(no subject)
I have often made the mistake of seeing God's invitation to salvation as an invitation to work for his forgiveness. I do not mean it regarding eternal salvation, perhaps I should be clearer. When we are saved, we are justified forever by the blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing can stand in our way, right? Yet, there are numerous times, countless even, when we will sin against the moral law of God. Sometimes this will evolve into a series of events which Christians call "backsliding." Well, without a doubt when we do this we feel as if we are far from God, which practically we are. If I try to produce something spiritual from my flesh (which is usually the source when I am surrounded by sin) then it will crumble into ash.
So the mistake comes when I ignore how it all began. When I was saved, I did nothing but cry to God "I'm sorry, save me." Nothing else! I offered no sacrifice, I made no prayer of promise, and I did no act of service. All I did was throw myself towards the calling of "Come to me, those who are weak and weary..." But, when fall into sin and do nothing to deter myself, there comes a time when I decide "I'm gonna stop. God, I'll do it! I'll stop right now!" Now, what you don't see in that phrase is this: "God, I don't need the same forgiveness that came when I first cried out to you." No man can take that step from playing the harlot without the gracious hand of our Lord. And it hit me that I was doing just that. Lying in bed crying over my sins. Yet I did nothing to stop them. I ran to a god of my own likings, one who would make it all go away and make me right again. No amount of tears has ever forgiven any man nor will it turn anyone from sin. That word, "turn", sounds so perfect. It is what repenting it. Yet it takes the will of the Spirit and OUR actions to do it. Turning is an active thing, therefore we must actively mortify our awful deeds.
So the mistake comes when I ignore how it all began. When I was saved, I did nothing but cry to God "I'm sorry, save me." Nothing else! I offered no sacrifice, I made no prayer of promise, and I did no act of service. All I did was throw myself towards the calling of "Come to me, those who are weak and weary..." But, when fall into sin and do nothing to deter myself, there comes a time when I decide "I'm gonna stop. God, I'll do it! I'll stop right now!" Now, what you don't see in that phrase is this: "God, I don't need the same forgiveness that came when I first cried out to you." No man can take that step from playing the harlot without the gracious hand of our Lord. And it hit me that I was doing just that. Lying in bed crying over my sins. Yet I did nothing to stop them. I ran to a god of my own likings, one who would make it all go away and make me right again. No amount of tears has ever forgiven any man nor will it turn anyone from sin. That word, "turn", sounds so perfect. It is what repenting it. Yet it takes the will of the Spirit and OUR actions to do it. Turning is an active thing, therefore we must actively mortify our awful deeds.