Abortion? Prostitution? Drugs? Sins of rank heathen? No. Listen.
“The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself – the Lord God Almighty declares, ‘I abhor the pride [independence] of Jacob [believers] and detest his fortresses [self-reliance].’” Amos 6:8
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day didn’t get it, and neither do we believers today. WE are the problem. Others are not drawn to the Jesus in us, because there is so little of Him in us. Because there is so much independence/self-reliance/pride/self-righteousness in us. So little dependency/humility. So little supernatural love. He who has been forgiven little, loves little: loves Jesus little, others little, self little, His perfect plan for each of us, little. Like the Pharisees, we have dumbed down the law, and sin, to where sin is something we think we do every once in a while, instead of nonstop – there being a dark side to everything we do, no matter how seemingly noble/selfless.
BrothersSisters what can we do? CONFESS, not redouble our efforts to get it right. CONFESS. And we can also ask Him to give us the Spirit afresh – fresh conviction of sin, claiming the promise of Luke 11, that if we ask for the Spirit, He will give us the Spirit. So I freshly feel loved by Him, just as I am, and freshly love others, just as they are, even enemies, and freshly love self, just as I am, and freshly love His circumstances for me, just as they are. Miracle. Ahhh.
–DumbSheepDave, enjoying more dependency/conviction than ever, hoping the pre-believers around him are noticing the difference Jesus has been making in 2013
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