Hey Diane, GOOD to see you. :-)
For most of my Christian life, I felt like Luther, before he really came to understand God's part in our salvation/sanctification, when he'd go up the stairs on his knees and all, to atone for his inner ugliness.
Then I'd get so mad at myself, because I'd blow it again, usually with my temper. The walk was like a roller coaster ride, with highs and lows that weren't necessarily from God.
I call sin 'inner ugliness' because that's how we should feel inside when we compare ourselves with Him.
I like calling sin that. It we're to just come into the Image of The Son, who is Most Beautiful, than anything unlike what the Son would [u]do or be[/u] is ugliness in me, comparatively speaking.
My favorite verses that helped to balance the tension between "I do - He does" are these ...
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal [u]even[/u] this unto you.
The only way to come to the balance of that constant tension, {like a tug of war between God and man} .... to where the rope is not moving yet is firm in it's distribution of pull or tension is by Faith. He said so.
Faith in all the Verses where He said, He 'is' working and He will complete.
We already know all to well, all the 'thou shall nots' but what we're actually created to be, is conformed to His Image ... which takes things beyond the 'thou shall nots'.
My other favorite verses are ones that Martin Lloyd-Jones, who did a wonderful Commentary on ... showing the process we go through in Sanctification ... starting with acknowledging that we are spiritually poor and on from there...
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
MLJ said, seeing our own poverty first, we mourn and because we've seen what we're really lacking or are made out of, we become meek, not puffed up (good way to stay), but yet we don't have to feel we're doomed to that --- He then gives the promise, that if we do hunger and thirst, we SHALL be filled with His righteousness.
But it's not a one time process. The whole of the above goes on until we see Him, ending each time with the last promise there. He shows us new things everyday, but gently if we're open. That's the faith verse. Three action verses on our part and then the Promise. Neat!
I think you hit the Key though, of 'our' doing ... and that's in the definition of - be ye "holy" ..... "holy" is something set apart or "separated" for HIM. So is "sanctify".
So when you mentioned "the world" ... that's it.
"Come out from her my people and be ye separate."
We have to live in the world, when we're "out there", but once we get home ... our homes should be like the Holy of Holies.
Unplugged televisions, Godly Music on, or sermons, no secular reading materials, Nothing that He wouldn't have in His home if He or even Paul was still here.
Sanctify and Holy are very much the same word, though they're not - they are.
We live in the world but are not of it.
'Faith' in what He's doing and promised to do in us beats off self-despair and reality checks keep us hungering and thirsting -- and prayerfully until HE comes.
HE looks upon the heart and even said of David, that He was "a man after God's own heart."
I've had a hard time with that one, for most my saved life, because of my anger at adulterers.
I couldn't "go figure" on that one ... but the Lord is still working on me. Thank GOD - He won't give up, as long as my desire is even just a hair's breath of desiring what He wants.
All sin is bad and none have "attained" so I shouldn't think that King David is any worse than us, because the "heart of man is all the same", desperately wicked, who can know it.
I shouldn't categorize sins. My anger is equal to murder, according to the Lord.
It's just knowing we have or are doing all that we can to be "separated unto holy use" .... that if He needs us, we "hear" Him quickly ... but we can't if we're either self-focused or distracted by the world.
The two extremes have been posted on this Forum in the last few weeks....
The "GOD does all side" and the "man does all side" and He wants us in the middle with that even tension on that rope. :-D
The rope's not slack, there's a 'good constant' tension on it, not lax but not strainingly tight.
THAT'S PEACE WITH GOD!
Again, I love Phil 3:7-15.
Happy to see you again.
His Love to you Sister.
annie
