It is amazing how many
newborn in Christ do not understand the roaring turbulence within their spirit.
The predominant doctrine being taught today in our churches really
undermines the true work of repentance and the continuing command found in the
book of Acts 2:38 (NASB):
And
Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit.”
>Believers find themselves in
a quandary to the point of frustration over the warring factors raging within
their spirit. Their sincere desire to do the right thing and walk uprightly
before for the Lord is constantly challenged by conflicting desires to return to
the lifestyle experienced before their conversion.
These questions often arise
from believers who are constantly faced with conflicting thought and desire.
“Why do I have to fight so
hard to maintain a high standard of righteousness day after day?”,
they ask.
“I know that God tells me
that I am supposed to live a holy life once I become a Christian.
I strive diligently to walk in obedience to the Scriptures.
Yet, I find it very difficult to live a pure lifestyle.”
Questions arise: “Is
something wrong? Am I not really saved?
Did God not hear my prayer of repentance?
Did he hear me, but refuse to forgive me of my sin for some reason? Am I
really redeemed?
I was told that once I
became a believer, and asked God to forgive my sin, and was baptized for the
remission of sin, that everything would be wonderful and I would never have any
problems, and the whole world would change for me.
Instead, I find myself
filled with guilt and condemnation.
I am always being tempted to continue in my sin of the past.
What's wrong, did God reject me?”
Perhaps we can get a greater
understanding as we dwell upon the Apostle Paul's anguish as he fought the
raging battle between his newly created righteous spirit within and the unclean
lustful desires of his carnal flesh.
Paul was totally committed
and dedicated to living a victorious life but recognized the futility of trying
to live it in his own strength. He refers to his frustrated struggle in the book
of Romans 7:22-25. (New American
Standard Bible)
For I joyfully concur with the law
of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body,
waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of
sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from
the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So
then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on
the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
After recognizing the
struggling war going on within, he comes to a conclusion.
In Romans 8:1 he declares:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law
of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the
flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an
offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who
do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the
flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to
the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death,
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does
not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; 8 and
those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but
in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 And if Christ is in you, though the
body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who indwells you.
So then, we see that the
conflicting war within is quenched by the fullness of the Spirit of Jesus Christ
which conquered the law of sin and death.
The Spirit of Christ and his
righteousness has been implanted into us.
We are a new creation with the ability to live in the righteousness of
our precious Lord and Redeemer. Indeed; “Old things are passed away and all
things have become new.”
The raging conflict within
is subdued as we draw closer to our Lord through reading his word and allowing
his spirit of righteousness to control the carnal flesh.
Remember!
The spirit of our old carnal nature will rule us, allowing sin to remain
or the righteous spirit of Jesus will take control of our life as we yield
ourselves to his directives. The choice is ours.
The antagonizing war within
diminishes according to the measure of peace abiding
through the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us strive for a full
measure of victorious peace as we live in the new ability to say “NO” to sin and
“YES” to the righteousness of Jesus.
