Word for Today, Fri, 24 Jun 2005: Understanding Human Nature
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
It is not a popular thing to say, and not a comfortable thing to
think about, but the simple fact is that it is human nature to be
self seeking and self serving. Scientists would even tell you
things about natural selection and preservation of the species,
and stuff like that.
There is no denying that we do what we think is self pleasing,
self seeking, and self serving.
The Bible says that "25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
(Proverbs 16:25, KJV)
Fortunately, we have an advocate in Jesus Christ. He has come to
bring us life, abundant life at that. Abundant life does not
necessarily mean lots of money and possessions, what it means is
a full and restored relationship with God, free of the penalty
(but not consequences) of sin.
"10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill,
and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that
they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV).
"23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23,
KJV).
Read your Bibles and find out what Jesus Christ has done for us.
He has freed us from the power of sin over our lives. Our
grateful response is to praise and worship Him and also to flee
from anything that resembles sin in any way.
I know I sometimes fail to flee from sin, but that is the
direction I ought to be moving in. When I do fail, the proper
response is to confess my failure before God, turn back toward
Him, realize that He paid a huge price for that freedom, and look
to Him in love. When we consider what Christ had to go through
to secure our freedom, perhaps that will motivate us to seek Him
first much more often before falling deliberately into sin. It
also ought to help us know that we can freely come to Him,
though, in our moment of weakness, He is always there for us.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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/ MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST -- http://www.heartlight.org/
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June 24, 2005
RECONCILING ONE'S SELF TO THE FACT OF SIN
This is your hour, and the power of darkness."
Luke 22:53
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=lu+22:53&sr=1
It is not being reconciled to the fact of sin that produces all the
disasters in life. You may talk about the nobility of human nature,
but there is something in human nature which will laugh in the face
of every ideal you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that
there is vice and self-seeking, something downright spiteful and
wrong in human beings, instead of reconciling yourself to it, when it
strikes your life, you will compromise with it and say it is of no
use to battle against it. Have you made allowance for this hour and
the power of darkness, or do you take a recognition of yourself that
misses out sin? In your bodily relationships and friendships do you
reconcile yourself to the fact of sin? If not, you will be caught
round the next corner and you will compromise with it. If you
reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger at
once - Yes, I see what that would mean. The recognition of sin does
not destroy the basis of friendship; it establishes a mutual regard
for the fact that the basis of life is tragic. Always beware of an
estimate of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.
Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical,
never suspicious, because He trusted absolutely in what He could do
for human nature. The pure man or woman, not the innocent, is the
safeguarded man or woman. You are never safe with an innocent man or
woman. Men and women have no business to be innocent; God demands
that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a
child; it is a blameworthy thing for a man or woman not to be
reconciled to the fact of sin.
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers //
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http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost /
This devotional is copyright Oswald Chambers Publications,
< http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk >.
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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