Mere Christianity: Quote 3 of 5

3. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years." pg 56-57.

Man, oh man!"No fun" is a huge, giganormousgantic (pronounced gee-GAH-nor-mass-GAN-tic) understatement! My previous post talked about a recognition of sin being needed in order for repentance and salvation to become a possibility for someone. And what does that come with? A guilty conscience!! To know better is to do better but when you don't, do better that is, that nagging kicks in. You know what I'm talking about, right? 

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I found myself focusing on that first sentence of the quote and wrote out so much about it and then it hit me; the weight of the quote lies in the last sentence. I can't take all the credit for this a-ha moment as it took prayer to open my eyes to this. Thanks be unto You oh God

Scroll back up and read it again. Meditate on it real quick before you read on. Please. 

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Unlearn, as per Google, is defined as to "discard (something learned, especially a bad habit or false or outdated information) from one's memory." This definition is so on point as it embodies the work involved in this journey towards holiness and righteousness; a conscious turning away from one thing in order to attain another (discard). Salvation is immediate but this thing we call deliverance is a daily, progressive journey.

Let's go back to the quote again. That part that states "training... for thousands of years" is so loaded. Romans 5:12-14 states: 

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—  (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come."

So from Adam's time, the fleshly nature, rooted in pride and self-will has enforced and reinforced sinful habits as our normal desire. Therefore, when the Gospel is introduced it often feels almost foreign and difficult to integrate it into our lifestyle. But with time and consistency, we take on a new normal, anchored in love for and obedience towards God.

Going back to repentance...  The word "sorry" was foreign to me in high school. I would rather tell you "my bad" which itself was a stretch than acknowledge my wrong and sincerely apologize. Why was it so hard to do the right thing which would've taken less a minute to just confess to one another and/or to God when we've been in the wrong?? "Training.... for thousands of years." 

I get it now and not just from a practical standpoint but spiritually too where the opposite is just as true; "God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant (Romans 5:20)." 

So for thousands of years a new way - THE WAY, was being enforced and reinforced, shared and spreading like wildfire across the earth. "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20)"

No more excuses, can you vow that? 

Reinforcing sin or righteousness comes with it's struggles, one towards death and the other towards life (Romans 6:23).

Pick your struggle; choose wisely. 

1 Peter 5:6 - "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..."

Grace and peace. Amen.

Where's Wisdom?

I started this evening's study with the intention on finishing up Psalm 139 which I had started a little over a week ago. As is usually the case, I got sucked into all these other awesome scriptures that went along with it. Needless to say, I never finished that chapter. So anyway, I log on to BibleGateway.com ; I love using their parallel bible capabilities. And BAM! As soon as I got on the homepage, I went no further; happily sidetracked again. They usually post a verse of the day and today's was:

“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Jeremiah 33:2-3 NIV

Awesome verse in and of itself but it held even more weight today. Here's why: I literally just finished reading (longest, coolest title ever) Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will OR How to Make a Decision without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in The Sky, etc. by Kevin DeYoung this morning and he writes: 

"Isn't it interesting that we are never told in scripture to ask God to reveal the future or to show us His plan for our lives? But we are told - in no uncertain terms - to call out for insight and to cry aloud for understanding.  In other words,  God says, "Don't ask to see all the plans I've made for you. Ask me for wisdom so you'll know how to live according to My Book."

This was the quote that stuck out most to me and I love that the scripture above gave me a reminder that prompted me to meditate more on what this really means. Even more, how to make it applicable to my life daily! The last post i wrote on was about the Holy Spirit and how we cannot do anything contrary to the flesh and it's sinful ways without His help. This is one area that we need His help in more than ever!

3 steps though Mr. DeYoung highlights to help in this process of gaining wisdom:

Pray: Invite the Holy Spirit who authored the Bible and who lives every minute within you, to guide you and open you up to receive understanding.

Search the scripture: No greater wisdom can be found on this earth than in the Holy Bible.

