A women in my small group said that if we struggle with obeying God, then we should question our salvation. I know her very well and understand what prompted her statement. However, I'm not sure I agree. I propose that our struggle is proof of our salvation. A person who is not born again doesn't struggle with obedience to God; he or she usually only struggles with the consequences of his/her actions.
I believe that what we're actually struggling with is our own willful nature, our physical desires, our emotional baggage or our own opinions and erroneous beliefs. The non-spiritual part of us is like a two-year-old who says: "Mine!" "I will do it myself!" "I want it!" Imagine that two-year-old running your life. Not a pretty picture.
Like a parent with a strong-willed child, this power struggle goes on. Our ‘born-again self’ knows what’s right and knows that the 'child' within must not be allowed to have free reign. The battle ensues because this child is loud, manipulative and usually throws some kind of temper tantrum. An embarrassing, frustrating, confusing situation.
As Christ-followers, we WANT to obey God. The new person we become when we're born again (the 'adult') desires the things of God. God sends His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He has given us everything for life and Godliness, according to 2 Peter 1:3.
When we encounter struggles and if we’re always worrying that we’re not born again, we can't continue our journey with Jesus. There comes a time when we need to start really believing scripture when it says that Jesus Christ loves us supremely and that He will never stop loving us. There's nothing we can do (or not do) to lose His love for us. There is no limit on His faithfulness and no end to His love.
Because of these truths, I can be real with God. Real in my struggling. Real in my questioning. Real in my failures. Real in my gratefulness. Real in my adoration. Real in my love.
No comments:
Post a Comment