Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that you are all doing well and it is my prayer that this writing may be an encouragement to all of you.
I must confess to you Brothers and sisters I have been struggling. Struggling with the sin nature, my worth and fear of failure. I have struggled to love my wife as the word instructs:
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Colossians 3:19 NIV
And, I have struggled to bridle my own tongue:
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:1-6 NIV
It is my hopes that in sharing this with you all that we may fellowship and be open with one another as it is written:
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:13-16 NIV
I have done much reflecting and meditation on these scriptures and praise be to God my mentors and brothers and sisters in Christ have come around me to lift me up in prayer and love. They also have edified me and helped me by confirming for me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I may have stumbled, but my purpose, my assignment, my calling and most of all that God's love has not changed.
This brings me to another point:
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:7-25 NIV
We must remember brothers and sisters, I must remember, we children of God are not the sin nature in us, but we are made new in Christ by the power of the blood and the Holy Spirit we all stumble and fall short for there is no one righteous, no not one. We also must remember to consider it pure joy when trials come upon us as it is written:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4 NIV
And my final point be sure dear brothers and sisters, to equip the armor of God daily for our enemy prowls around like a lion seeking those he can devour spend time in prayer and fasting meditating on the word so that you come to truly know the voice and character of our Heavenly Father that you may not be deceived. The enemy will use the word to condemn shame and guilt you to fill you with doubt, fear of failure and punishment. Our Heavenly Father is not a hard or harsh man. He is the definition of love. Learn his voice when the word comes from HIS Holy Spirit. The word corrects, convicts, challenges, confirms, heals, educates, edifies, lifts up, nourishes, empowers and so much more.
In short dear brothers and sisters in Christ if you are struggling do not be afraid to humble yourself to your Heavenly Father Christ who took our punishment that we may come to him freely as his children and be looked upon with love. Do not hide or carry what you were never meant to. Go to our Heavenly Father with childlike faith and allow yourselves to receive his unfailing, unfathomable love as it is written:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4 NIV
Know that you are well loved my brothers and sisters in Christ and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
Pastor Dakota Swinton