Seek Counsel: Not just advice but wholesome words from bible believing-and-living people who know you and who have your best intentions at heart.

All of these work ONLY if WE remain TEACHABLE. So let US:

"Therefore humble [ourselves] under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt [us] at the proper time, casting all [our] anxiety on Him, because He cares for [us]." 

1 Peter 5:6-7

Grace and peace good folks!

I Want the Power

• To Know Him and to make Him known

• Influence trumps emotions

• Rely WHOLLY on the Holy Spirit

Yup, these are the three main lessons I've been 'chewing on and trying to digest' these last few months. And not just as separate concepts but as interconnected principles that thrive on one another for complete fruition. 

       For the first point, that is all God's will for our life is. I mean, the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19) is accomplished this way; we learn the Word and ways of the Lord and we go forth and teach others about the same. Simple as that. Okay, maybe not thaaaaat simple but you get what I mean. This is the basic, underlying message and process that we should all be engaged in as believers. 

Clearly, it will manifest differently in our lives since we each have different platforms to share the message, personalities, experiences and testimonies. But again, there should be this common thread of conscious effort being put into understanding God's glory more and then sharing it with others (2 Tim. 2:15), especially non-believers.

       This is where the second point comes in. Whether we feel like it or not, whether we are having a 'good' day or not, whether we are experiencing trouble on every side or not, we are still called to be the light in this dark place. We are the "salt of the earth" as per Matt. 5:13 and when we lose sight of this, the word says we're basically good for nothing!

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1 Pet. 2:9-10 calls us God's special people specifically chosen to declare His praises. So then who are we declaring this praises to?? The New Living Translation (NLT) version puts it this way "As a result [of being God's chosen] you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light." God saved us to be His spokespeople to save others. Think about your salvation story. Whether your parents brought you up in church, a grandmother, a student on campus, a random stranger etc., SOMEONE brought you the good news. Who will you bring it to then?

       Lastly, all this cannot be accomplished without the ever-sweet and oh-so-powerful helper and comforter, the Holy Spirit. For "it is the Spirit who gives life. The Flesh is no help at all" John 6:63. Another version puts it this was, "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing." As WE, on our own, can do nothing; NO thing. No thing at all. Another Selah moment right there! 

       I've met and spoken to so many people who do not want to accept that they technically still are wretches but the Spirit is He who is working in us, "giving [us] the desire and the power to do what pleases [God]" Phil 2:13. Ummmm, it's biblical guys! If that's not the case, why do believers still sin? Read through Romans 7 and really contemplate what you're reading. Take time to study it verse by verse if needed. The flesh is constantly warring against the Spirit. If the Christian life was easy or without any faults, then Jesus wouldn't tell us to take up our crosses DAILY and actively pursue and follow Him. Even Paul says in Rom. 7: 25 that "In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." Paul was a BOSS in the gospel so if he calls himself a slave to sin, aren't we all?

       Anywho, I digress. The verses above clearly highlight how the Holy Spirit is the one who works within us, to be obedient to the Lord; to renew our mindset and desires to align with Christ's, and to be able to carry out the task of disciple making. Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8 are my staple verses right  now: 

 "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high"

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

***** Meditate on these and we'll touch on it some more soon. Until then, grace and peace :)

Words to live by...

My sissy text me this and I had to share. Be blessed and encouraged!

Someone has written these beautiful words. Read and try to understand the deeper meaning of them.

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout life.

2. Why is a car's windshield so large & the rear view mirror so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

3. Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes a few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4. All things in life are temporary. If they are going well, enjoy them, they will not last forever. If they are going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

5. Old friends are gold! New friends are diamond! If you get a diamond, don't forget the gold! To hold a diamond, you always need a base of gold!

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart; it's just a bend, not the end!"

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when God doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in YOUR abilities.

8. A blind person asked God: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles; it takes away today's PEACE.

If you enjoyed this, please pass it to others. It may brighten someone else's day, too...