Common Sense – faults

I need this reminder often, how about you?

It’s good to be able to recognize our faults, but if we stop there, we can get stuck in sin, and one of two things can happen, depending on our personality, circumstances, and habits; Either we become despondent and down on ourselves, stuck in pessimism that we know we are at fault, but “this is just the way we are”, and change is impossible, or we become apathetic, tune out the cognitive disonance that happens inside our spirit (which is at war with our flesh), convince our conscience that it doesn’t matter, God understands (stepping back from the bolt of lightening!), and keep on doing what satisfies our natural man instead of addressing and repenting of sin and walking in the Spirit.

There are those who have convinced themselves that it’s not really “them” sinning, but it’s the sin that lives in them.  Their conscience is so seared, that they believe , honestly believe that since they “can’t help themselves”, God’s grace covers them while they continue to choose to disobey God’s Holy Word.  These attitudes keep a person in bondage to their sin, instead of realizing and appropriating REAL grace, they make grace of God completely ineffective.

This ought not to be!  We are a NEW creation, old things are passed away, and all things have become new.  Why do we go dig up that old man and put those grave clothes back on?  ICK.

To grow in self-awareness and strength, (which, in my opinion, we are in the perfect season for doing so!) we must not only “see” our faults, but “see to it” that they are addressed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, corrected, so that we can live a happy and victorious life in the Spirit.  This reminds me of the story of two dogs fighting, one dog represents our fleshly desires, the other our spiritual desires.  Two dogs fighting against one another, the flesh warring against the spirit.  Which one wins?  The one you feed.  If you are feeding your spirit, you are going to become spiritually strong.  If you make a habit of sinning against God, doing what pleases you instead of what you know pleases God, you will become spiritually weak, and your flesh will destroy your spirit.  Don’t be a hypocrite and believe that you can have both.  Just because you can quote Scripture, or have a compassionate heart for others, or have the ability to discern sin in others, if you are not taking care of your own spirit man, you are in the process of dying spiritually.  God’s grace is ineffective over willfull, continued disobedience.