Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Strong (11/21/24)
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TITLE: In His Strength And Not Our Own | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
11/26/24 -
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Forgiving people that have deeply hurt or offended us (or a loved one) is perhaps the classic example of this scenario, with loving your enemies and praying for the benefit of those who persecute you (1), running a close second.
The SIN of refusing to forgive others is perhaps the number one cause of taking so many Christians, out of fellowship with God.
When out of fellowship with God, there will be a decrease in the intimacy and joy in the relationship.
Our daily walk with the Lord will become increasingly estranged.
It matters not which ONE of God’s commands we are not in compliance with, as our disobedience to any ONE of them takes us just as far out of fellowship with God as any other.
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is (as) guilty of (as the one who has broken them) all (James 2: 10 KJV parentheses mine).”
I use the sin of unforgiveness as an example because it, sad to say, is a common occurrence, but the principle applies to any sin.
Forgiving others, including our enemies, is not a suggestion, it is a command.
If there is something or someone that you have not forgiven, YOU are living in the sin of unforgiveness.
The expression “living in sin” is often used to refer to fornication (sex outside of marriage), but when ANY sin becomes an ongoing practice or lifestyle, the one involved is living in sin, as well.
We try to self-justify our insubordination by stating that it is not normal or natural to always do what Scripture requires, and it is beyond the limitations of our human strength and ability to do so.
God would actually agree with that argument, but He never intended for us to accomplish such things via the limitations of our human strength and abilities.
The post salvation spiritual life is to be executed with the enabling power and strength that He supplies.
Since ALL born again believers have 24/7 access to this enabling power and accompanying strength, there is no excuse not to apply it. It is a choice we make.
Executing the post salvation spiritual life is not a matter of how strong or weak we feel, as there are many things that can influence our feelings.
Making choices based on how we feel can be a satanic trap.
Discipleship is a matter of learning (2) and applying (3) what God has to say to all that we think, do, and say. Our obedience is an expression of our love for God (4).
Our disobedience is an expression of our independence and rebellion.
The post (after) salvation spiritual life of discipleship is to be executed with the unlimited and inexhaustible strength that He has provided (5).
The best electric tool on the market is useless if it is not turned on.
When we pray for God to increase our human strength to accomplish a spiritual objective, the answer is going to be “No.”
We do not have to pray to receive something (e.g. strength) that we already have been given.
What we often need to pray for is the wisdom and the courage to accomplish the objective before us with the divine strength that we already have been given, and not try to do so with the limitations of our human strength and ability.
God allows us to experience physical and mental exhaustion trying to accomplish things with our human strength in order to teach (or remind) us that, “... apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15: 5 NASB2020).”
All Church Age believers have access to the same divine power and accompanying strength that brought down the House of Dagon (6) and the walls of Jericho (7).
In both instances, humans played a role, but it was the power and strength of God that produced the end result.
God will only release or make use of His power when, where, how, and if, it lines up with His will and timing.
Learning of the ways, the will, and the timing of God can keep us from the exhausting and frustrating experience of trying to accomplish divine good with our human strength.
(1) Matt. 5: 43- 44 (2) 2Pet. 3: 18 (3) James 1: 22 (4) John 14: 15 (5) Phil. 4: 19/John 15: 5 (6) Judges 16: 23-30 (7) Joshua 6: 2, 5, 20
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