What happens when your heart is divided? What happens when you have to choose between desires and integrity? Defiance or obedience? Fear or trust?
During the upcoming sermon series on the book of I Kings, we will learn some hard lessons through the lives of the Old Testament kings, Solomon, Jeroboam and Rehoboam. What happens when people choose to follow their own judgment rather than relying on the Lord?
Hearts are torn. Families are torn. Nations are torn.
As we will learn during the 8-week series that begins Sunday, the problem for these kings and the challenge that is ahead of us is to set our hearts on seeking the Lord. There are so many distractions and so many excuses, but God has called all of us to seek after Him with all we have.
My heart’s desire is that lives will be changed through the “Torn” series and that each one of us will be convicted in those areas where we might not even realize we are divided in seeking God’s will over our own.
Pastor Ronn
Pastor Ronn did a great kick off on what I know is going to be the awesome series, “Torn”!
I like when Ronn said, “Notice, Jesus said the most important commandment is to love God with everything we got. Jesus did NOT say that the most important command is to follow all the other commands.” That hit me. I never thought of it like that before…..that is, the common number one rule in many clubs, organizations, etc. tends to be stated something like, “the number one rule is to follow all rules”. Jesus couldn’t have made it clearer that one can never over do loving/following God as our priority.
This really focuses light on two traps I believe we tend to fall into in our growth. The two traps are “legalism” and “license”. To be clear, God did not give us the 10 suggestions—–He gave us the 10 commandments. Once saved, it seems many heated debates occur when Christians discuss legalism and license. I’m sure Pastor Ronn will most likely touch on these two arenas over the next 7 weeks, but I believe they can be deadly traps for a Christian. Following God’s ways daily in my walk with Him truly desires to follow His commands. Yet, everyday, I fall on my face one way or the other.
The trap of legalism is that once fallen, it can be easy for me to start thinking God surely won’t forgive me this time, especially since this is the billionth time I’ve committed it. Don’t get me wrong——I know sin is sin and I’m not saying God glosses over my actions. But when I think of it, legalism really is a “Christ plus plan”. In my particular case, I believe this thought pattern is engrained in me from my Roman Catholic days. God NEVER says in His word that once saved, one must now follow God’s laws perfectly. In fact quite the opposite—-God says no matter what I do for the rest of my life, I will NEVER be able to perform perfectly. BUT what God wants me to see in those times is that now, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice applied to me when I was saved holds in the past, present and future sins. His grace is ever present APART from the works of the law. Legalism can get one to the point of saying, “I just can’t hit perfection” and then the person ultimately tires and walks away from faith. The accuser is one of Satan’s strategies that God warns us of in His word. I have to always remember it is by faith in what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross which I’ve accepted as His free gift that crushes sins power in my life. Once saved, God says when we find ourselves in sin that we should run to Him, confess it and hold fast in Jesus’ sacrifice. As in Romans Chapter 8, “there is no condemnation” is the mantra I repeat to myself if I find I’m beating myself up too much on a sin.
The flip side is just as dangerous—–we are never given license in God’s Word. This idea of license basically says, “well, now that I’m saved I can sin all I want”. Personally I believe if a person truly feels this way, they need to re-examine there heart. Sin in the past never phased me like it does now once I was saved—–when sin trips me in life today, I cringe and kick myself because I know it is not something God wants me to do. In ways, the longer I’m a Christian, the more of a sinner I realize I am. I think that’s a key—-once truly saved, a Christian doesn’t want to sin but truly finds the understanding of man’s sin condition. If one feels that they now have a free pass card on sin as an attitude of their heart, personally I believe they need to talk with other fellow Christians. Something is wrong if continued sinning doesn’t bother a person once they are “saved”.
I believe setting my heart upon the Lord and consistently monitoring it is the key to keeping the dangers of legalism and license in check. The closer I walk with God and keep my focus on Him , any ideas on license get quickly squashed. On the other hand, tripping over a sin gives me confidence to pick myself up and immediately run to God and focus on what Jesus Christ’s work on the cross did for me. There is no condemnation thanks to Jesus Christ! HOW FREEING!!!!!
I’m looking forward to this entire series!
Can it really be that easy?
I face each day with the prospet that I am always
in the face of sin. I ask forgiveness, I hope that I have been
granted it. Faith says yes, the devil says, are you sure?! you did it so many times.
And each time you you ask forgiveness, and you do it again. I started to think about it
and just about convinced myself that he was right.
How can I go before God and ask his forgiveness and expect him to believe me?!
I know that I will fail again…and again…and again.
In this writing I suffer that my sin makes my God suffer. That I have caused him pain.
How can I hurt the one who loves me so??? What kind of monster am I?
All I can do is to be in a comma so that I can not sin. For even then what will that do?
Remove me from doing sin? and at what cost..That I may not have a relationshp with him?!
Trapped between sin, forgiveness, and not being able to stop?!?
Oh Lord..Please do not forsake me…
Let your Holy Spirit speak to me again..
For I need your counsel…
How can one such as me …
Oh..how…