You can run, but.......

Proverbs 15:3 - The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

I have read that the definition that a sociopath is a person who does not know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. I am not buying that definition! We, all of us, are born in the image of God. This implies the existence of at least a rudimentary conscience that does know the difference, even from childhood, of right and wrong.

So, and I am talking here about myself, too, we can try to sweep our sinful nature under
the rug, we can hide it in the closet, we can camouflage it with good deeds, we can even
try to convince our sinful selves that something isn't a sin....yet, if God counts the hairs
on our heads, knows our every tear, understands what we want and need even before
we seek it...how can we REALLY think that He doesn't see our sin before it rears its
ugly head?

That creates a big dilemma! The fact is that we will continue to sin even after becoming
one who loves Jesus and asks for His grace and salvation. That's a real kick in the pants!
Try as we might, and I believe we honestly do want to please and honor Jesus, sin just
refuses to go away. Blame it on Eve, on the devil, on temptation....it's always a battle to
avoid that fight it.

So what can be done?

Well, the Holy Spirit helps us by convicting us when we sin. You have felt it...it's more than
guilt. You give in and 'wham!' you immediately know that you have lost a battle, disappointed yourself and added another sin to the back of Jesus as He hangs on that
tree. Nasty stuff, that!

We can immediately repent and ask God, who already knows about the sin, to forgive
us as we try to turn away from the sinful act, idea, thought... the list goes on! Giving our
direct plea for forgiveness is what we are told we must do as fist step in sin removal.

Just the knowledge that God has, from before the beginning of time, prepared a
way for us to escape His wrath by substituting Jesus, a perfect lamb, for us through
His sacrifice upon the cross, has to give us confidence that we can strive to be thankful
by challenging our sin as a way of thanking God's grace.

Even the apostle of the gentiles, Paul, admitted that he fought the fight and still came
up short. The key is that he fought, battled and strove to eliminate as much sin as
possible with the help of God.

Praise to God always and forever! May we live each day battling the sin that corrupts
us!

The Wondrous Spirit of Holiness

Isaiah 11:2 - And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD...

Yes, we have a spirit within us because we have been given this gift as a member of
the body of Jesus. He is a spirit person so we won't find him in an x-ray or a scan. I am
learning more about this member of the Trinity; the one that is in constant contact with
us, as the Father and Jesus reside in Heaven. The more I learn about Him, the more 
glorious and important He is to all of us.

In reading a book by Bryan Chapell called Praying Backwards, I have come to
understand, a little more clearly, more of the things the Spirit does for us, often
in ways we do not perceive. The book, obviously, is about prayer, God's invention-
the first Wireless Communication System. Praying is a wonderful gift given us by the redemptive work of Jesus that allows us to be allowed to petition God, to ask, seek
and knock with the assurance that He is listening, will answer and is pleased when we
come to Him in prayer.

The problem, it seems, is that people like me are basically ignorant when it comes to
how to pray and what to pray for. The apostle Paul admitted that even he was not sure
about correct prayer. One overlying answer seems to be that we tend to mold our
prayers into our will instead of God's sovereign will.  Well, we are blessed because this
Spirit within us intercedes and molds out prayers into ones that are acceptable to God
and that fit His providential will and purpose. He is our divine translator! He understands
God because He is God. What a wonderful person to rely on.

This spirit is also essential in helping us attack our sinfulness. He is the one who
allows us to recognize our sins; in a real sense, He is our second conscience, if you will,
challenging us by making us aware when we sin. Left to out own devices...well, you
know how that works. 

I'm still in the early stages of learning about this wonderful counselor and am looking
forward to being more aware of Him. 

Isn't it so amazing that the more we learn about God, about Jesus and about the
Holy Spirit, the more amazed we are and the more we love the Trinity.

Praise and Thank our Majestic Lord God!

Two steps forward...one step back!

Matthew 5: 12-14
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

It's been a frustrating week. As we travel along this road to becoming more like Jesus, we are a Christian work in progress. the "work" being done is being done To us, not By us. That, fortunately, is the blessed job of the Holy Spirit, the worldly active member of the trinity of God. In some cases, there is a lot of work to be done; it's probably not going to be finished anytime soon. I'm talking, here, about me!

This week I was fortunate enough to be challenged, lovingly, by two people who are the love of my life, my daughter and son-in-law. They were loving enough to gently, but firmly, discuss some real issues...sins that were creeping into prominence. I could suggest that I had absolutely no idea that they were showing up in my actions and thoughts, but that would not be true. I realized that they were there, and I was giving into them. I guess that shows that not all sinfulness is hidden, unknown and subtle, even when we truly wish to be living lives of righteousness.

Well, I was so fortunate that they cared enough to "convict" me of these issues; to be honest, I was crestfallen because I do not wish to be sinful! The problem is...I am. We all are. It's our fallen human nature. We move ahead, try hard, pray to be just, and then sin just reappears and slaps us up side the head.What's to be done?

I think the realization that becoming more Christ-like is a long one that requires persistence, giving in to the knowledge that we aren't going to achieve it on our own, praying that we will be open and anxious to repent and turn away when we realize sin has reappeared, are all steps in the process.

The key is Jesus! In remembering what He has done in our behalf.. it is a crucial life goal to please Him. To do that which brings honor and glory to Him. To not pile additional sins on those blessed shoulders or that cross of grace. He deserves better than our sinfulness! He is our Lord and King, worthy of our best.

Pray along with me, that in Jesus' name, the Holy Spirit will bless us with His continuing efforts, His loving guidance, and, when needed, His honest adjustment.