... I should [not] boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. —Galatians 6:14
“If I dwell on the Cross of Christ, I do not simply become inwardly devout and solely interested in my own holiness— I become strongly focused on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord … did not physically cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. In fact, He was so much in the common everyday world that the religious people of His day accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual power. The Spirit of God has set a great many people free from their sin, yet they are experiencing no fullness in their lives— no true sense of freedom. The kind of religious life we see around the world today is entirely different from the vigorous holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally (see John 17:16). Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
I have known a good number of Christians who have made tremendous errors in spiritual judgement. Those errors have derailed their lives and brought grief and heartache … sometimes that lasts a lifetime. And yet, they persist in making the same choices based upon their emotions … their desire to “fix" the problem themselves or perhaps content to satisfy the need that seems to dominate their lives. Although they may sing “Jesus loves me this I know” … time and again they disprove their sincerity, by choosing their own path and solutions over the path that God has laid out for them (Proverbs 16:9)
They quench the Spirit and listen to their flesh. They ignore the Biblical counsel of their friends and family … and repeat the same mistakes that they have made in the past with, predictably, the same result. When I see this happening, my heart breaks because I know the joy they have rejected for the trouble that they will inevitably embrace as they suffer the consequences of their choices. Does that sound dismal? That’s because it is. God has called us out of that life. But our faith must be more than a philosophy … a “get out of hell free” card. The great gift we have came with a price .. Jesus on the cross .. yet even that is a distant thought for many. That truth is not enough to motivate many to choose God .. to follow the Spirit .. to sacrifice the flesh.
So why does that happen? For one reason, most of us do not separate ourselves from our old life. It’s one thing to be in the world as a Christian. It’s quite another to continue to participate with the world. To embrace what we know to be sin in an effort to secure the world’s substitute for God’s acceptance, will and way. The interesting thing is that although I might speak to the wayward Christian to encourage them to draw close to Jesus, only the Spirit of God can bring conviction to their hearts and only they can yield to that conviction and turn to God in repentance.
So what to do. Well. Be an example. Love them .. not their sin … like Jesus. Pray for them. And bear the hurt in your heart as you watch them struggle with the impossibility of the life they have chosen. Jesus spoke to the problem … the Apostles wrote about the problem to the churches .. so it is not a new problem in our generation. It is the eternal struggle between the flesh and the Spirit natures. The nature that you feed is the one that will dominate.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
No comments:
Post a Comment