oOps!! My Only Guarantees III

I apologize, for some reason I posted this without meaning to, as it was not completed....this is how 'kinda coo-coo' it's been around here lately! Ha!

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 God has told us in various places in scripture that we do not have much control over our flesh...therefore I have no guarantees that I will always do things right.  So, this is where I got my title for this 3 part study.

 

 

Let me clarify, our human nature (all by itself) does not have control over sin. If one has had a good and loving upbringing then that foundation that was laid could very well have given them the ability to have more self-control over sin. But generally and in the long run, in order to have control and victory over it we MUST allow the Spirit of God to take control. This also means that the unsaved...and even more so...have little control over the human nature.

 

 

So, this means we must be doing things GOD's way in how sin is dealt with...in how anything is dealt with! Not the way that necessarily makes sense to us.....but then we will have already known that! Especially since you and I know that His ways are not our ways...and His ways will naturally sound strange to our human nature.

 

 

1 Cor. 1 : 25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

 

 

This being said I am going to bring up what I believe is the 2nd most important thing in all of scripture...the 1st being that God loved us so much that He gave us His Son to die and rise again on our behalf so as to bring us back to God.

 

 

Love....what it is and what is it for?

 

 

For God so loved the world...to me this means what it says, that God loved us all. John 3:16

 

 

Romans 5:6-8 "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 

 

Think about what love is made up of...patience, kindness, long-suffering. If you and I were perfect like a robot or inanimate  object that rarely if ever make mistakes....would we need patience or long-suffering? Would we need for someone to be kind to us? Would we need or want love? Would we even care?

 

 

I believe that the whole reason for love was to bridge the gap between perfection and imperfection...and between the mature and immature...otherwise, how could there ever be any way to relate or connect??

 

 

This is why, as a good parent will go through SO much for an immature, wayward or troubled child, why I believe God went through so much for us...because it is just what love does.  He showed this in so many instances. By 1st creating us. Then giving us another chance after the flood. Then giving us the law to show us our need for Christ and then of course the final and ultimate, Christ and the cross.

 

 

The love of God is amazing. It is something that God wants everyone to experience...no matter how deep into sin they have fallen. In fact, it is the only reason why someone would not want to stay in sin! Think about it...if all you've known is sin...or merely the world....then it would only be the love of God that is so different from the world that could possibly ever get your attention and sway you.

 

 

This is precisely what love is for. This is why we have to be Christ and show His love to every person, no matter their sin or station in life...as this is the primary way for them to see God and be drawn to Him...and why I believe there are so many that are not coming to Christ, as we are not being Christ to them. We have the human mind set that there are only certain people that deserve love...yet this is not God's mind set. So, who's mindset sets the standard for who deserves love?

I am thankful that the church I was saved at was patient and kind and did not endeavor to alienate me by pointing out my sin soon after walking through the church door....no, I was drawn to Christ by the love I was shown. That love that caused Christ to die for me while I was yet a sinner. Yes, I was embraced...or I would have been long gone.

So, who's mindset sets the standard for you?