Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 239

Life In Christ – 17

ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US

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Ephesians 3:20-21
(20)  Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
(21)  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.

God works in is with His mighty power and does in us more than we can ever ask or think.

As I keep saying: “The Holy Spirit, is God, resident in human personality, with the power to change it.” (A quote from Emil Brunner I think)

The power that works in us, to change us, to demonstrate the love of Christ that passes understanding to us, and which fills us with all the fullness of God, this mighty power is God the Holy Spirit.

We often underestimate His power.  We say “such and so cannot change” or “this sin is abiding”.  The debate over homosexuality is, to some extent, a debate over the power of God to change people’s sexual orientation.  We know God can cure drunkards of alcoholism, thieves of dishonest tendencies and drug addicts of their cravings, but some do not think that homosexuality is “curable” – and maintain that it is therefore unjust and lacking in compassion, to condemn the incurable.

But God the Holy Spirit is more powerful that any sin, even one rooted deep in a person’s psyche and physical nature. The Corinthian church was filled with people who had been enslaved to various physical vices and even to criminal lifestyles – but God changed them!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
(9)  Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers, nor homosexuals,
(10)  nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
(11)  And such WERE some of you. But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

“And such were some of you” is PAST tense. Its over, God dealt with the sin and now they are washed, and sanctified and justified. This list of transformed people includes homosexuals. They can change, God can help them, and fine ministries such as Exodus attest to this; homosexuality is not a life-sentence but rather is an opportunity for grace. Homosexuals need love and support to change, and become holy. We need to believe in God, and in them, and in their redemption. Therefore we must insist on their repentance. 

We must believe that grace is there not to offer us an excuse for sin, but to make us holy.  We dare not let sin triumph and be victor over God.  

Homosexuals, adulterers, sexual addicts, drunkards, drug addicts – in fact all the categories of sinners, should not despair, or resign themselves to the grip of sin, but rather ought to trust themselves to the power of a faithful God.

The love of God, which ministers grace to the penitent soul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is capable of doing “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”.  Lives can be profoundly changed through a personal, one-to-one encounter with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is convinced of this because God transformed him from an abusive, angry, persecutor of the Church into a man of love and grace “as an example” of what God could do with sinners.

1 Timothy 1:12-16
(12)  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gives me strength, that he has considered me faithful and has appointed me to his service.
(13)  In the past I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in my unbelief,
(14)  and the grace of our Lord overflowed toward me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
(15)  This saying is trustworthy and deserves complete acceptance: To this world Christ Jesus came, Sinful people to reclaim. I am the worst of them.
(16)  But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the worst sinner, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all of his patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life.

And throughout Church history some of the most profligate sinners have become the greatest saints. Augustine of Hippo was a sexually addicted cult member who was saved and became one of the greatest theologians of all time. John Newton the slave trader found Christ and became a man of the gospel.  God is not finished with us, His transforming power is greater than any depths to which we may have sunk.

I have heard non-Christian experts on heroin addiction say “The only way people get off drugs for good is when they become a Christian.”  Thousands of alcoholics testify to that fact that turning their lives over to God broke the power of the bottle to dominate them. People with raging tempers can testify that Christ has brought them under control and given them peace. Ministries such as Theophostics testify to lives changed through a single face to face encounter with Jesus.

What about the thousands of Christians who struggle with serious sin? Is there hope for them? Yes, I believe so!  There needs to be a radical dealing with sin in the depths of the personality, by the grace of God. This can happen through prayer and intercession. But it requires great vulnerability to God and trust of His work.  The following seven steps may prove helpful:

1.	Admit you have a serious sin problem and list exactly how it is affecting you and those you love.
2.	Admit that you do not have the power, strength, or intelligence to beat your sin. Admit that it has you thoroughly in its grip.
3.	Turn your entire life over to God, including your sin. Put Him firmly in the driver’s seat and take your hands off the steering wheel.
4.	Destroy the things associated with the sin, the idols, books, magazines, credit card, alcohol, drugs or instruments of violence or of witchcraft or magic. Unsubscribe from pornography. Stop giving room to the sin.
5.	Invite God the Holy Spirit into the depths of your being to change it wherever it needs changing, however it needs changing. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and to come upon you in power. (Acts 1:8).
6.	Persist in believing for a miracle. Do not give up. This is your life that is at stake.
7.	Ask two or three other Christians to pray for you and support you. Specifically get them to pray for an outpouring of the grace and love of God into your heart to transform you into the image of Jesus Christ. Ask them to hold you accountable.

Ephesians 3:20-21
(20)  Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
(21)  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.

Blessings,

John Edmiston <johned@aibi.ph>

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