We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.

________________________________________________________________________

June 23 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good Morning God. It looks like this is one of those devotionals where I am going to “push back” on Oswald Chambers. When he says…”Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life.” He seems to be countering what Paul said in Romans 7. Paul tells us that our spiritual lives and our nature are transformed by Jesus over time. And over time that sin will be eradicated in our lives, by the power and person of Jesus Christ. And that sin has died in our lives, because of Jesus and His sacrifice, not because of any good thing we accomplish.  Paul tells us that it is not a battle we fight, because Jesus has already won the fight. Which is it God? Is there a fight I must wage? Must I struggle every day and try to become a better Christian through my own efforts, or a combined effort of Jesus and me?

And God says…” The sacrifice of Jesus is and was complete, it requires no additions or support or fight from you. The only fight you must wage is a fight to be surrendered and connected to Jesus. You fight distractions, the idea that you can accomplish certain good things on your own, the idea that you can work to become a better Christian or servant to God and the distractions of the immediate. When you are in harmony with Jesus, by your surrender and connection, you know where you stand, you can sense your oneness with Jesus and you know His Spirit is working all things out for your good. The sacrifice of Jesus for all your sin; past, present and future was and is complete in the cross. And this gift neither demands nor requires any help from you. You are unable to grit your teeth and work harder and harder to become a better person. It simply does not work that way. Your requirement is your surrender, and to allow Jesus to live through you.

As Paul said, Romans 7……… 21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  22 I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned;  23-25 but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.

So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.”

Now go celebrate your freedom through surrender, connection, curiosity and the obedience you can achieve though the Holy Spirit.”