Tuesday, December 30, 2014

When Trying To Be Good Is A Bad Idea




“We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.” CHAMBERS

(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

A common mistake for Christians is to try to live their new life in the power of their old nature.  Christ-likeness is a result of a spiritual transformation that takes place on the inside of us.  It happens when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us. (Ephesians 1:13-14)  And you …. were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” 

You could not be saved through your own effort … and you cannot live the Christian life through your own effort either.  (Ephesians 2:8-10) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” It is a mystery how the transformation takes place .. it is a product of a heavenly equation of (your faith + your obedience + God’s Spirit + Jesus Atonement = transformed life).  You see, we cannot just decide that we will be good or do better next time.  That through our own effort we will be transformed.  Thinking that all we have to do is try harder.  That is simply our depending upon our will to do better .. to be better.  That thinking goes on the pile of unfulfilled New Year’s resolutions.  It’s not gonna happen!

You must put your trust in Jesus … lay down your life … your will … on the altar … transformation happens as the result of your relationship with Jesus.  You cannot ignore Him .. and expect there to be change … You may look good to the world … but be spiritually dead on the inside.  (Romans 12:1,2) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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