fight

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)

Sometimes I get discouraged when I read God's Word and see His Will for my life - how I should act and treat others - and then one hour later, I know I should do a certain thing, but in my flesh, I do not want to do it. Then I think, well, Jesus has me covered. But as it says in Timothy that we are to fight the fight of faith - and in Hebrews 12:1-3 we are to run with endurance the race set before it. Jesus' blood does cover my sins, but He loves me so much and wants me to be like Him. It's not going to be easy, but most certainly worth it!

I came across this quote today, that really helped me to realize the need to stay in the battle and fight strong.

While there is left in you a trace of ill-temper, or of vanity, of pride, or of selfishness; while there is left in you a single sin, or germ of sin, you must not rest from the battle. God does not require from you to be sinless when you come before Him, but He does require you to be unceasing in your perseverance. He does not require that you shall never have fallen; but He does require unwearied efforts. He does not require you to win, but He does require you to fight.

-Frederick Temple

I may feel I have failed in obeying Christ and living for Him, but that doesn't mean I should stop fighting in the battle - ever. He has already won, but the battle continues. And in all that I do, my eyes must be fixed on Jesus! It's only Jesus.

Before the Throne

It surrounds us. It's around every corner and in every crack of our life. It fills our heart, and comes out in our actions...

I have been feeling the heavy burden of sin in my life the past few weeks, and only being able to focus on how horrible I am because I can't shake sin. I spend most every day discouraged because I have been looking at myself and how I am a failure.

But God continues to say "Look up, and outward not down and inward." He loves me so much that He died for the wicked sin that encompasses my life. But He didn't die so that I could dwell in my sin and be discouraged by it. No, He died to WIPE AWAY my sin and present me as spotless before the Throne of God.

In Romans 5 it talks about the grace of God - the gift He gave to us while we were still helpless, while we were yet sinners. It is the gift we don't deserve, but the desire of God's heart is that we accept it. The point of grace is to bring us to Christ - that is the only place we receive it. I need to bring my sin to Him every day - to confess it and let it go - not once a week or month, but every day. And in that time, and can know that this verse it true - "but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."

Dwelling on Christ and the gift of grace makes me to see who I am in Christ. It is an awesome realization that Christ loves me despite the sin I do each day. He gives me the strength to overcome it. Giving Him the burden of my sin lightens my daily load - His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

The song, "Before the Throne of God Above" has been stuck in my head the past few days, and I think God has put it there for a reminder of what Christ has done for me, and who I am in Him. Praise Him for His saving grace :) He is amazing!

Before the Throne Video

Consequences

Sin. Do we ever really consider the consequences of our sin? I know that right in the moment when sin is “crouching at our door” and we are feeling the onslaught of temptation it can be very difficult to consider what is going to happen if we give in. Ought not we do so? That's not really the point that I am trying to make though. In the midst of the moment, with emotions rising and our thinking smoggy, we are always aware of those kinds of things. What I want you think about right now, when you aren't in the moment of temptation, is how sin really does have consequences.
In our culture sin obviously does not really matter. In fact, the question raised would be, “What is sin? Is it really going to matter if I do this thing or not?” The fact of the matter is that God is Lord of all, including us. Being who He is, He can make rules and laws about how things ought to work. He has done that very thing for us. As Christians we ought to desire to walk according to those rules and laws. I am afraid that we too have been tainted by this mindset of not thinking there are consequences for our actions. I look back over my own life and see how my sin has had an effect not only on myself, but on those around me. It keeps us from knowing God and from being able to carry out His will. At the very least, when you sin against God, you are not loving your neighbor. The specifics of that though are sometimes different for other people. Interesting thought though, huh? It along with what James says about having broken just one part of the law we have broken all of it. Sometimes our sin costs us different things such as money, time, marriages, friendships, and all sorts of other things in this world, and it always costs us spiritually. Never is our sin unaccounted for.

God told the Israelites that the sin of the fathers would be counted down to the third and fourth generation. Can you imagine that? Maybe you are feeling the effects of that. That scares me. Sometimes I think that it's ok, as long as I don't get caught, I'm good, but it's not like that. God always knows. He always sees. There is actually some comfort in that though. Being held accountable for our sin is a good thing. It sure does stink though. Nobody likes to get caught doing the wrong thing. Especially when we know that we have been. I wonder if Hollywood knows that. I wonder if I know that. Have you ever taken the time to look over your life and see how your sin has had an impact on those around you? I've screwed with peoples lives so many times with my sin, that I want to know why God still lets me even exist. Sometimes I think it would be better if He just took me out so others don't have to deal with the consequences of my actions. It's bad enough that I have to deal with them, but others do too. It does not seem that fair does it? That is the way it is though. Sin has consequences. Our actions produce reactions. Thankfully in the midst of that sin, confusion, hurt and pain, when conviction comes from God we can rise up off our knees and go to Jesus. In His arms we find comfort.

I say this to you as a warning, but also more so as an encouragement. As Christians we need to understand and live sober minded. We know what sin is. Sometimes we don't count the cost of that sin. I am quite confident that if we took the time to look back and see how our sin has had an effect upon us and those around us we would weep with sorrow and beg God to forgive us and give us the strength to never do the same thing again. Sin...it'll get you every time. Jesus...He'll get sin every time.

Find hope in that.
 
by Justin Kantonen
originally posted May 2009

God’s Goodness

Have you ever wondered why it is that we, as Christians so often turn our back on our Father, who loves us and gave us Christ to bring us back to Himself? It completely befuddles me sometimes to think about why it is that we continue in sin when we have so greatly been blessed by the love of God. I find some comfort in Romans chapter 6, knowing that it is the flesh that we are battling, and also in the knowledge that I have been made a new creature in Christ. However, my heart still longs to be set free from the battle with sin and with Satan. Sometimes I wonder how it is that God can keep loving me after I continue to sin against Him time and time again, despite what He has done for me.

It always amazes me though, when He brings me back to Him and in confession and repentance I find forgiveness from Him. I relish the times that we have together where He takes the time to deal with and heal underlying motives for the sin in my life. He doesn’t necessarily just want our actions to be changed, but He is also, more so, concerned about the nature of our heart. I love that He desires to bring us healing and cleansing where it is so desperately needed in each and every one of our lives. In Jeremiah 33:6-9 God talks about how He is going to bring His people health and healing; abundance, prosperity, and security; and how He is going to cleanse them from their guilt and forgive them of their sin against Him. He then says that the city would be a name of joy to Him, and a praise and glory before the nations because of God’s goodness to them. What a great picture that paints of God’s love in our own lives as well. As God brings us back from our own sin and rebellion against Him we find forgiveness, health, healing, abundance, prosperity, and security in our own lives resulting in our name being a joy to Him and a testimony of praise and glory to those around us because of God’s goodness in our lives.

As I think about these things I am so grateful that God can take the sin and disgusting things in my life and because of His goodness towards me, use it as a testimony of how great and amazing He is. He can do the same with yours as well. Could it be that you are now in a time of sadness or depression because of sin and the constant battle that is taking place? Then take heart. God wants to take your battles, your sin and rebellion against Him, and bring to you forgiveness and healing. In which He is brought much glory, honor, and praise.

by Justin Kantonen
originally posted November 2008