From Failure to Growth

Much of the Christian life is about growing through failure. In order to become holy and Christlike one must wrestle with struggles that exist within and externally. By acknowledging these struggles, we are saying these actions or thought processes are sinful and not in line with the standards and expectations of God. Our desire is to strive for change that does not come easily. Then comes failure to change in the initial efforts. But there is value in this failure as it forces us to look to the Lord for the eventual success over the struggle with sin. It has been said before that we should not fear failure to the point of inaction. This is true as failure, suffering, and disappointments help you to raise your focus on leaning on Jesus. Once you make practical steps in the name of Jesus, victory over the flesh and the world is inevitable.


Suggested Passage:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."   -1 Peter 1:3-9

Renewed Sense of Urgency

There are certain experiences that we encounter as believers that lead to a renewed focus on the urgency of sharing the Gospel and furthering the kingdom work of bringing glory to God. These are the life purposes of those who follow Jesus. If we are observant during the times of experiencing the need for the influence of Jesus to take over, we will see in a very real way of the depravity of humanity. Certainly we could see these experiences everyday if we were not so distracted by our life obligations. Seeing the activity of that which is contrary to what God sees as righteous should stir in the heart of those transformed by the power of God a desire to devote their energy to proclaiming the power of God. 

What this simply comes down to is what is emphasized in churches all over the world, very consistently. Application of what we have come to know about God and His Will is identifying the use of these principles in our current life circumstances. To see the world through the eyes of our changed lives with a new and more complete understanding of who God is, this is application. Once you see it, the actions that are needed are sure to follow. The hinderance that takes place is the lack of knowledge or the lack of seeing the current circumstance in light of the growth in true understanding of God that has taken place. Urgency is just the term to describe the transition from just knowing about what is righteous to truly seeing circumstances as a changed sinner. If you want to be more urgent in influencing the world to reflect the things of God, such as love and eternal hope in Jesus, then start by intentionally processing the world and the current circumstance in light of what you know about God. knowing more, with the transition to seeing more, will bring the inevitability of doing more. Just knowing, without application, is still blindness. When you just know more you may say the right things, but you are still not doing and serving. This is still disobedience and all who have truly been saved by the power of God through faith in Jesus desire to be obedient. Lets be urgent by simply paying attention to God and what is happening all around us with the intention of application.

Extinguishing Sin Part 2: Delighting In The Lord

Extinguishing Sin Part 2

Delighting In The Lord

To remove the inner impulse to sin it makes sense that the follower of Jesus must find some fulfillment and satisfaction in the teachings and life of faith in the Word of God. There must be joy in conforming to the standards of God. To extinguish sin is to have no toleration for the impulse itself. Complete freedom from the war against personal sin is never achieved, but each battle and progress is glorifying to the Lord. With the desire for selfish gain still plaguing our human nature, the comfort we find is the ability to overcome with the renewed desire to glorify the Lord. This is to delight in the things of God and what is pleasing in His sight. This is what you want and strive for. As we have discussed the renewal of the inner self, it is from this renewal that we have a continued desire within for the things of God. Delighting in the Lord in the inner self means to depend on and seek the things of God to fill our life. Actions of righteousness may not immediately follow but should gradually grow to reflect the things of God. All that you do and celebrate is that of the things of God. You can't even support things that are contrary to His standards and Will. So we must seek God and pursue Him with everything because that is fulfilling to the follower of Jesus!

Suggested Passages

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” -Romans 7:21-25

Extinguishing Sin: Part 1

Inner Self Being Renewed

One topic that should be of particular importance for a follower of Jesus is how to extinguish the inner desire to sin. Once you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, the individual desires to remove sin and be as close to God as possible. Sin is revolting because the understanding of God has become clearer through salvation. Simply put, the biggest change that has happened is the inner self wants be with God and not a partaker in sin.  In examining how a believer may find progress in removing sin to draw close to God, there are many ways this happens,  six have spoken to me recently.  

The first is to find continual renewal of your inner self. This is the heart and soul of every person. (The heart is the core center of conscience, belief, and all desire) Upon realizing and confessing your need for a Savior, inner corruption became evident. Knowledge of inner corruption ultimately leads  to finding forgiveness in the Saviors blood. So a believer should have a real and constant awareness that they are inwardly corrupt. This means we are prone to temptation and we know that now. Since the arrival of this awareness, one is driven to find a renewed inner self. In Christ this renewal happens and equips the believer for endurance through this temporary life leading to eternal life. Satisfaction with sin and its consequences cannot exist in the life of  the one that is renewed and is being renewed in Christ. This standard of perfection is what brings the Lord the most glory and no desire for compromise prevails in this new inner self. While our outer self is subject to decay and the consequences of sin, our inner self is strengthened. What an occasion to rejoice in victory! Through outward decay the inner growth and maturing continues for the one who pursues God. This enables the identifying of sin in ones self to be removed and the ability to invite others on this journey of renewal in Christ. Toleration of sin can be nonexistent if dwelling in the presence of a Savior that renews is maintained in the life of the individual.

