Hi Friends, today I’m chatting about something I’m sure we all relate to. It’s something I wish I accepted about myself when I got serious about building a relationship with God. Here it is. You’re not going to get it right every time – and God knows that. If I’m honest, I wasted seasons of my journey frustrated, feeling like I am not enough or right with God because of something I did or didn’t do. I would avoid spending time with God for weeks at a time because of the worry and shame. Looking back, all that did was prolong my healing and gave more room to the enemy. Do yourself a favor and skip this pointless cycle. So, lets look at what I’ve found in the Word of God concerning this.
Its a Set Up. It sounds so redundant, but it is that simple. The enemy wants to keep you bound in this area to hold you in a perpetual cycle of sin – guilt – distance -repeat. This is why the enemy perpetuates this by legalism or condemnation. But, Romans 3:20 says, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
The enemy knows if he can keep us so focused on what we do = more or less proximity to or affections from God, he robs you of 3 things. The peace of God, the actual ability to be transformed, and the revelation of how strong God’s commitment is to love you. How can you experience the peace of God, the daily transformation of God, or the love of God outside of the presence of God? You can’t; this is the enemy’s plan.
Sometimes you set the trap. May I also point out that it isn’t always the enemy perpetuating this cycle? Sometimes it’s you (me too, I’m still growing in this). Romans 2:14 says, “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”
There are times that we are convicted by our own consciences. Most people call this their moral standard. But it’s the law of God that was written on your heart, even before salvation. This is a good thing if it serves us as God intended. But if it’s our scale of where we stand with God, we need to renew our understanding of the law. His law, written on our hearts, is to protect us and expose how much we need him. Not separate us from him.
There’s good new. Romans 1:17 says, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””
The Good News, being the death and resurrection of Jesus. So what does this really mean? It means if we hold firm to our faith that God made us right through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can acknowledge that our own perfection is not why God sees us as right with Him. Let’s put this in perspective, it took the sacrifice of Jesus to be made right with God, not your good decision-making skills. You see how the blood of Jesus carries such weight just reading that sentence? So when you begin to feel distant from God because of something you’ve done, answer these questions: 1. Am I saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? 2. Is my hope in my abilities or the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Then, go to Him in repentance in the name of Jesus and receive the instruction and truth the Lord has for you.
We must align ourselves with the word of God. It tells us we are made righteous by our faith, not by what we do. I questioned this, and I believe I was given the proper understanding. How does faith in this process make us right with God? When we have faith, it requires us to constantly walk with God to be led by His Spirit. When we have faith, it requires us to trust Him and be obedient to His Word and personal instruction. (Note: Obedience is not an act of “doing” in the sense that I am speaking. Doing is the act of obligation, which is the concept of the law. Obedience is the act of submission.) When we have faith, we must believe what He’s said is fact and truth above all else. This doesn’t come from good behavior but continual time spent with God. Clinging to the Spirit, the word, and the instruction of God. This is how we break free from this cycle of Guilt. We walk in the Spirit; this is a lifestyle of total dependency. We abandon the way of trying and striving in our own strength.
Truth is, we can’t do this life apart from the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus sent Him. The goal of this sin cycle that keeps you distant is just that, a means of keeping you distant. But, I urge you to run to the father who is quick to forgive you, who disciplines those He loves and will transform you. God is the only one who can restore the damage done, so why wait any longer. Go to Him.
I feel like this message was quick and a little sharp, but I say all things in love. I don’t want you to miss out on the only love that doesn’t walk away when we’ve messed up. So until next time, friends! Stay in the presence.
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