All About: Christ Plus Nothing
I continue to fail. Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” So I know that we all sin and will continue to sin until the day of Christ Jesus. But why is it that there is still areas in my life that I continue to choose to fail in. No matter what I believe about it, whether I try and tell myself that God won’t bless me if I continue to chose this sin. Or even when I know that I am chosing sin over God, but I continue to fail. I wonder, will God give up on me? Why am I so weak? Am I really saved? Is God going to punish me? I don’t know. This morning I read Romans 4. It talked about when a person goes to work they expect to get paid for their work, they earned it. Same with approval from God, if we work for it then we expect it. God then says that the person who fails or continues to struggle, one who can be looked at as a wicked person and does not work but trusts God, is then looked at a righteous. What is righteous, it is to be in a right relationship with God, right where He wants us. Right standing with God comes not when I stop my sin but when I trust in what God did, when He sent His Son to be brutally tortured and hung on the cross to be killed in my place, paying the penalty of my sin, my sin from past, present, and future. Is that freedom to continue to sin, not for me, as I look upon the undeserved love of God, even though I continue to spit in His face. I can not help but want to live for Him, have I failed, YES! Will I continue to fail, yes. Is God stoked when I fail, no way. I am not sure how He feels when I chose sin. But I know that He went through the worst pain in the world to pay the penalty of my failures. Romans 5:1 says that now God looks at us just as if we have never sinned, that we have peace with Him all because of the death of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Thanks God. So what now? I trust that God still looks at me and is pleased, not because of me (I can be a donkey) but because of Jesus. I confess my sin to God, and then to others (James 5:16) says that we should confess to one another that we may pray for each other and then be whole and healed.
May 16, 2008 at 2:57 am
i have gone to dare to share for the past three years but this year was different by far. this year is my senior year and it’s all coming to an end and there are so many emotions that come along with that. in our church and acutally for the past 7 years i have always kinda been the one leading the ministry and being an example for the kids in the youth group allthe while being a “youth” myself. it is way way hard and i have struggled alot. typically im busy ministering hardly ever being ministered to, and dont get me wrong i have a huge passion for ministry and i love it but there are days when well im sure ya know.. but its nice when i can be ministered to. i hope you guys aren’t always doing all the serving, i hope theres people serving all you at dare to share. Zane– you are one cool guy! i got my pic with you and that was tight. i love your willingness to openly share your testimony cause as a girl i struggle hard core with purity and its so true how it’s only through god that it can be overcome…lol when im married im sure my husband will love it but for now i see it as a curse. your wife will forgive you no doubt.. she’ll just be so heart broken that you hurt that way from the regret and she’ll just love you even more. Christ has all the power to make everything beautiful. your passion for life and extreme sports and living for god rocks. i hope Christ always keeps you surrounded with people who won’t cause you to stumble.
thanks again! peace out!
Love always..Alexandra Cannell AKA SnOwBaBy!!:D
August 6, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Yo, Zane! D2S columbus 2008 was Awesome!!!! (’cause it was warmer
) But seriously, Thanks SOOOOO much for all your doin’ and how You try to serve God EVERY day. Just remember that no matter what you’re goin through, the Piqua Baptist Youth Ministry has always got your back (I’m one of the youth) And even though we can’t be there Physically to catch you when you fall, we’ll always be with you in prayer and spirit. But, at the same time, I gotta give props to God for drawing you to him and using you the way he does. Just Remember, when you draw near to God, he draws near to you. but if you aren’t movin’, he will always wait. If we’re willing to wait 3 hrs on a bus to see you get up on stage and live life like God meant you to, Certainly he will wait longer!
Keep on keepin’ on!
Lovin’ in Christ, and prayin’ for you always,
Daniela