By turning to God during times of persecution or temptation, extinguishing the inner desire to sin is replaced with a strength of faithfulness to God. Victory over sin and the inner compulsion is possible. True and complete victory comes through passing into heaven, but glory to God comes even now in the present battles won with His strength. 

5 more ways to extinguish sin to come…

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age..." -Titus 2:11-12

Trusting In The Harvest

The people of God are to produce the fruit of the Spirit and preach the Gospel. This is common knowledge of the mission for the collective body of Christ and each individual within. As one seeks to carry out this mission, opposition is soon to come and provides many challenges. Being obedient and leaving the results up to the power of God is the key for endurance through all of the opposition. This provides endurance in that it removes the pressure of success and fear of rejection. Having confidence in the power of God to give you the effectiveness in your service to Him is only found in closeness to God. In this closeness with God, one is constantly seeking or pursuing where God is and what He is doing. By seeking in devotion to the studying of the word and expressing oneself in prayer, the follower of Christ becomes “in sync” with God and aware of His Will. Through this journey of seeking the Lord, the understanding of God’s plan for the harvest of leading the lost to salvation provides confidence. If the people of God are faithful, others will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Rejection does not have a hold on the believer that trusts in the will of God. Perseverance in obeying God through personal evangelism and discipling other believers becomes a lifestyle and not an activity. To truly live “In Christ” is to be moved with compassion for the lost and care about the spiritual health of fellow believers. This is a challenge to invest in someone’s life continually.

Passages to Consider:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control; against such things there is no law” -Galatians 5:22-23

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”  -Matthew 28:18-20

“The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” -2 Chronicles 15:1-2

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” -Matthew 9:37

You Must Read

I have come to the conclusion that no person can grow spiritually without reading. Frustration rises within me when others suggest we must find ways to make it easier to encourage spiritual growth, rather than investing in reading. (Like all men studies must be SHORT books in order to get participation!!) This is coming from someone who was not a passionate reader. I had to develop this desire. Reading the bible is obviously important and should be a daily discipline for all believers. Reading other books that have a message the Lord has burdened their heart to write is important as well. (Not that all books and authors have a message that would be glorifying to God or have proper understanding of His Word) As I prepare my reading plans and goals for next year I have reflected on some of the books I read last year. This list is compiled of the ones I would suggest anyone read. I definitely went on a trend of holiness and J. I. Packer books. Some of the others are leadership books. All individuals should develop some leadership skills and these were some helpful books. I hope you find these to be as enjoyable and challenging as I did! 

Suggested Readings

1. Onward by Russell Moore
2. Rediscovering Holiness By J. I. Packer
3. The Hole in Our Holiness By Kevin DeYoung 
4. Wooden on Leadership By John Wooden
5. Multipliers By Liz Wiseman
6. Holiness is the Way By J. I. Packer
7. Keep In Step with the Spirit By J. I. Packer
8. The Conviction to Lead By Albert Mohler 

Being Moved Through Prayer

The center of all relationships is communication. In order to maintain the health of a friendship, marriage, with coworkers, and of course with the Lord, you must communicate. Prayer is the mode of speaking to the Lord, and is vital for navigating the transformed life In Christ. You can make known, to the creator of all things, the desires and circumstances of your life. For the believer, pleasing God with your life is the top desire and priority. Approaching God in prayer allows one to have his thoughts directed by God. How does God respond to our prayers? By the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe your thoughts can be enlightened to what God wants you to do and believe. This is coupled with time spent studying the written Word (the bible) of God’s standards and truth. Comparing your desires with that of what is outlined in scripture is necessary for discerning the moving of the Holy Spirit from the influence of temptation. So without knowledge of the Word it is hard to understand what the Lord is trying to say to you in your prayer life. When seeking the Lord in prayer, with great dedication to studying the bible, you create a closeness with God that unites your actions and beliefs with Him. This unleashes the power of God. Enlightened by God and His will for your life, one can truly find contentment in not being passive. You are moved by God to serve in living out the transformed life of a saved follower of Christ. 

Passages To Consider:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” -2 Timothy 3:16-17

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” -Philippians 4:6-7

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” -John 14:26