"Naturally Lost" -2

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place?" (Psalms 24:3) I knew yesterday that I was not done with this verse, but I had no idea why. God wants us to understand where we are at when it comes to being lost; it's not really something that we can get a quick fix for, and then move on with our lives as if everything is now okay and we are no longer in danger of being lost. Reading Romans is good practice for keeping fit in the way of preventing our selves from becoming lost again; in other words, it has some really good principles about how we can slip into sin, and how we can tend to take our liberties in Christ for granted some times. There is a really good book that was written by Watchman Nee in 1957 called "The Normal Christian Life" and is based upon the book of Romans. It is an interesting read, and will give you much to think about when it comes to stepping out beyond that which is considered normal and being that which God has created you to be. There are some that think Paul and James had differing views of what works should mean in a Christian's life, and whether or not works were important to the life of a believer in Jesus Christ; but this is not so, because they were both very much in agreement that 'faith without works is dead'. In the beginning of Paul's letter to the church in Rome, he acknowledges their faith being known and spoken of throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8); it is obvious to any sensible thinking person that they could not be so well known if they were not living out the life of Jesus Christ. Our life is meant to be something that other people can see Jesus in, and the only way that is possible is if we are living our lives as Jesus did! We are born into this world with a sin nature, which makes us naturally lost and separated from a God that is completely holy and without sin. As we mature and grow, we have something that is missing in us, and we know it; so, we begin to search for that which fills the void that we have within our spirit, and continually find that there is nothing here to satisfy the hunger in our heart. When that day finally comes when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, the void is filled and we are no longer lost and without a home. After receiving Jesus into our lives, there are things which we have accumulated throughout our lives which must be given over to the Lord; many of which were those things that you previously tried to fill that void with and found that they left you feeling empty. All of these things that we tried before were active ways of seeking satisfaction for a yearning within us to be filled, and each of which required an outside source for that satisfaction to come from; whether that be alcohol, or drugs, or pornography, or whatever your heart desired, it was always something that you reached out for to fill that void inside of you. Once you became a New Creation in Christ there is a new passion that is within you to live the life of Christ; this new passion is being power by the Holy Spirit that dwells within you and it must be allowed to work. If we do not do the work of the Spirit then our life in Christ will feel unfulfilled, and we will be very much in danger of try to fill a void that really should not exist; and when that happens, the result is usually called "SIN"... "Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end is everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." (Romans 6:18-23