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Underestimating the Power

crossheavenThe Power of God. I had a discussion with someone a little while ago on the issue of obedience to God. The person argued that we cannot perfectly obey God because of our liabilities of being human. When I attempted to speak on the reality of obedience in the Christian life, my friend immediately told me that I was minimizing the extent and damage of sin done to humanity.
The Power of Sin

My friend continued, “Sin has placed us in a position where we cannot help but sin. Sin has totally corupted our nature to the point that sin is the logical and inevitable outcome. Sin is all we can do for we are born sinners and thus must sin.”

There does seem to be some truth here. Sin has corrupted our nature. Sin has attacked us at the core. But, my friend, accused me of minimizing the extent of the damage done by sin. To that I argue that my friend has minimized the power of God.
Obedience is based on God’s ability

If God, who created all out of things that do not appear (Hebrews 11:3), then why can’t God keep us from falling (Jude 1:24) as it says in the word?

What sin can do, I declare God can do more. Whatever evil sin can place on us, God has more power! certainly the creative power of God declares to us that God can do it.

We always talk about God making a way for us. But how about recognizing that God can make a way through us. this is why the Psalmist called for God to use that same creative power to renew his Spirit. (Psalm 51:10)

Is it possible? Was it possible that God spoke the worlds into existence? I declare that the answer to both of those questions is the same answer.
Believe it or Not, it Will Happen

Some say obedience will not happen, but John in the Revelation points to a group, he says “Here are they” essentially saying, “Here they are.” He notes that there will be a group who are identified as commandment keepers by the faith OF Jesus. They seek to live God’s life. (Revelation 14:12)

They will be obedient to the most high God. In short, just because you are not living it, or seeing it, or even believing it, don’t limit the power of God to accomplish it! So maybe I am limiting the power of Sin, but that is only in reference to the creative power of God…

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Wrong Time for a Blessing?

Granite-mountain-south-of-Machtesh-Ramon-tb-q010403Proverbs 27:14 reminds us that there can be a wrong time even for a blessing.  When it is time for something else, and someone comes in and loudly shouts even the right sounding thing, we can find out blessing turning into a curse.  This scripture gives the example of someone yelling the blessing to wake up the sleeper.  It is time for sleeping.  Sleeping has benefits and is a need for the human body.  However, someone might feel the need to wake up the sleeper to give her a blessing.

Yes this is a common occurrence.  Maybe not while literally sleeping, but often we find people giving us “blessings” when they are either not needed or not helpful.  In fact, even when the sentiment is true, we might be giving the “blessing” at the wrong time.  How many have been told to keep their chin up because God will be a “doctor in the sick room” right when the person has not even dealt with the reality of the diagnoses?  How many have been told to “stop crying” for God will bless you right when their spouse has died?

Certainly these sentiments may be true, but just as the blessing that wakes the sleeper is the wrong time and becomes a curse, so does our promises of God’s aid at the wrong time.  Certainly we should and must bless folks, but what this text tells me is to make sure that the blessing is at the right time, or it will become a curse to the one receiving it.

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Do You Want Victory?

victoryWe often lose in our battle because we don’t really want to win.  We talk about desiring victory over sin, but we keep the emblems of sin around, “just in case.”  Sure we want victory, just not the victory that requires sacrifice.  We want the victory that doesn’t require giving up anything.  We want an easy victory

Romans 6:11 gives us the key to victory.  It is a key that is not easy.  It is not what we want to hear.  But it is simply to “reckon” or “consider” yourself dead to sin.  This is a very interesting image.  Reckon yourself dead to sin.  How does one do that?  You do that by simply treating yourself as if you already have the victory.  This is not to say that you will not fall again.  You probably will.  But what it does say is that you are not aiding the enemy in your defeat.

You are acting as if you are victorious.  You are living as if you have already won.  You are standing firm in the victory that God has already given to you.  If you want victory, go ahead and stand in it.  Go ahead and live in it.  Victory is already yours.  For we are simply living in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. (Romans 6:8-Romans 6:9)