A New Way
Maybe I'm slow or dull, but I've seen something a little clearer today. It's not new or anything, and yet it is new in my understanding. I've tried to take the Word of God and apply it to all areas of my life. Not dividing it into secular, and spiritual, but a total view. Last night the admonition of "bringing the body into subjection", "casting down strongholds", "putting off the old man", and other scriptures of "works of the flesh", were brought to my mind.
In the past I would always make a resolution, or commit to working on different areas of struggle, and to some how walk more circumspectly. This would be an act of my will, and would only bring either temporary relief, or total disgust. This I think is an area of much sorrow and confusion in the body of christ.
As I was thinking something was dropped into my mind. The Lord has called us overcomers by, "the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony". "This is the victory, even our faith". This is "a new way". Generally we applaud those who have made great strides in God. And hold them in honor, and esteem them as something beyond our ability. And in a sense we are right, but it was also beyond there ability too.
God has made the way, and it's "the way of grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, so that no man may boast on the day of the Lord". Paul in his letters plainly says that it was the Spirit of grace that was given to him that does the work. So then if there is no boasting of man, then it's all the work of Grace!
For some reason (confusion) I thought that the works of the flesh were some kind of test, to see how much we loved God. Or how committed we were, or how strong we were, or a number of other lies. I don't remember ever thinking, that if I can do it, then who is getting the glory? Is it by my striving, strenght, or will power? Even if I could, then it's become a "work of the flesh"!
I just never "got it" when the flesh was mentioned I thought that was my job. The rest was the Lord's job. Wrong. It's always my job to believe, and to ask for the grace to overcome my flesh, and it's always the Lord's job to acomplish the work by the Spirit! It's no different than asking the Lord to heal a brother. We ask according to his will, the word, and the Lord answers in his love and grace. He's the one who set up this system, and He's the one who gets the Glory!
The weapons of our warfare are "mighty through God", to remove all obstacles. It's the "through God" that I was not seeing, amazing! Just because it said "flesh" I would switch out of the realm of the spirit and faith, and strive in the flesh, dumb, no more of that. Christ is my victory and the captain of my flesh, He will give, and has provided me the victory.
In the past I would always make a resolution, or commit to working on different areas of struggle, and to some how walk more circumspectly. This would be an act of my will, and would only bring either temporary relief, or total disgust. This I think is an area of much sorrow and confusion in the body of christ.
As I was thinking something was dropped into my mind. The Lord has called us overcomers by, "the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony". "This is the victory, even our faith". This is "a new way". Generally we applaud those who have made great strides in God. And hold them in honor, and esteem them as something beyond our ability. And in a sense we are right, but it was also beyond there ability too.
God has made the way, and it's "the way of grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, so that no man may boast on the day of the Lord". Paul in his letters plainly says that it was the Spirit of grace that was given to him that does the work. So then if there is no boasting of man, then it's all the work of Grace!
For some reason (confusion) I thought that the works of the flesh were some kind of test, to see how much we loved God. Or how committed we were, or how strong we were, or a number of other lies. I don't remember ever thinking, that if I can do it, then who is getting the glory? Is it by my striving, strenght, or will power? Even if I could, then it's become a "work of the flesh"!
I just never "got it" when the flesh was mentioned I thought that was my job. The rest was the Lord's job. Wrong. It's always my job to believe, and to ask for the grace to overcome my flesh, and it's always the Lord's job to acomplish the work by the Spirit! It's no different than asking the Lord to heal a brother. We ask according to his will, the word, and the Lord answers in his love and grace. He's the one who set up this system, and He's the one who gets the Glory!
The weapons of our warfare are "mighty through God", to remove all obstacles. It's the "through God" that I was not seeing, amazing! Just because it said "flesh" I would switch out of the realm of the spirit and faith, and strive in the flesh, dumb, no more of that. Christ is my victory and the captain of my flesh, He will give, and has provided me the victory.
posted by pete porter | 2:25 PM
1 Comments:
Wow...that was very insightful and helpful to me today. I struggle with things of the flesh as well and like you, have always thought this area was mine to fail or succeed. I'll have to read your blog again and give it a bit more thought. Thank you for sharing. Have an awesome Friday night!
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