J. Christ, you are my sanity and clarity....
It is for freedom that
Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be
burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. (Psalm 118:5)
Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
wrote this entry a year and a half ago and it's truer than ever today:
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February 6, 2008
I don't feel that deep, deep, WILD sorrow anymore. It's still within me. But it doesn't consume me anymore. I think this is a good thing. I think.
The thing is, I am so in love with God.
I don't think anything or anyone could take that away from me. And that, or should I say He, is my one advantage. My one secret in getting through life.
I am so imperfect. The moments when I fully realize my depravity...it's mindblowing. I pray that you will show me how to pray. How to live. How to be. I am so strong, God, because of You. In many ways, we've made it. We've made it.
Let the battle begin.
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God, in his grace, teaches me the same lessons over and over again and that is exciting (and fortunate) to me
if i could just feel Your touch,
could i be free?
raise me up from this grave,
touch my tongue and then i'll sing
joyfully i'll run to you
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
thank you, God.
“No Holy Spirit = no true Christianity! You must have the Spirit in you, as well as Christ for you, if you are ever to be saved. God must be your loving Father, Jesus must be your known Redeemer, the Holy Ghost must be your felt Sanctifier...” (J.C. Ryle)
The proper response to grace you experienced in the past is gratitude, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for past grace, and we are confident in future grace.
It is not wrong to say that we trust in past grace—like the grace God showed us at the cross and in our new birth—but what we mean by that is: We believe that because of these acts of past grace, our future will be all grace, and finally the grace of sinless perfection. But in general, the biblical pattern is that we trust in future grace and give thanks for past grace.
The way to understand the power of faith in future grace is to realize that this faith means being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ. When Paul says, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. . . . I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11, 13), he means that faith in the ever-arriving future grace of God in Christ gives him the contentment that conquers fear and greed.
-John Piper
when the Word of God says "my grace is sufficient for you. my power is made perfect in your weakness" it absolutely was not kidding or exaggerating.
i am pretty much on my knees again. oh God, i think you enjoy wrecking my life.
