I appreciate that you meant to be edifying. Communication styles are exponentially harder to decode in type without inflection and facial expression! Thank you also for your concern that I not be burdened by shame that comes only from Satan. (as opposed to guilt that comes from God to the sinner) There was a time in my life that I was, but God has freed me from that burden, opening my eyes to a little more closely see the depths of His Grace!

May His Grace abound to you, also! Have a blessed day tomorrow (actually today here in Indy!)

Hello Zan,

I meant the post to be edifying and not condescending. I see too many lament their performance in not living up to Christ’s example. The scripture I quoted was showing that none of us can live up to those examples you mentioned without the power of the Holy Ghost. I don’t like to see people walk in self condemnation, and that is where that is coming from, because we know it isn’t coming from Jesus Christ!

There for there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1 KJV).

Rick said: “FW reads a moving self revelation which every believer can and should identify with personally, and he is so mentally tethered to systematic doctrine that he cannot even be edified by a vunerable devotional post without responding with some theological issue that is not at odds with Zan’s post.”

What does “systemic doctrine” mean?

F Whittenburg
http://www.christiannewbirth.com

You are so kind. Thank you for the encouragement. As Chris will attest, I don’t always like being vulnerable, but I was convicted so much in the study of these passages this week.

Can’t wait to see you next month!

I believe doctrine is very important, but I still believe many orthodox believers substitute that for Christlikeness when it should be both. Jesus was filled with grace and truth.

I like the last line about explaining a joke. I fear part of the church has lost her heart and some have lost their head. A very convicting yet tender post in the style of the Patriarch David. Thank you again.

“You left out one.”

Do you mean that Paul left out one? All the scripture above came from I Cor 12 and 13. It is all talking about how we are gifted and what we do with those gifts. I merely rearranged it, to show the correlation between the two chapters. So often we take Ch. 13 by itself, and that is fine, but it is also good to put it in context. (The downside of divisions of chapters and section headings…)

Even Paul was at war within himself, the law of his mind, where he wants to do good, fighting against his sinful nature. I am human, I have a sinful nature, I am only made perfect in God’s eyes through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, I continue to do the things I don’t want to do, and don’t do things I know I should. Thus the above introspection.

All I was trying to say is that I fail to love like Jesus loved this world (and by world, I mean the people in this world). And that since Jesus says that the greatest gift we have is love, than isn’t that where I should focus more of my energy…and everything else will fall into place through that.

This is sorta like a joke that loses its humor when you have to explain it.

“Now…can any of us – comfortably – do this:”

You left out one.

What about walking in the Spirit? (no power in the flesh)

I didn’t see it on the list. Might help out with some of those other things.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Galatians 5:16,17 KJV). (Galatians 3:3 KJV)

The power to live like Jesus, comes from the Spirit of Christ.
(Romans 8:8,9 KJV)

F Whittenburg
http://www.christiannewbirth.com

F Whittenburg
http://www.christiannewbirth.com