Comments on: God’s passion is for our spiritual transformation! http://heapofstones.com/whats-new/god%e2%80%99s-passion-is-for-our-spiritual-transformation Mon, 24 May 2010 17:47:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rob http://heapofstones.com/whats-new/god%e2%80%99s-passion-is-for-our-spiritual-transformation/comment-page-1#comment-157 Rob Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:39:32 +0000 http://heapofstones.com/?p=401#comment-157 Ray, I appreciate your openness about habits of sin! You're not alone in this. In a later posting for Quest I share about two incidents in my life. One in which God immediately took away a habit and the other in which I still need to depend on him daily. I think most of the major sin issues we wrestle with require a daily dependence on Christ--and that is right where God wants us! Dependent on him (Galatians 2:20). In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul talks about a "thorn in his flesh, a messanger of Satan" that tormented him. We don't know for sure what this "thorn in the flesh" was, because he doesn't tell us. The important thing is how Paul responded to it. First, he turned to God and pleaded with the Lord three times to take it from him. In the midst of his pleading, however, God told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." We must not miss what he's saying here, because this isn't a copout for sinning. In fact, Paul concludes, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Now apply Paul's conclusion to your example, Ray, of overeating. God could deliver someone instantly from a habit like this, but more often than not, I believe he wants us to depend and rely on him daily for the strength to do what's right. "I am weak, but he is strong." Also, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that comes by remaining in (living in) him. As I write this, it occurs to me that "self-control" is only necessary where there's an on-going temptation. For if we've been completely delivered from some habit, there's no longer need for self-control in it. But self-control is needed where, left to our self and our fleshly desires we would indulge! Paul urged Timothy, "train yourself for godliness!" (1 Timothy 4:7) And we do that in dependence on him. Talking about all this is easy! But truly relying on God's power to overcome, while simple, is not always easy! And that too is a part of learning to trust and depend on him. Ray, I appreciate your openness about habits of sin! You’re not alone in this. In a later posting for Quest I share about two incidents in my life. One in which God immediately took away a habit and the other in which I still need to depend on him daily. I think most of the major sin issues we wrestle with require a daily dependence on Christ–and that is right where God wants us! Dependent on him (Galatians 2:20).

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul talks about a “thorn in his flesh, a messanger of Satan” that tormented him. We don’t know for sure what this “thorn in the flesh” was, because he doesn’t tell us. The important thing is how Paul responded to it. First, he turned to God and pleaded with the Lord three times to take it from him. In the midst of his pleading, however, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We must not miss what he’s saying here, because this isn’t a copout for sinning. In fact, Paul concludes, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Now apply Paul’s conclusion to your example, Ray, of overeating. God could deliver someone instantly from a habit like this, but more often than not, I believe he wants us to depend and rely on him daily for the strength to do what’s right. “I am weak, but he is strong.” Also, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that comes by remaining in (living in) him. As I write this, it occurs to me that “self-control” is only necessary where there’s an on-going temptation. For if we’ve been completely delivered from some habit, there’s no longer need for self-control in it. But self-control is needed where, left to our self and our fleshly desires we would indulge! Paul urged Timothy, “train yourself for godliness!” (1 Timothy 4:7) And we do that in dependence on him.

Talking about all this is easy! But truly relying on God’s power to overcome, while simple, is not always easy! And that too is a part of learning to trust and depend on him.

]]> By: Ray Edwards http://heapofstones.com/whats-new/god%e2%80%99s-passion-is-for-our-spiritual-transformation/comment-page-1#comment-153 Ray Edwards Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:43:20 +0000 http://heapofstones.com/?p=401#comment-153 Rob, what about habits of sin we have that we ask to have "taken from us"... and yet they persist? I don't mean to get too personal here (well, yes I do... so I guess I just hope it doesn't make anyone uncomfortable) but I have just this dilemma. As a concrete example: I overeat. And I don't exercise enough. It's not a secret - anyone who looks at me can know this about me. I know it's not a good habit, and I actually have asked the Lord to take this habit from me. And yet, when the Wendy's hamburger beckons, I come running. Does God sometimes say to us, "Hey, kid, you just need to work on your self-control?" Rob, what about habits of sin we have that we ask to have “taken from us”… and yet they persist?

I don’t mean to get too personal here (well, yes I do… so I guess I just hope it doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable) but I have just this dilemma.

As a concrete example: I overeat. And I don’t exercise enough. It’s not a secret – anyone who looks at me can know this about me. I know it’s not a good habit, and I actually have asked the Lord to take this habit from me. And yet, when the Wendy’s hamburger beckons, I come running.

Does God sometimes say to us, “Hey, kid, you just need to work on your self-control?”

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