"Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." (Ecclesiastes 7:10 KJV)
"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:12-14 NLT)
How much better it was in early days, when things were so much simpler! If you know where this is going, then you probably have been dealing with the same issues that I have, when it comes to sin. The closer I get towards the end of this life, the more I feel as though I need to be washed and made right!
The previous days of dealing with sin, seemed like there was nothing to it: sin and then ask for forgiveness, just as if it never happened. Now, in these current days, sin is more noticeable and ever present, not just the physical act of sin, but the thoughts and desires of the heart are made visible, the closer we draw towards God, the clearer the sinful nature gets exposed!
When you read Romans 7:14-25, Paul is sharing about something that he has noticed within, his sinful nature, that is still a part of his life. As long as we are here, stuck in this fallen world, we will deal with this old sinful nature, in one way or another. As soon as you think that you have overcome something, and that you are strong enough to handle it on your own; watch out! You are stepping into a trap!
The devil has a great toolbox full of things that he uses to trip us up. Discouragement is the one that is well used, and it destroys many strong and faithful people, making them feel unworthy and less the man or woman that they are. The most important part of overcoming discouragement, is giving all the glory to Christ Jesus, making yourself fully and completely dependent upon Him, for just about everything.
By doing that, you do two functions at once: You overcome the discouragement that is the tool of the devil; and you destroy the idea you might have within you to overcome sin. Without Christ, you are going to fail; within Christ, you will be perfectly fine...
"Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:15-16 NLT)
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