"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."" Romans 1:16-17

Monday, March 8, 2010

Praise Be to God for His Gospel!

I am so thankful for what I have been given in Jesus Christ that I cannot compare anything to it. I have been thinking about how much I am not capable of doing anything good and pleasing to God without God enacting in me with His Spirit. I am a sinner and continue to sin. I am a lustful, hateful, egotistical, self relying man who would be crushed by the wrath of God had it not been for God calling me to His Son in whom I have peace, forgiveness, and justification! I am at a point in my life where I want to experience what the world has to offer more then what God has to offer. I look at the things in which would be truly good in God's sight and think "I am not capable." But, God has enabled me through His Spirit. The Spirit turns within me, sanctifying me and conforming me more and more to the image of Christ, whom I am in and who is in me. I say these things because I look at the things that I want and do not believe I am capable of acheiving them in a God honoring fashion. I do not want to be around others at times because I know that in doing so I may fail to represent that grace which I have been given. I do not want to pursue a sister in Christ for fear of not being able to treat her the way she deserves or that I will only lust after her instead of love her. I find myself not wanting to take up my responsibilities as a man should. I want to give up because I feel burdened. But, Why do I feel this way? I should not have to because no matter what, it is not I who works but it is God through His Spirit that works for me. I must rest in the peace in which this truth brings. That I am already in Christ and that if "God is for us(those in Christ), who could be against us?" I see my weak faith and it must be even so that weak faith or strong is better then no faith at all. "For by grace, through faith are we saved." Not of our works, and so the works I do are a result of this faith and does not create the faith. They are an extension of God's Grace "that I shall live to Thee." This thought comforts me that there is nothing I can do to make God love me more or love me less, because God is the source of where I stand before Him. That however my life is played out, that it is always to God's Glory because from God is was the righteousness that was needed for me to enter His Glory, and from God is the works that come to further Glorify Him, and that even in my unrighteousness, God has given me a heart of flesh that mourns over the evil deeds commited and drives me to Him again and again!

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