You're free! Now live like it!

"All Christians believe that we are saved by grace...But we have seen...that salvation includes both deliverance from the penalty of sin and freedom from the dominion of sin. We have seen that our legal union with Christ in His death and resurrection secures our vital union with Him by which we participate in His divine nature. It is through this vital union that we receive the enabling power to live the Christian life."

Jerry Bridges

I see everyday in my workplace the struggle to live the Christian life. I also see it every day in my own life. Why is their a struggle? Not neccesarily because of any great battle with Satan, not that those aren't present and a struggle. But no, this struggle is because we tend to miss part of the equation. We forget that we receive the 'enabling power' to live the Christian life!

It is in the amazing relationship we (the branches) have with Christ (the vine), that we receive the lifeblood of our Christian life. Without His power, of course it is impossible! Yet still we try to pull up our bootstraps and do it ourselves everyday. Why? Because our underlying sinful condition...

"At root our sinful condition is the commitment to be our own god. I will be the final authority in my life. I will decide what is right and wrong for me; and what is good and bad for me; and what is true and false for me. My desires express my sovereignty, my autonomy, and--though we don't usually say it--my presumed deity."

~John Piper

This sinful condition may not neccesarily display itself in the desire to do forbidden things. Instead, it can also lead us to try and "keep the law by our own strength with a view to exalt our own moral prowess." I think it may not be obvious, even to ourselves, that this is what we are doing. But in our struggle to live the Christian life, we are fighting a battle that was already won on the cross.

If we choose to battle and struggle on our own, instead of relying on the lifeblood of Christ that we have received, we are indeed still sinning.

We must daily rely on HIS strength to overcome our struggles, no matter how overwhelming OR how tiny they seem.

Passionate

Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Fire

You are intense, internally driven, and passionate. Your emotions are unpredictable - and they often get the better of you. Both radiant and terrifying, people are drawn to you. At your most powerful, you feel like the world belongs to you. Why you would be a good superhero: You are obsessive enough to give it your all Your biggest problem as a superhero: Your moodiness would make it difficult to control your powers

What Should Your Superpower Be?

Work in Progress!

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it
to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

There are days when I wish I had a tshirt with a big yellow warning sign that said "work in progress."

Some days, I feel like I'm really getting it. I don't struggle with my attitude as much and I feel like my mouth isn't getting the best of me.

Then of course, there are the "work in progress" days... and while every day is really this way, some days seem worse than others! The days when I stick your foot in my mouth, or you just let my mouth get away with me... or I have a bad attitude... or I let other people's problems get me down...

Either way, it's great to know, as Paul says to the Philippians, "he who began a good work in ME will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

I'm not perfect and God doesn't expect me to be. What I think is important is that forward motion, while the work won't be finished till the day of Jesus Christ, it's to be continully in progress. We're a part of that progress... while it is the work of Christ within us, it is our responsiblity to let him work and to take action when we're led (or to NOT take action, when we're told to chill!) by the Holy Spirit.

So, I'm happy to be a work in progress... shoot, I'm just happy that there's progress!

Can I get a witness? :)