Pam and I returned last night from our trip to California. She went there for work on behalf of one of her clients, and I went along for the ride. While she was slaving away for two days in San Luis Obispo, and I spent that time on the beach reading and preparing scores for this up-coming STLWS season. Then it was off to Ventura for two and a half days of play-time. It was indeed a good gig!
While I was gone I got a call from a former client who moved to Louisville last year. When we last talked, which was about three months ago, she was in great spirits, but life has recently taken a downward spiral. I want to share this scenario with you because it is a situation that plagues too many of us. Unfortunately, none of us are immune from that torment.
Kate had been experiencing the pain of guilt, shame and remorse which eventually led her to a mild state of depression. According to her own admission she has been making a series of bad choices, and what was taking shape in her mind for that night was like too many previous choices. Feeling alone and “empty”, she was preparing to go out for “a drink or two…”; to hear a band; and “maybe meet someone.” That very thought process was weighing on her because she knew from experience the truth of that “lie”. It was never just “a drink or two…or three…or four…”, and “meeting someone” had proven to be euphemistic for “going home with someone”. But…truth be told, there could have been a band in that scenario. Thank God she had the courage to cry out.
Here are a few more contributors to Kate’s pathos. She is a follower of Jesus Christ, but again in her own words:
“I’m certainly not acting like it. Consequently I’ve been feeling totally separated from God.”
“I know how disappointed He is in me…and why wouldn’t He be? Just look at me and what I’ve become”.
“I don’t want to do what I’ve been doing, but it seems like everywhere I turn Satan has opened a new door to entice me to follow him into the pit of Hell!”
“I can’t connect with God…my words keep falling on the floor and I feel totally alone.”
“I don’t want to do keep doing this, but I keep falling into the same trap!”
I know Kate’s background from previous conversations concerning her upbringing; her church experience; her history of relationships. And I also how she enthusiastically embraced her walk with Jesus. She was on fire for Him. So what happened? How did she get from “there” to “here”.
I could have directed her to Apostle Paul’s tirade in Romans 7:15-25, but we had visited that passage a few times in the past. Instead I choose to highlight the truth found in Romans 12:2: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” Then I drew from Galatians 5:16-18: “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what he sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to your sin nature.”
Next came the truth about our Enemy: “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10); “master of lies and deception” (John 8:44); “like a roaring lion looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). And finally we stood on this truth found in Romans 8:38: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.” (Let me assure you Kate was not barraged with Scriptures. I listed those above to substantiate the scriptural truths (or scriptural facts, as Watchman Nee likes to say) used in the platform for our conversation. Now let’s look at four planks of that platform.
1.Satan is our enemy and he NEVER misses a chance to do EVERYTHING in his power to sabotage our effort to cast off our human nature (sin nature) and become a “new creature” in Christ. As long as we are living according to the desires of our flesh and the teaching and behaviors of this world, he leaves us alone. Any why not? We are already in the palm of his hand. BUT…when we make a decision to follow Jesus Christ, we have a BIG target on our back and he is relentless in his effort to get us back.
His lies and deception abound: “You’re a total disappointment to God.” “Surly you don’t think he has forgiven you for what YOU’VE done!” “You’ll NEVER be worthy and acceptable to him. Just look at YOU!” All of that trash, dear Brother and Sister, is a lie! The very opposite is God’s truth. When we are in Christ,“nothing can separate us from God’s love.”
2. God’s salvation plan is perfect! Not only is our eternal destiny sealed by our choice to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, but God knows first-hand, through Jesus Christ, how difficult it is to live the life he has called us to live in this fallen world. That’s why we become a “new creature” and exchange our sin nature for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Ref. Galatians above.) That is how we rise above the world around us and become victorious in our Christian walk. 1 John 4:4 reveals this promise: “He that is in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than he (satan) that is in this world.” We are already victorious! Why? Because we are in Christ, and “he has already overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
3. The Holy Spirit is the essence of Jesus Christ living in and through us. Just as Jesus knew his disciples drew their strength from him, he promised us – his future disciples – the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be our source of wisdom; our comforter; our guide; and our teacher. But this we must understand: the Holy Spirit does not do the work for us; the Holy Spirit empowers us to do the work.
As Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 17:20: “I assure you, even if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” So when we are faced with our mountains in life, our role is to call on the Holy Spirit to empower us with wisdom, strength, courage, patience, perseverance, whatever it is we need to accomplish God’s will, and His promise to us is we will be victorious. Why? Because we are in Christ and “he has already overcome the world.”
4. Because we are in Christ, our new identity comes from him. So don’t let satan or anyone else take that away from you. But is your new identity based on your behavior? Absolutely not! It is based on what Jesus Christ accomplished at Calvary and your decision to accept that Gift of Grace from a loving God who wants an eternal relationship with you. Because of that decision, Romans 8:1-4 tells us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death…God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Holy Spirit.”
As we continue to grow in our relationship with Christ and begin to realize the fullness of what his sacrifice means to us, we cannot help but want to live our life in a way that brings honor and glory to Him. After all, it is because of Him our sins – past, present and future – are forgiven; we are the righteousness of Christ; we are worthy and acceptable in His eyes; we are loved unconditionally; we are heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm; we are heir to all the promises in the Bible.
NOTHING…ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. Because we are in Christ…WE’RE IN!!
Are you in Christ? If not…why not?
May God Bless Ya, and feel free to chime in with your thoughts.
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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