When Paul writes in Romans chapter seven about doing what he doesn't want to do and not doing what he does want to, I relate. That chapter isn't about some carnal Christian - Paul was writing about himself. He was writing about the tension of being "redeemed but not quite" - as Christians we stand before God the Father clothed in Christ's righteousness but while we are still in the body we are still subject to the weakness of the flesh.
Sometimes that tension is maddening to me. This week I found myself struggling with the burden of the sin nature but because I am fallen, my frustrations got twisted and turned around and I got angry with God. "What's the point? Why do You let this go on? Your ways are stupid!" etc. etc.
That's a big reason why God doesn't restore a sinless nature in us while we are here on planet Earth - to keep us humble. I carried on with my anger all this week but eventually I had to get down on my knees and confess it as sin and ask for forgiveness. In the end, sin keeps me from getting a big head from all the intimacy with God and knowledge of spiritual truths. No matter how far along the path to maturity I go, I don't have anything to brag about because I'm thisclose to falling headlong into some rebellious nonsense.
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