Saturday, September 8, 2012

Who's Your Daddy


My Utmost for His Highest


'[Our] conflict is waged over turning our natural life into a spiritual life. This is never done easily, nor does God intend that it be so. It is accomplished only through a series of moral choices. God does not make us holy in the sense that He makes our character holy. He makes us holy in the sense that He has made us innocent before Him. And then we have to turn that innocence into holy character through the moral choices we make. These choices are continually opposed and hostile to the things of our natural life which have become so deeply entrenched— the very things that raise themselves up as fortified barriers “against the knowledge of God.” ' CHAMBERS

What Chambers is saying here touches on something that I have observed over the years.  That is our tendency to overlay our faith with our culture .. or natural life.  When we are faced with some circumstance ... we resort to the 'traditions of our fathers'  The way Daddy or Momma did it .. and not what the Word says.  I have said for many years ."I can defame God's name and you say nothing, but if I speak against your earthly father, you are ready to fight!"  Why do you suppose that is?  

We compound this problem when we put a 'religious veil' over our carnality.  So we have a form of godliness, but we are, all the while, denying the power thereof. (2 Timothy 3:5) We find ourselves praising God with our lips, but (even in that praise) denying His power in our lives, preferring rules taught by men. (Matthew 15:8,9)

I am not criticizing you in this but, rather, warning you.  What I am talking about is our nature .. our tendency .. it doesn't matter what culture you are from, what accent you speak with or social heritage you have .... we are all born into a natural life and our tendency is to yield to that life.  

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we are new in Christ .. old things are passed away, all things are becoming new ... but that change is not a passive one, where we do nothing .. it just happens.  This new life is intentional .. it is a discipline .. so the word disciple .... it requires our focused attention .... 

Choose God today ... trust in Him and not in heritage ... Live for Him and let your light shine bright

Bondye Beni Nou

Charley Elgin

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