These spiritual principles are “doom and gloom” apart from another one that says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
The Bible clearly makes these principles absolutes. That is, when it says “everyone” it means everyone. This does not exclude those people who do not believe them and who say “These things are true for you, but they are not true for me.” When God says everyone, He means those who listen and those who refuse to listen, those who deny Him and those who believe.
For those who believe, God sets us free from the law of sin and death because Jesus died for us; our penalty is paid. However, we still live by spiritual principles. We are saved by grace, not works, perhaps the most important of them. I cannot fall back into a works-based salvation and enjoy the power of God in my life.
For that, I put another principle right up at the top of the list. It is this: When I confess my sin, God is faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. This principle changes my life and shows me the power of God.
Last week I confessed some long held habits and found that God, as always, did His part. I began to realize a definite change, and have been somewhat overwhelmed by it.
However, this week I discover another principle, one that I didn’t think applied to me. In the New Testament, Jesus said that if a demon is cast out and the spot it left remains vacant, it will return with seven more, all worse than itself. This is usually applied literally in that if someone has a demonic problem, getting rid of the demon is one thing, but having it replaced with Jesus Christ is vital.
Christians know the replacement principle. We are to “put off the old nature” and its sin and “put on the new” life Christ has given us. In other words, when God cleaned up my act, He expected me to replace it with new behavior. When I confess pride, it needs to be replaced with humility. When I confess selfishness, it needs to be replaced with concern and action for others. When I confess lack of gratitude, God wants to see thanksgiving in its place.
What I didn’t realize is that if I don’t follow through right away, I could be a sitting duck for the enemy. Satan likes it when I defy God with sins like pride and selfishness. It puts me on his side of the fence and has me doing his will instead of God’s will. The replacement principle does the opposite. When I am humble, thankful, thinking of others, I am like Jesus. Satan hates that.
In other words, my enemy will do everything he can to keep me from being like Jesus. A Jesus kind of life is powerful and defeats his purposes, so he doesn’t want it. Therefore, this week my heart and mind have become a battleground.
I’ve been hit with all sorts of things to encourage pride. I’ve also had stuff slammed at me to make me think about myself and not others, and to encourage a return of those old “I wants” instead of being thankful for what I already have. My mind feels like a war zone.
Today I came to my Bible asking God for something like a perk. Now that I think about it, even that request was dangerously close to being selfish. However, God knows my needs better than I know them. This is what He gave me to reflect on today:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9)The hits from my enemy are grievous, but God is allowing them to prove that my faith is genuine and precious, that I will come through with praise and honor and glory when I see Jesus. Right now, He seems to be far away, but I can still rejoice for I know that in the end, His principles will not fail.
Someday I will experience the fullness of my salvation, even as I am experiencing a small part of what God promises right now. He said He would save me from my sin and create in me a new heart that loves and obeys Him. The tests are not the pass/fail kind of tests but more God’s way of proving to me that He sets the rules and no matter what happens, His principles never fail.
No comments:
Post a Comment