The Inside War of the Christian!
"The sinfulness of your sin"-this phrase dropped into my spirit upon awakening today. I tried to find it in God's Word, but couldn't. I could have sworn it was in there, but ? Anyway, my point in trying to find it was to see the "context" it was in, and then to seek God about what He was trying to say to me about it.
At first, I thought He was saying that a person needed to realize just how bad their sin was in order for them to really understand what the death of Jesus means for them, so that when they receive Him, they can truly embrace the salvation He won for them. And, maybe that was some of the message. That message is important for sure. I know that He keeps revealing to me more and more of what His death has truly meant, and that we can not take it all in at once. There are layers and layers and layers of understanding His sacrifice. With each layer revealed, there is more gratitude felt, and His grace becomes even more Amazing!!!
But, that is not where He led me. Somehow I was reading an article on Romans 7, and in particular, the verses where Paul talks about the wrestling we all experience between the two nature inside of us; the flesh and the spirit. Put simply, the flesh desires to sin, and our born again spirit wants to do God's will, and so we struggle. What I think the Lord wanted to reassure me of is that although He, by His sanctifying work is progressively cleansing my soul to align it to His will, the struggle will not be over until we go on and be with Him. More and more of His light will shine through us, if we are opened to that soul-crushing work, but we will never be perfected here.
Why did He drop this phrase in my spirit-"the sinfulness of your sin?" He was showing me that it's a good thing that I am distraught over the sin I find myself committing each day. (Yes, each day none of us do it perfectly, and that is sin!) It reveals that my spirit is alive and well, and cares immensely over this grievous reality. To keep "the sinfulness of our sin" in full view can be used to motivate us to continue to let Him do this "sanctifying work" in us, as He takes us from glory to glory in it!!! It puts things in perspective about who we are apart from Him, and can cause us to humble ourselves under His Majesty more fully and truly. It shows our tremendous need of Him, and our frail and pitiful selves.
Another thing this article said, which checks with my spirit, is that we will never get out of Romans 7 ( the conflict of the flesh and spirit) in this life, but "when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ" and that these sins, by His grace, have been atoned for, and so there is "no condemnation."(Rom. 8) This doesn't mean our spirit (the part of us that truly desires the will of God) won't grieve at our sinfulness, it just means that our sins will not condemn us to hell anymore, because we have the blood of Jesus that washes us white as snow, and this cleanliness is seen by God.
Yes, Lord, I am grieved that my flesh is sinful and violates your blessed will and dishonors You. Continue your work in me, blessed Father, so that Your glory will be seen in this humble vessel more and more as time goes on, and that if it is your Will, it will be used to help others know that glory and come to You!!
At first, I thought He was saying that a person needed to realize just how bad their sin was in order for them to really understand what the death of Jesus means for them, so that when they receive Him, they can truly embrace the salvation He won for them. And, maybe that was some of the message. That message is important for sure. I know that He keeps revealing to me more and more of what His death has truly meant, and that we can not take it all in at once. There are layers and layers and layers of understanding His sacrifice. With each layer revealed, there is more gratitude felt, and His grace becomes even more Amazing!!!
But, that is not where He led me. Somehow I was reading an article on Romans 7, and in particular, the verses where Paul talks about the wrestling we all experience between the two nature inside of us; the flesh and the spirit. Put simply, the flesh desires to sin, and our born again spirit wants to do God's will, and so we struggle. What I think the Lord wanted to reassure me of is that although He, by His sanctifying work is progressively cleansing my soul to align it to His will, the struggle will not be over until we go on and be with Him. More and more of His light will shine through us, if we are opened to that soul-crushing work, but we will never be perfected here.
Why did He drop this phrase in my spirit-"the sinfulness of your sin?" He was showing me that it's a good thing that I am distraught over the sin I find myself committing each day. (Yes, each day none of us do it perfectly, and that is sin!) It reveals that my spirit is alive and well, and cares immensely over this grievous reality. To keep "the sinfulness of our sin" in full view can be used to motivate us to continue to let Him do this "sanctifying work" in us, as He takes us from glory to glory in it!!! It puts things in perspective about who we are apart from Him, and can cause us to humble ourselves under His Majesty more fully and truly. It shows our tremendous need of Him, and our frail and pitiful selves.
Another thing this article said, which checks with my spirit, is that we will never get out of Romans 7 ( the conflict of the flesh and spirit) in this life, but "when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ" and that these sins, by His grace, have been atoned for, and so there is "no condemnation."(Rom. 8) This doesn't mean our spirit (the part of us that truly desires the will of God) won't grieve at our sinfulness, it just means that our sins will not condemn us to hell anymore, because we have the blood of Jesus that washes us white as snow, and this cleanliness is seen by God.
Yes, Lord, I am grieved that my flesh is sinful and violates your blessed will and dishonors You. Continue your work in me, blessed Father, so that Your glory will be seen in this humble vessel more and more as time goes on, and that if it is your Will, it will be used to help others know that glory and come to You!!
posted by Patti Blount @ 9:42 AM
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