Not Living the Christian Life

Though born again, if our feet are not firmly planted in the Gospel of Our Salvation we falter.  With unsteady feet we instinctively reach for something to grasp:  Reaching backward to that very Law that gives sin its power over us.  We wonder why our Christian life is not what it should be. 

Under this condition liberty is nowhere to be found.  The Christian life is not being lived.

"...For without the Law sin is dead."  Romans 7:8

"...And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.  Eph. 6:15 Amp

"...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom)."
2 Cor. 3:17

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

 

- Charitie Bancroft, (Verse 2 of

"The Advocate" Hymn)

Coping Skill or Reality

Reminding yourself that you are supposed to be thankful and rejoicing in the Lord could just be a coping skill. 

A colleague used to walk around all day, telling himself, "Everything is going to be OK."  His psychiatrist had taught him that as a coping skill.  I think of us trying to talk ourselves into thankfulness and particularly joyfulness when it might not be there for us to speak into existence.

Have we really believed that His offering of Himself on the cross and subsequent resurrection is enough to completely remove all of our sin and it's guilt?  Have we abandoned the idea that we need to make a self generated effort to reform our bad selves?

Without belief and self-abandonment, we are trying to call something into existence that is not really there.