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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Amazing Sermon today about sin nature vs. spirit

Okay, if I was 6 I would probably summarize today's sermon as:

"No really, the devil did make me do it" OR rather "I didn't do it, the devil in me did"

But since I am not 6, I got a whole lot more depth out of it than that. The list of the verses referenced was long but here is what I got.

L. started out the sermon comparing our rebirth to our original birth

  • We are innocent in that we haven't sinned yet
  • We are completely dependent on parents (in the rebirth Father)
  • We are immature
  • We have a long way to grow
  • We bear the image of our parents
  • We are a completely new identity
God sees us as perfect. And we are. There are tonnes of verses in the NT about the new creation, new spirit, and in Isaiah a new heart. Now I have a bible teacher that thinks this is THE most important thing to understand and if we understood this, we would be transformed (again). And she is right. God sees us as blameless and holy. This spirit He put in us, is his own, and thus is Godly and righteous and just.

There was much more in the sermon (much more) and L. hit on how we still have to carry around the old sin until we shed these physical bodies. But I want to concentrate on how we are blameless and holy in God's eyes, and different ways this SHOULD revolutionize my life.

  1. Okay, this might come off sounding a little vain, but since it is my blog I am going to indulge myself (for the purposes of growth). I have always wondered how there are good people who are not Christians if God is everything that is good in us. In fact I was a good "egg" before I accepted the Lord as my CEO and liege. I gave to charities, most people thought I was wonderful. I was helpful kind and all-around-nice-girl. But the reason I was good was not pure. I felt like if I was mean or selfish or grumpy or anything then I was a failure in DOD (Dear Old Dad's) eyes. And that failure caused great guilt...off the scale guilt. Now I realize two things:
    1. I was not quite all that good. First off, I scared some people silly. Still do at times. I think that I should be personally banned from all computer 1-800 helplines. I am a menace. In fact this is the first thing I will do. No computer helplines. I am quite forceful in my opinions, so I need to be more gentle.
    2. My "goodness" was based on fear/guilt and would have eventually turned bitter. Because the fruit eventually shows what was at the root. And my root was all yucky and dying.
  2. It's not me that has to change. Well it is and it isn't (there is dichotomy between the sin nature and the spirit). The sin isn't me, the true me is the spirit of God in me. So instead of forcing change by trying to stick to laws (and we all know how well that works), I am better off by praying for help/guidance/wisdom/hope and GENTLENESS from the Holy Spirit. He can work changes that are impossible for me. And it's good because it seems fairly impossible. Consistent refusing to follow the flesh will make it easier and easier to refuse. But only God can give me the will. And only I have the power to act out the will.
  3. Rest in God. I am not a rester. Not by choice anyway. I am always trying to improve so that I measure up. Who do I think is measuring??? If God already finds me blameless and holy, who am I trying to impress??? The man. The father figure who never approves of anyone man. That man. So again I need to pray that God makes it clear to me that "the man" is completely irrelevant.


2 comments:

Gill - That British Woman said...

Hi Connie,

Just wanted to say, that was indeed a true story about the baseball game, and yes I was there but didn't watch the game, I was watching everything else!!!

I have a hockey story as well, which will no doubt make you groan!!

Gill

Anonymous said...

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