It's been a quiet week up here. I've spoken with several people about what I posted here last weekend, but I haven't gotten any questions answered, either - except from a book I've been reading for the sunday school class I'm taking this winter.
"The Christian life is lived by the supernatural power of God. According to Romans 8:10-13, as we have just seen, living this life required the resurrection of a spiritually dead body. God's Spirit alone can perform this miracle."
"Six Secrets of the Christian Life" by Zane Hodges
This is where I misunderstood. I took "God's Spirit alone can perform" to an extreme. I thought that God didn't need, or want, my efforts to change. God didn't even want me to try to be a good Christian. I thought that God would simply change me from sinful to sanctified whenever He felt like it. I was in some kind of "Christian holding pattern" until God called me for some work, at which time he would call me out and start making me holy and a good Christian.
In brief, I thought that since I was saved, it doesn't matter what I did anymore - I could not make myself into a good Christian. NOTHING I did was helping; It was ALL God's doing, and I could just sit around and twiddle my thumbs until He called for me personally.
"But how does the Spirit of God do this? Naturally, one answer is "by His power." But how does He bring this power to bear upon a Christian individual?"
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2 Cor. 3:18
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Misunderstandings
Last week, I asked so much about the will to follow God because, in all honesty, I did not want to be the one to choose to follow God; I wanted God to make that choice for me.
A few months ago, I decided that since I was incapable of following God in my own power, I would instead completely quit trying to do so. That's been a big reason why I haven't had a deep, thoughtful blog post since October.
In part, I was afraid of screwing up again, and I was tired of following God "in my own power."
In part, I misunderstood what it meant to follow God.
In part, I was just being lazy.
I did not want to have to struggle with my own shortcomings and battle back every temptation, and since since God said that we must rely on His own power, that's exactly what I thought I was doing until today. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I figured that all I needed to do was pray "God, I want to follow you, so... do your thing!" and then wait around for some kind of holy beam of light to descend from heaven and blast me with instant sanctification. I wanted to be Saul on the road to Damascus - I wanted direct intervention from God. Lately, I've been so frustrated with my lack of progress that I've begun asking God to give me pain - a "thorn in the flash", so to speak - as a trade off for my sanctification. I've been trying to bargain with God, and it's obviously not working.
With this as background, I'll ask my question a bit differently: How does God soften a resisting Christian's heart?
A few months ago, I decided that since I was incapable of following God in my own power, I would instead completely quit trying to do so. That's been a big reason why I haven't had a deep, thoughtful blog post since October.
In part, I was afraid of screwing up again, and I was tired of following God "in my own power."
In part, I misunderstood what it meant to follow God.
In part, I was just being lazy.
I did not want to have to struggle with my own shortcomings and battle back every temptation, and since since God said that we must rely on His own power, that's exactly what I thought I was doing until today. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I figured that all I needed to do was pray "God, I want to follow you, so... do your thing!" and then wait around for some kind of holy beam of light to descend from heaven and blast me with instant sanctification. I wanted to be Saul on the road to Damascus - I wanted direct intervention from God. Lately, I've been so frustrated with my lack of progress that I've begun asking God to give me pain - a "thorn in the flash", so to speak - as a trade off for my sanctification. I've been trying to bargain with God, and it's obviously not working.
With this as background, I'll ask my question a bit differently: How does God soften a resisting Christian's heart?
Griffon Pic
I finally remembered to scan in this one from my trip last summer to Busch Gardens! I love how we all have a different look on our faces. From left to right: Dan, Nathan, myself, and our Dad.
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