Warring Within

Not too long ago I brought up a situation I often find myself in- being 'told' right from wrong in various situations. For example- I pass a person I'm assuming is homeless and three 'instincts' war inside me- one is to help the person, two is to flee because they might be dangerous, three is just ignore them and go about my business as usual.  Immediately the 'help them' instinct rises up to the surface and it wars in me against the other two options. I start feeling guilty for not instantly helping them. I keep feeling guilty and sometimes I've had to turn around and do what I know the Lord would have me do. So why don't I do it instantly? Because I'm at war just as we all are at war, a very spiritual war.  What is this struggle within me? I believe the Holy Spirit is guiding me to do what Jesus would have me do- NOT - unfortunately that I always listen.  Right from wrong, our conscience is at play and by the grace of God we choose right over wrong. The above is just one example of many situations we can find ourselves in.  Daily we face a multitude of right or wrong choices - this is called LIFE. And as long as we live we will be in the war of choosing Christ over Satan.

Read what Watchman Nee has to say about this-

'Besides the functions of intuition and communion, our spirit performs still another important task—that of correcting and reprimanding so as to render us uneasy when we fall short of the glory of God. This ability we call conscience. As the holiness of God condemns evil and justifies good, so a believer’s conscience reproves sin and approves righteousness. Conscience is where God expresses His holiness. If we desire to follow the spirit (and since we never reach a stage of infallibility), we must heed what our inward monitor tells us regarding both inclination and overt action. For its works would be decidedly incomplete if it were only after we have committed error that conscience should rise up to reprove us. But we realize that even before we take any step—while we are still considering our way— our conscience together with our intuition will protest immediately and make us uneasy at any thought or inclination which is displeasing to the Holy Spirit. If we were more disposed today to mind the voice of conscience we would not be as defeated as we are.'

The Spiritual Man - Watchman Nee

 He says- 'We never reach a stage of infallibility' and this is TRUTH.  He goes on to say 'we must heed what our inward monitor tells us regarding both inclination and overt action.'  And this is also TRUTH.

Inclination and overt action- both of these are daily struggles.  Our inclination towards sinning, and our sinning. The Holy Spirit does speak to our speak regarding these, but do we listen?

Watchman Nee also says- 'If we were more disposed today to mind the voice of conscience we would not be as defeated as we are.'   Is this true for you? I sure know it is true for me.

By the grace of God we must do God's will, not ours. By the grace of God we must heed the Holy Spirit.

Please, Lord, help us to listen and obey!

Rom_6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?