seekingpurity047 said:
Hey guys...
Lately, I have been really down on myself because of some things that have been occurring in my life, and I believe I have been out of fellowship with the Lord lately. Friends, I really need your prayers. I am hurt and I have been a sloth.
Any advice, please help. This is a plea for help. I need your fellowship.
Bless you, friends, and thanks for your prayers.
Randy
Yo, Randy bro, I can relate, and so did Paul.
Romans 7;
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that
it is good. 17 But now,
it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but
how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will
to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not
to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not
to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24
O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank Godthrough Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
One of the paradoxes of being Elect is that we still inhabit a body of death(sin), and we are simultaneously saint and sinner, wretched yet a sweet frangrance to the Lord, but not because of anything we are inherently, or anything we do, but because it is Christ who is our substitute, and He is a sweet frangrance to the Father, thus we are vicariously through Him.
Therefore, as we come into closer relationship with God, coming into a growing knowledge of His Holiness, it is natural that we also come to see ourselves as that cow dung Martin Luther spoke of, but snow covered cow dung.
What I have learned is what John expresses in 1 John 1, so well, which is to keep short accounts with the Lord.
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The Lord is good, and gracious, and knows every sin we have, think of, and desire, and for our sake, to relieve us of the heavy burden of sin and guilt, desires we come to Him in confession, not for His benefit, but for ours.
Jesus called those who are weary and heavily laden with the burden of sin and guilt, to take that yoke off us, so we can enter into fellowship with God in joy and thanksgiving.
Personally, I found there is nothing I can hide from God, so, the shorter the accounts are kept, the more joy, peace and thanksgiving there is in my life.
Instead of hiding like Adam, we can honestly confess with the guarantee of relief.
Actually, I would be a little concerned if we were not saddened by our sin.
God crushed His only begotten Son to provide us with relief.
I'm praying for you bro.
ing
