by the Spirit of God, and knowing that victory is already acquired through Jesus Christ, then it is no longer a method.
Am I moving in the right direction or am I getting lost?

In a time long, long ago I had a boyfriend, who I was very good to. I was, of course, Catholic, and I think he was when I met him, but not going to church. But neither was I. Well, one day, shortly before we broke up — and it’s one of the reasons he left me — was he became “born again.” This was a very, very big thing in the late 70s, early 80s, especially where he worked (the railroad). Anyway, one day he told me that I was going to hell because I wasn’t born again, but that no matter what he did with me it didn’t matter because he was born again and he was saved. The holier than thou attitude stuck with me, and I kept meeting so many like him — some even had storefront ministries and boasted about the tax benefits of having the ministry. into these born-again people with their condemnation and their false smiles. He told me about saying this prayer and accepting Jesus Christ, which I thought was funny because even with twisted Catholic beliefs I was very drawn to Jesus, and I just wanted his words to be the Truth, as I read them. So I really wondered how I could accept him if I didn’t reject him. I saw “Ben-Hur” at a very young age (the re-release, so I would have been around 9, and I was an avid reader and read the book a couple of years later. I can honestly credit that movie and the book for keeping me from losing faith in God, and believing that Jesus was who he said he was. The only real problem I apparently had was trusting God, because the God of the Catholic Church was so incredibly impossible to please, and I was convinced I was lost.

So, anyway, when I left religion I certainly didn’t say any “sinner’s prayer,” and though for a while I continued to cringe at the words “born again,” I now understand what it is — it is not flippant, fast and doesn’t happen overnight. And I’ve since read the stories of folks who did this born again thing back in the day, then the rubber met the road, so to speak, and if they stayed with God they really found out what being born again really is.

Amen!!!! Claire!!

James, that’s a great observation from Carl Bates! Thanks for sharing 🙂

God bless you Linda! Good things are coming for you….