Sin and muscle relaxers

I was sitting here thinking of what topic to write about and nothing was clicking.  So I decided to change my Take Home Text on the site to one of my favorite scriptures.  Then i started reading Ephesians chapter two, since I am having a bible study with a good friend of mine and I wanted to devote some time to study.  in the second chapter of Ephesians we learn about grace through faith in the first 10 verses.  Eph 2:8-10 discusses about how we as believers are saved by God's grace through faith.  This faith is faith in Christ Jesus and who he is and what he has done for all of mankind.  So in case you don't know let me remind you real quick.  God sent his son Jesus to save all of mankind from sin and restore a right relationship with the God the creator of life.  By us believing in this miraculous showmanship of love from God we are then saved by His grace on our lives.  We didn't earn it and we can't earn it.  As it says in the scripture above; It is the GIFT of God.  So now we know that we are saved from sin and hell because of God's grace.  That's great and all, but we still have to walk holy and live a righteous life.  Here's where some work on our part comes in.

If you look at the take home text on the left side of the screen you will see a passage from 2 Peter.  This passage is explaining that we have to continually add to our faith in Christ these things.  Godliness, perseverance, knowledge, godliness, mutual affection, self-control, and love.  This is a tall order when you think about it.  I mean here we are suppose to add all of this along with our faith.  The text is telling us that we can't just sit idly by and say I am saved by grace "I'm good".  Sin is a muscle relaxer.  Drugs like, the date rape drug, Rohypnol or roofies have muscle relaxers in it.  This is the same effect that happens with your faith. Muscle relaxers make your muscles weak and limp and vulnerable.

Commissioned men of God; please hear me.  This walk takes dedicated work and effort.  Paul to me is the greatest example of the struggle between your flesh and spirit and yielding to the spirits strength and not your own.  What I mean is this.  As you are adding to your faith the values and attributes listed in the text of 2 Peter you do also realize that you cannot do it on your own will.  If that was the case, then why would you need the holy spirit?  We are supposed to be dependent on the Lord.  We are supposed to need him.  What I do is this:  I do as the scripture says and I make every effort to add to my belief in Christ these things.  I also strive to live a holy life.  I make the effort.  Making the effort is a choice and a conscience decision to do something.  Lord i am making the effort, but i still need your spirit to add some strength to my efforts.

Men of God this is where you show your strength.  You lean more on Christ showing your dependence to him is not weakness.  The world would have you believe that the "I can do it all by my lonesome" shows strength.  Strength also comes from knowing when you need help and then asking for it.  You have got to make the effort though.  You can't say Lord I need you to save me from lust and then not make any effort to not look at women lustfully.  You have to turn your eyes away, you have to pray when you feel the flesh trying to take control.  You have to stop watching certain movies and TV shows.  YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE EFFORT.  I cannot stress this enough.  This is why i love that passage in 2 Peter.  Because it reveals that Lord sees my effort and it will be complimented with His Holy Spirit.  My efforts will not be in vain.

Please take this passage and study it and memorize it.  Let it get into your soul and spirit.  This way as you go about your daily walk with the Lord the spirit of God will warn you and give u a heads up on your flesh and then you can start to make the effort to add to your faith in Christ things that are like Christ.  I was told this statement and it compliments this scripture nicely....Faith is like a muscle that you have to exercise to get stronger.  This rings true to the scripture.  By adding to your faith, your faith grows and grows and gets stronger, but like any muscle; if you don't continue to exercise it, it will get flabby and weak.

So if you don't remember anything, remember that your faith requires help from you.  Your faith is just that, Your faith.  So you have to guard it, protect it, compliment it and exercise it.  Another step in becoming a true Commissioned man of God!!!!!