Abiding Makes Obedience Possible

 

As I write these words I'm tired and stressed by the ordinary circumstances of my ordinary day. 

My stomach hurts because I drank orange juice. I can drink 4 ounces of orange juice, maybe even 6 ounces, but more than that, and I get sick.  I've been this way for a long time.  

This morning I drank 8 ounces -- maybe more--of orange juice.  

Why?  Why do I do things I know I should not, even something so innocuous as drinking a full cup of orange juice, when I know it has made me sick in the past to do so?

For the sake of this discussion let's rule out sheer stupidity, although I really think that might be a factor for me.  That leaves sin. I don't like to be told what I can or cannot do, even when I am the one who is telling myself "You'd better not have that second serving..."  And that, my friends, is sin.  

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin" (Romans 7:14-25)

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Throughout our lives here on earth there will be this ebb and flow of obedience punctuated by episodes of shameful disobedience. It is very important not to give up, not to continue in sin just because we know God's grace will cover us; we must keep trying. But when we fail--and we will fail--we have a Savior who, in this age of grace, cleanses us of our sin just for the asking.  

I do ask. 

Prayer: Lord forgive me my failure to abide and obey. Forgive me for not filling my mind and heart with Scripture so that I leave myself vulnerable to sin's power. Thank You for covering my sins by Your grace and by Your Blood.  I praise Your Name.  Help me to do better.  I will to do better.  Amen.  

P.S.  Let me assure you that I am not suffering all this remorse over orange juice. The orange juice was only the one of my many sins that I'm willing to share in a blog post!!  

Check out the Gaither video below; we are greatly blessed, highly favored, imperfect, but forgiven!