I like to compare the Christian battle against sin to an individual swimming upstream against a surging current. His progress is slow and tortuous; he is constantly swept backward by powerful undercurrents. Hovering near the swimmer is a speedboat with a powerful motor. He can continue to try to swim upstream or he can choose to climb aboard the speedboat, which can easily whisk him up the river.
We have a similar choice. When battling evil spiritual forces, worldly influences, and our own fleshly temptations, we can either fail miserably by fighting temptation in our own efforts or defeat that sin-current that drags us down by living in the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit.
Peter explains, "By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. " (2 Peter 1:3) We do not have to clean up our messy lives before we invite God in; rather we appropriate God's holiness through His Holy Spirit living His life within us.
The Scriptures assure us "that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of Him." (I John 5:14-15 NIV)
We can become holy vessels of the all-powerful God by committing to live holy lives through being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Your View of God Really Matters ...
Are you tired of struggling to live the Christian life? Get in the boat! Let God's awesome Spirit live through you every moment of every day. Then, and only then, will you have the power to live in obedience and joy.
Learn more about God’s character at Discover God, by Bright Media Foundation, an affiliate of Cru.
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