Can our spiritual growth be like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

-
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde po...
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde poster. Converted losslessly from .tif to .png by uploader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I do not understand what I do. for what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do (Romans 7:15).
Romans 12 is Paul’s exhortation to spiritual growth. As we consider the development of Christian character, we need to be clear about one fundamental matter from the beginning—spiritual growth is a struggle. Some evangelists promise an easy ride in Christianity; but it is not. Let us briefly consider some of the enemies of Christian growth. One is the world itself. Because of our sin, God’s world is at enmity with us and grows “thorns and thistles” to make life hard for us. Thus, in a sense, the very physical creation poses obstacles to our personal development.
The primary enemies we face in the struggle for spiritual growth, however, are persons: other people, ourselves, and the demonic host. How often have our lives been damaged by the hostility of other people! As we grow in grace we are called to grow in our relationships with other people, relationships that are edifying and not destructive. But it is hard to grow spiritually when you are estranged from your spouse, your parents, your children even your church friends.
A greater enemy of our spiritual growth, of course, is our own sin nature. When we are converted to Christ we are not instantly healed of all our old sin tendencies. Those sinful desires persist and constantly assault us. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Christian alternates between times of faithfulness and times when wickedness comes boiling out of his heart. I include myself. The struggle is intense.
Finally, we face the influence of Satan and his army. Until recently, the idea of Satan was dismissed or ignored, but with the revival of the occult, TV shows, Vampires etc., people are taking him more seriously. Jesus regarded Satan as a powerful reality, and in the Lord’s Prayer He taught us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” The literal translation, however, is “Deliver us from the Evil One,” a direct reference to Satan.
Ask yourself: Am I conscious of a struggle against sin in my life, or have I fallen asleep on the battlefield of holiness? On Sunday, as we looked at the mess of Samson's life, the challenge was: Am I going to be emotion driven or Spirit led? I fail here many times but I know when we worship, God strengthens us together to fight the battle. Isolate one aspect of your life that falls short of biblical holiness. Ask God today to make you more aware of the reality of the struggle and to assist you to be the warrior for holiness that He has called you to be. May the Holy Spirit empower and strengthen you this week! 

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta

Popular posts from this blog

Speaking in tongues for today - Charles Stanley

-
Image
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. … But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. … And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. … Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way - 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 28, 30—31 The Lord Jesus Christ had come and gone. The church—newly birthed—was in a transition time. The new covenant was seen as a threat to the Jewish leaders; therefore, there was persecution for those who had chosen to follow Christ. The new religion, in its infant stages, had no Bible, few leaders, and absolutely no support from the government. Astounding that it survived, isn’t it?  How in the world did it survive with so little going for it? Power. Not just a force, but mighty, visible power. Th...
Read more

What is the glory (kabod) of God?

-
Image
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Scripture places a high value on God 's glory, and it is not hard to figure out why. Since the inherent glory of the Lord is something that He will not share with others (Isa. 42:8), we know that His glory is something that He prizes highly; indeed, He prizes it more highly than anything else. We should, therefore, set the glory of God as the goal and overarching emphasis of our lives. Whatever we lose for the sake of making the Lord's glory known will be worth it when we see the dazzling light and beauty of; the divine glory (28:5; Rev. 21:23). Glory has to do with light and beauty, but those aspects do not sum up what the Bible means when it speaks of the glory of God. Interestingly, the Hebrew word kabod , which is translated into English as "glory," has the root meaning of "weight" or "heaviness....
Read more

The Holy Spirit causes us to cry out: Abba, Father

-
Image
Pentecostés. Óleo sobre lienzo, 275 × 127 cm. Madrid, Museo del Prado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) To bring out the same truth in another way, Paul says God sent Jesus (as a Man) to live under the Law in order “to redeem those under law, that we [Jews and Gentiles ] might receive the full rights [adoption] of sons” ( Galatians 4:5).  By “full rights” or “adoption” he means entering into the privileges and responsibilities of sonship. He uses it also of the sonship of Israel (Romans 9:4). Galatians 4:1, 2 indicate that the son and heir of a wealthy family in Paul’s day would be treated as a slave until he became of age.  Then he would receive the adoption, that is, all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that belonged to an adult member of that family. Adoption was also used in the modern sense, so that Gentiles who were not sons of Abraham became true heirs, true sons of God , by faith.  Jesus died, not just to save us from the fires of hell, bu...
Read more