Monday, January 30, 2017

Does your conscience accuse you?

'How can we claim the promise of God with boldness if our voice within is accusing us? How can anyone, whose conscience does not bear him witness that he has lived on earth in holiness and godly sincerity, be a man of prayer who is able to ask God for unlimited rewards? What is the use of praying if our inward monitor reproves us when we lift up our hands to God?'   The Spiritual Man - by Watchman Nee

Day after day inward accusations call for what? Instant prayer, instant  acknowledgement of our need.  We can't condone our sins though you can bet that Satan will encourage us to do so. Rather than deal with a litany of our wrong doings, a list of our constant failures we begin to push the voice of accusation away, we turn the volume down.

We cannot ignore our wretchedness nor can we ignore that our Savior died to save us from the sins that would so easily destroy us.

We are in a WAR!   A very real, spiritual war.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 
2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 
1Co 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 
1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

Do you see? Paul never said that we sit back and do nothing but believe. The fight is real, so very real, only the fight is our spirit against the force of the flesh.

The battle is within us influenced by the evil spirit forces without us.  Christ is our only hope, Christ in us. And we must choose to allow Christ to live in us.

More on this tomorrow, by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever!  Amen.

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