Christian Living

---

It is good to know who we are in Christ. But first it is imperative we know who we are apart from Christ. Otherwise Satan will meet us at every turn, take us at will. (II Timothy 2:25-26)

On Saturday, June 8, 2006, I wrote in my journal.

Have been reading The Brothers Karamazoff. Theme of the book: Saints and Sinners: we are all made of the same cloth. The one may live well, the other low, but there is no difference. (see Romans 3:22-23) The one with true humility understands this; the prideful one believes it not -> however, the humble person is known to live well. Love and acceptance is the only thing that can change the evil person on the inside. We can through circumstance be forced to change our ways, but it is not the way we meet our God. We meet our God when He comes to us with love and acceptance. He turns His face from evil, but not from us. In the world it is necessary to alter behavior by force, but it is not the way we meet our God.

Gospel writer and apostle John said, “Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. (John 2: 24-25) Unless we know (by experience and through the unveiling process performed by the Holy Spirit) our nature thoroughly; we can’t move ahead to who we can become in Christ.

“Without me, you can do nothing,” said Jesus to His disciples. Without Him I am nothing except ‘wretched, poor, blind, miserable and naked.’

If we’ve never dealt with our own nakedness, then how yearn from the depths of our being to be clothed upon? What a shocking sight it is, to see the monster we truly are, unclothed. But once we do look upon that beastly spectacle (maybe just a peek through fingers at first), face it thoroughly and cry out to Jesus, we are on the road to being safe at last.

Now pride in me wants to lament death of the beast in me, cloaking him in his own devices. It wants to save him. But Jesus, lover of my soul that He is, is bound and determined to slay him. Yea, He already hath done so. Like Goliath, my monster lies headless, slain on the open ground. David, shadow of Jesus, stands over him with a drawn and bloody sword. Thank God the giant is slain and Israel, with me, is set free.

O let us rejoice victory and dance upon the corpse: let us at all times remember, the nature of the self He slew on the day He said, “It is finished.”

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE