By your patience possess your
souls. —Luke 21:19
“… many of us prefer to stay
at the entrance to the Christian life, instead of going on to create and build
our soul in accordance with the new life God has placed within us. We fail
because we are ignorant of the way God has made us, and we blame things on the
devil that are actually the result of our own undisciplined natures. […] There
are certain things in life that we need not pray about— […] The Christian life
is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in our flesh.” CHAMBERS
I have known people, and
perhaps I am one myself, who are looking for reasons why they are not
responsible for what happens in their lives.
We want to feel good about ourselves.
That we had no part in the problem we are facing. Certainly it is because we want people to
think well of us, but I think largely it is because we want to think well of
ourselves. What does it mean to be a sinner?
What does it mean to fall short of the glory of God? (Romans 3:23) I mean what does that look like in the living
out, day to day? How much do we play a
part in that sin? If God calls us to
live in a different way than our sinful nature demands then there must be an alternative. And there is.
It begins with us accepting the fact of our sin nature. We are prone to wander. Our sinful nature is not just about what we
do and what we say, it is much deeper than that. It permeates every nook and cranny of our
being. To our innermost thoughts. Many
of us, perhaps most of us, over time are able to control the outside so we have
the appearance of righteousness, even when on the inside, our thought life, is
raging. Jesus addressed this when He
spoke of the hate and lust. (Matthew 5:21-22,27-28) “You have heard
that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who
murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry
with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. […] “You have heard that
it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who
looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his
heart.”
Don’t be surprised or dismayed
when you struggle with your sin nature. You
cannot control it any more after you become a Christian than you could
before. But God can by the power of His
Spirit and His Word. What you can do is
choose to that which you will submit.
Will you submit to your sin or to the Spirit. That is where the courage and determination
comes in. Don’t let your feelings of
guilt keep you from the Father. Sin craves the darkness. The Spirit brings light. Sin brings
separation. The Spirit brings unity and
restoration. Recognize the struggle.
Praise God that there is no longer condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but we live
in these “jars of clay” and in a fallen world.
There is a song that was written by Dale Evans, the wife of Roy Rogers,
that I remember from when I was a young boy – way before I was Christian, “Have
faith, hope and charity. That’s the way
to live successfully. How do I
know? The Bible tells me so. Don’t worry about tomorrow, just be real good
today. The Lord is right beside
you. He’ll lead you all the way.” Funny what you remember. My point. God cleans us up from the inside
out. Prayer, the Word, and fellowship
are key to living the Christian life.
Make it a point to focus on spiritual things during the day or you will
be quickly consumed by your old nature. That is a certainty. Day to day victory over sin does not just
happen. And when you do sin, and you will, don’t try to hide it – confess it (1 John 1:9). Confession is not a revelation to God, it is
agreement with God. People may not know
what you are thinking … what is in your heart, but God does. He knew what you were like and still sent His
Son to restore you. CHARLEY
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