Naturally part 1
I think one of the biggest roadblocks to "living the Christian life" is that we come at from the idea that we are sinners. We seem to have this idea of what we're "supposed to be" and it doesn't add up with what we are. This idea of perfection that, quite frankly, can't be reached no matter how hard we try. We want the carrot, but the stick keeps moving. And when the carrot continues to always be out of reach--when there's always (at least) one thing we lack--what happens is we get frustrated. We get disillusioned. We fall short and then we think, "I might as well just stay down." Let me say it another way: "You're hopeless, you religion scholars! You took the key of knowledge, but instead of unlocking the doors, you locked them. You won't go in yourself, and won't let anyone else in either" (Luke 11:52, MSG). Religion is like a hampster wheel--no matter how hard you try you never get anywhere. We think its the key to "changing" but really its a dead end street. Because the law was never given to us (at all if we're not Jewish, but that's for another day) to be kept. Look at Galatians 3:24-25, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." The law wasn't given in order to perfect us. The law, in fact, demands perfection without being able to produce perfection. All the law can do is point out what you do wrong. It can't help you do right. That's why Jesus nailed it to the cross--because it was contrary to us, and against us. It was given in order to bring us to Christ. To show us that we can't do it on our own. Because, according to Mark 11:22, "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God." To me that's about the final word on faith. But sometimes its like we want to have faith in ourselves. Or we want to have faith in faith. We want to pull ourselves up from our own bootstraps. We want to work hard and get what we deserve. That's the natural mindset, right? An eye for an eye? If I do good I'll be rewarded? But then we never seem to be able to do good. We don't do the things we want to do, and we do the things we hate--under the law. Because we're trying to fight what we thing our nature is. We're trying to transform ourselves from sinner to saint through hard work. But we can't. With man it is impossible. But with God all things are possible. Have faith in GOD. (Have faith in love.) So here's where I wanted to get to, and where I want to spend the next few days: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:3-4). There's a lot there, but like I said we're going to get into it. For today my point is: The divine nature is not something we need. Its something we have. We simply need to partake of it through the knowledge of Him. Seeing is believing. When we know who we are we will stop trying to be someone we're not. And the love inside will come out... naturally.