July 9th, 2015

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Contrast

Thursday, July 9th, 2015

Big dog/small dog

Good wolf/bad wolf

Jekyll/Hyde

Law/Grace

It doesn’t matter how it is described or illustrated, the reality is we are a people of contrasts. There is both a good and a bad living within us. Galatians calls it “the flesh vs the Spirit.”

Thing is: they are incompatible. No matter what illustration you use. Like oil and water. Like me and cinnamon. Or me and Parmesan cheese. Or me and coconut. (Can you tell what I don’t like?)

The flesh and the Spirit will always be battling for supremacy. The sad part is when we came to Christ we are told “we are new creations-the old has gone and the new has come.” Why then do we still battle the old man? John Calvin may have said it best:

The spiritual life will not be maintained without a struggle…Disobedience and rebellion against the Spirit of God pervade the whole nature of man.

He is saying what I am trying to say: try as we may, we cannot live this life on our own, or under our own power. “Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world.” I John 4:4

By message Sunday is from Galatians 5:16-26. Talk about a passage of Scripture focused on contrasts! I don’t plan on spending a lot of time on the lusts of the flesh. Why draw attention to the negative? I do, however, plan to spend time talking about the contrast we all face/fight. All in preparation for an upcoming series on the Fruit of the Spirit.

I’d appreciate your prayers. Thanks. How is your conflict going? What would you use to describe it (see my first illustrations).

Posted in Christian living, Doctrine, Grace, Legalism, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 10 Responses »

Stone10

Thursday, July 9th, 2015

Question first. Statement second.

Question: do you do a lot of looking in your rearview mirror (and not when you are driving?)

Statement: I believe many people live their lives looking in their rearview mirror, i.e. looking at the past.

When driving, a good driver is constantly checking all of his mirrors, especially the rearview mirror. I will do that often, but I find myself doing it even more when I am sitting at a light (patiently) waiting for it to turn green. I like to see what is coming, whether they are slowing down, or how close they get.

Of course, this post is not about driving. It is about living life looking at the rearview mirror. As I stated earlier, too many people live their lives looking back. I know there can be value in learning from the past. I am not denying that at all. But there can be a point where we look too much at our past. You know those kinds of people:

Bemoan their past and live as shells.

Bemoan their past and live as prisoners.

Bemoan their past and live entitled.

I’m not downplaying the past of anyone. The Father knows how many I have been made aware of lately who are seeking freedom from their ugly past.

Stone 10 is about Life Regretting vs. Life Reviewing. A strange thought, to be sure, but it makes sense. We can live regretting our past and all that has happened OR we can review it, learn from it, and move on. We can be a Cain (who killed his brother) or a Joseph (who forgave his brothers). One is Life Regretting. The other is Life Reviewing.

Which one would you prefer to be doing?

This is another random post as I work my way through this book:

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