Hello
Everyone,
We also
need to understand —
The Struggle of
the Saints!
Those
who really want to be in stride with the Holy Spirit … are in for a struggle.
In
Galatians 5:17 Paul writes — “For the sinful nature desires what is
contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.
They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
There
are two key reasons why those who really want God’s best in their lives struggle
… there are two reasons why moving toward maturity and ministry isn’t easy or
automatic:
We struggle With Our –
old nature!
In
Romans 7 Paul writes—
“It
seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably
do what is wrong. I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned;
but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war
with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still
within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant but instead I find myself
still enslaved to sin.
So
you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is
still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will
free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature?” (Romans 7:21-24)
Listen
carefully –
The
struggle Paul was writing about isn’t the struggle of willful sinners or
carnal Christians ... neither of them have the desires to do what’s
right – Paul is writing about the committed believers!
Key
question –
Have you
ever felt a war of contradictions raging in your heart?
I read a
true story about a pastor who was preaching on this very passage … his young
three-year-old was sitting in the front between her mother and her grandmother
scribbling on a piece of paper when she heard her daddy say – “The things I
don’t want to do I do … and the things I want to do I don’t” – She looked up
and said out loud in a very understanding tone of voice – “I know Daddy!”
The
struggle is simply this –
We’re a new
person in an old package … if we could see our inner person we’d
know that a miraculous change had occurred … but the imprint and memory of our
old nature is still with us!
A young
man asked an elderly Christian when it was that he no longer felt the tug and
pull of temptation … the senior saint said – “When it happens I’ll let you
know!”
We not only struggle
with our old nature … we struggle with our – old landlord!
One
writer describes our accepting Christ as our Savior in terms of an Old and New
Landlord!
Our landlord
makes your life miserable … overcharges … lends you money at incredible
interest to get you deeper in debt … he messes up your place then bills you for
not keeping the place up to standards.
There
comes a knock at your door ... a new landlord has purchased the place … no more
rent … the new landlord will be living in the manager’s apartment – call if
there’s any problems!
As soon
as you start rejoicing, the old landlord shows up demanding the rent. You don’t
punch him out … or pay him … you send him to the new landlord!
Listen
carefully –
How many
know we no longer owe the old landlord … yet many allow him to continue
to exploit us and condemn us for a debt that’s been paid in full!
Greater
things are still to come!
Pastor Phil
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