Life is not always very much fun, especially the life of a believer in Christ. That might sound hopeless, but it's actually a declaration of hope in the nature of God. If God hadn't been willing to go to war with Satan for our souls, we would be in a heck of a spot. Quite literally, a heck of a spot... one of our own doing.
Oswald Chambers once said that "life without war is impossible, either in nature or in grace". Nature is at war because of the fall into sin, but the fight of grace in our lives is based in Christ. God's gift of His Son, which we'll be celebrating in full force 21 days from now, gave us hope for the future. But it didn't come without a cost.
If the Christian life is to be anything like Christ's, it is to be set apart and holy for God's use, however painful His usage is.
Followers of Christ are to be in a constant struggle against sin; if we are not, then sin has already won.
Chambers suggests in My Utmost for His Highest that "immediately I fight, I am moral...and spiritually it is the same." Once the fight is begun, Christ will see to it that it is finished. He died for us, so that sin should not continue to have its hold over us; instead, we would become like him and have everlasting life. We can cross over from death into life; in the eternal reality made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection, but also every day that we say no to sin and yes to our heavenly Father.
"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." - 2 Chronicles 16:9, NIV
Naturally I can't do this on my own, Father; I am weak. Thank you for your strength to fight for your will each day of my life. Amen.
Oswald Chambers once said that "life without war is impossible, either in nature or in grace". Nature is at war because of the fall into sin, but the fight of grace in our lives is based in Christ. God's gift of His Son, which we'll be celebrating in full force 21 days from now, gave us hope for the future. But it didn't come without a cost.
If the Christian life is to be anything like Christ's, it is to be set apart and holy for God's use, however painful His usage is.
Followers of Christ are to be in a constant struggle against sin; if we are not, then sin has already won.
Chambers suggests in My Utmost for His Highest that "immediately I fight, I am moral...and spiritually it is the same." Once the fight is begun, Christ will see to it that it is finished. He died for us, so that sin should not continue to have its hold over us; instead, we would become like him and have everlasting life. We can cross over from death into life; in the eternal reality made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection, but also every day that we say no to sin and yes to our heavenly Father.
"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." - 2 Chronicles 16:9, NIV
Naturally I can't do this on my own, Father; I am weak. Thank you for your strength to fight for your will each day of my life. Amen.
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