Admitting Lack Frees the Believer in Faith
The Gospel never asks you to lie to yourself in order to believe Jesus. You aren't supposed to pretend any part of it is true. You are actually supposed to repent, in hope, of where it doesn't seem to be true for you. When I got ahold of this, it freed me from so much misunderstanding. God isn't calling me to demonstrate my great faith, He is actually inviting me to admit my lack, and open my heart, so He can give me what I need!!
Shepherds who don't understand the Gospel preach its truths as if they are already yours, regardless of whether or not you have learned to appropriate them. It is important to understand how to appropriate the POWER of the Gospel.
1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. (6) And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, (7) so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
There is real power to change your mind, will, and emotions in the way the power of the Gospel is appropriated, but you actually have to do it. In my experience, most believers don't know how to appropriate the power of the Gospel into their lives. They don't change.
Don't let anyone tell you that Christ already did the work for you to have something the Bible promises, and then leave it at that. Only a leader who didn't understand sanctification would leave the truth of change with a simple "Jesus already did it, so now you have it" even though you don't feel it, think it, or do it. That would be a half-truth... which is a lie.
The truth is: Jesus already bought you all the freedom the Gospel promises, but you have much to do to appropriate that freedom. This is called "working out your own salvation" in the Bible..which is just another phrase that means "sanctification."
You appropriate the power of the Gospel in a very simple, yet laborious process that is an easy yoke, but still a yoke, and a light burden, but still a burden. The process is called REPENTANCE.
I.e., When you feel afraid, and the Gospel promises freedom from fear, you repent of your fear, and you thank the Holy Spirit for perfect love...already resident inside of you... and then you wait a minute and see if that love begins displacing fear in you. Then you repeat. Over time you will literally grow less fearful. This is one example of many.
Greed: you repent of feeling greedy (which is not the same as gritting your teeth and pretending to not be greedy, which never works) and you thank the Holy Spirit for His generous nature already available inside of you, simply by His presence. Then you let something supernatural happen....you let your thinking, emotions, and will soften and begin to be transformed as you repeat this process over and over.
Anxiety: you repent of anxiety, you thank the Holy Spirit for peace, you feel your heart, you try to sense the Spirit working. Repeat. Over time you will change.
The Gospel is only the true Gospel if it actually frees you...if you experience it in power...not just sentiment and fading promises.
Philippians 2:12-16 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (14) Do all things without complaining and disputing, (15) that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16) holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Shepherds who don't understand the Gospel preach its truths as if they are already yours, regardless of whether or not you have learned to appropriate them. It is important to understand how to appropriate the POWER of the Gospel.
1 Thessalonians 1:5-7 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. (6) And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, (7) so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
There is real power to change your mind, will, and emotions in the way the power of the Gospel is appropriated, but you actually have to do it. In my experience, most believers don't know how to appropriate the power of the Gospel into their lives. They don't change.
Don't let anyone tell you that Christ already did the work for you to have something the Bible promises, and then leave it at that. Only a leader who didn't understand sanctification would leave the truth of change with a simple "Jesus already did it, so now you have it" even though you don't feel it, think it, or do it. That would be a half-truth... which is a lie.
The truth is: Jesus already bought you all the freedom the Gospel promises, but you have much to do to appropriate that freedom. This is called "working out your own salvation" in the Bible..which is just another phrase that means "sanctification."
You appropriate the power of the Gospel in a very simple, yet laborious process that is an easy yoke, but still a yoke, and a light burden, but still a burden. The process is called REPENTANCE.
I.e., When you feel afraid, and the Gospel promises freedom from fear, you repent of your fear, and you thank the Holy Spirit for perfect love...already resident inside of you... and then you wait a minute and see if that love begins displacing fear in you. Then you repeat. Over time you will literally grow less fearful. This is one example of many.
Greed: you repent of feeling greedy (which is not the same as gritting your teeth and pretending to not be greedy, which never works) and you thank the Holy Spirit for His generous nature already available inside of you, simply by His presence. Then you let something supernatural happen....you let your thinking, emotions, and will soften and begin to be transformed as you repeat this process over and over.
Anxiety: you repent of anxiety, you thank the Holy Spirit for peace, you feel your heart, you try to sense the Spirit working. Repeat. Over time you will change.
You can bind the enemy spirits that try to push you into these negative thoughts, and that is essential and helpful, but that's only half the battle. Sanctification deals with the other enemy of God in your life: the flesh... your own self-leadership. When you yield your self-leadership (repent) and acknowledge the willingness of the Spirit to lead you (thanking Him for what is available to you) HE DOES! He will take as much as we give, so we have to give more and more. That is the repeating part.
The Gospel is only the true Gospel if it actually frees you...if you experience it in power...not just sentiment and fading promises.
Philippians 2:12-16 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (14) Do all things without complaining and disputing, (15) that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16) holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
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