Conviction & Confession

So many times I've been convicted on my lack of prayer and it smacked me in the face again on Sunday. I praise the Lord that He convicts us of our disobedience and pray that He continues to do so as He sanctifies me in this life. I remember a coach telling us one time that we shouldn't worry about him being on our case so much, but we should worry when he's not. Basically what he was saying is that he was on us because he knew we could do better but if he wasn't then he had given up hope. Just a side note, my mind is going 1000 different directions at this point because this could lead to a very deep conversation, but for this blog I want to stick to my conviction.

I confess that my prayer life is far from where it should be, but better than it was. I am far from satisfied with my walk with Christ, but am extremely encouraged to see where He has brought me over the past 10 years. Do you see growth fellow Christian? Do you view the sin in your life more disgusting today than you did a year ago? I know I do and praise God for that. The closer we grow to Christ likeness, the more repulsive sin should be. Romans 6:19- for just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

But those who are without Christ, don't be fooled by the evil one. He would love nothing more than to deceive you into thinking you are too far gone to be saved. Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We all have sinned, we were born sinners. J.I. Packer says it best in his book, Knowing God: "There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me."

All that can be said about that is, WOW. I pray that my fellow brothers and sisters won't be discouraged, but will push forward through our trials and frustrations. And for those who do not know our Lord and Savior, don't be fooled by the devil. Christ died for you as well.