Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Who Are You Listening To, The Spiritual You Or The Natural You?



…work out your own salvation…for it is God who works in you… —Philippians 2:12-13

{CHAMBERS} “Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, “But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God.” Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say “I will not obey” is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin. The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. […] With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. […] God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.”

{ELGIN} Most days, I edit the Chambers quotes down to its essence and then comment on it.  But, today, there was so much that he said that was right on point, I left most of the devotion in the quote.  As it happens, I had lunch with a Brother yesterday.  Our conversation focused primarily on the issue of will.  Knowing what God wants you to do and you not wanting to do it.  Not the spiritual you but the natural you.  The you that is in constant battle with the spiritual.  The you that Paul describes in Romans 7 that knows what the right thing is, but chooses the wrong instead.  Was there ever a ride at the amusement park that you feared, but one day you got on the ride anyway?  In spite of everything inside you stoking your fear that tragedy was looming ahead?  That is the essence of acting in faith.  Your flesh is saying “no”, but your spirit is leading you to a place where you will not be able to trust in yourself, but must fully lean on Jesus.  Will and pride, they are like two peas in a pod.  It is hard to distinguish apart them sometimes, but their influence nearly always has the same result .. I choose me .. not God.  I choose to stand on the ground and watch others be flung about, wide eyed, mouths open, hands raised .. I see fear and delight at the same time.  How is that possible?  It’s not natural it’s supernatural.  It’s faith in action.  What is it that you have said “no” to that you know is the unction from God?  As my friend said, he was feeling a bit like Jonah.  He knew the reason he said “no” did not have a good reason behind it.  It never does when it comes to faithing God. 

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