We have been discussing how we are kept by the power of God and that his keeping is a complete keeping. Our God keeps us during times of prosperity, and in the hard times.
Some think that God can and does keep us from doing great sins of wickedness, but when it comes to the small harmless sins we cannot expect God to be bothered. It is through discipline and years of self-will that these sins are conquered.
We hear of a fellow believer falling into a grievous sin and we realize, that could have been me. Thank you God for keeping us from that sin! Thank you for keeping me. But, then we hardly notice when we fall right back into the sin of pride or selfishness for the third time that day.
And why do we doubt that God through the Holy Spirit can keep us from evil thoughts or a nasty temper and yet praise Him for keeping us from drunkenness or adultery? Is it that we think that a flare of temper or prideful thoughts are less important? God's great commandment of the New Testament is - "Love one another as I have love you." When we strike out at someone or have hatful thoughts toward them, we are sinning against Jesus highest law - we are sinning against the law of God's love.
What we are saying is: If we can believe and surrender our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, God can and will keep us from these "lesser" sins that we have accepted as just being human.
So, let me ask you, Can we as believers live a holier life than is generally lived? Can you and I experience the keeping of God's power all day, every day? What was the promise of 1 Peter 1:5? "Kept by the power of God through faith."
The promise is that if we can entrust ourselves entirely and absolutely to the power of God - He will keep us absolutely!
Let me close this week with this statement of hope from Andrew Murray on page 100 of Absolute Surrender
"God's keeping is all-inclusive, and let everyone who longs to live a holy life think out all their needs, and all their weaknesses, and all their shortcomings, and all their sins, and say deliberately: "Is there any sin that my God cannot keep me from?" And the heart will have to answer: "No; God can keep me from every sin."
As I consider my walk with Jesus, I realize He is offering so much more than I am accepting!
Some think that God can and does keep us from doing great sins of wickedness, but when it comes to the small harmless sins we cannot expect God to be bothered. It is through discipline and years of self-will that these sins are conquered.
We hear of a fellow believer falling into a grievous sin and we realize, that could have been me. Thank you God for keeping us from that sin! Thank you for keeping me. But, then we hardly notice when we fall right back into the sin of pride or selfishness for the third time that day.
And why do we doubt that God through the Holy Spirit can keep us from evil thoughts or a nasty temper and yet praise Him for keeping us from drunkenness or adultery? Is it that we think that a flare of temper or prideful thoughts are less important? God's great commandment of the New Testament is - "Love one another as I have love you." When we strike out at someone or have hatful thoughts toward them, we are sinning against Jesus highest law - we are sinning against the law of God's love.
What we are saying is: If we can believe and surrender our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, God can and will keep us from these "lesser" sins that we have accepted as just being human.
So, let me ask you, Can we as believers live a holier life than is generally lived? Can you and I experience the keeping of God's power all day, every day? What was the promise of 1 Peter 1:5? "Kept by the power of God through faith."
The promise is that if we can entrust ourselves entirely and absolutely to the power of God - He will keep us absolutely!
Let me close this week with this statement of hope from Andrew Murray on page 100 of Absolute Surrender
"God's keeping is all-inclusive, and let everyone who longs to live a holy life think out all their needs, and all their weaknesses, and all their shortcomings, and all their sins, and say deliberately: "Is there any sin that my God cannot keep me from?" And the heart will have to answer: "No; God can keep me from every sin."
As I consider my walk with Jesus, I realize He is offering so much more than I am accepting!
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