We Struggle In Vain
Perpetual Conflict for Many
Mankind has Fought God Since the Beginning
How may I describe to you the actions of Adam and Eve in their sin? What do their actions represent. The answer is “Conflict.". They chose to be in opposition to God by their decisions. They chose sin versus obedience. Their descendants are born in conflict with God.
Sin in Hebrew is “hatta’d” and the Greek it is “hamartia” and both mean a falling away or missing the right path. Sounds simple doesn’t it? From this we get, “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:13 CSB So simple it seems; just stay on the path. No one can. Adam and Eve have shown us that. They started out in a perfect world.
Unger’s Bible Dictionary - 1991 issue states, “The underlying idea of sin is that of law and law giver. The law giver is God. Hence, sin is everything that is in the disposition and purpose and conduct of God’s moral creatures that is contrary to the expressed will of God.” They/we violate the law and become law breakers/sinners. that results in an indictment and judgment with a resulting punishment. This solidifies the repeated approach to man in God’s word using law as it’s basis. Remember the chosen people ended up with over 600 laws, added by those who inhabited the priesthood. They just kept adding rules. Noone kept the whole law and all became sinners. Man was in conflict continually. That takes at least two parties; the law giver and those under the law. As the world grew in population it became the world against its Creator.
We fight God’s standards, we yield to our inability to obey, and we struggle against our need for a Savior. Nevertheless, God pursues us. We are important to him and He shows us His love endlessly. We are not without hope in any sense of the word. We have a loving creator who has made provision for us to be saved from our sinful nature via the death and resurrection of His Son for our sins. Therefore, while our nature brings forth the worst conduct, we can overcome with the help of the Holy Spirit.
INTENT
“Intent shall be manifest by the circumstances connected with the perpetration
of the offence and the sound mind and discretion of the person accused.”
I learned that definition in 1970 when I was a young kid going to the police academy. It remains with me today. It still informs me about what I see others do and even clarifies my own conduct. It became central to all arrests and the charges I accused others of. Every charge was examined through that filter. When I yielded to Christ I remembered those words and knew that I could not deny my sin. My struggle was over. Like some criminals I took the courts side against myself. It was the only way.
As law breakers we become criminals. In criminal court this definition is critical to how things are decided about charges against those accused. What was the intent? To simplify this let me first say that we are what we do. Yes, I know, our hearts seek kindness and love and fairness; we think are good people at heart. If that were only true. “For what comes from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.” Mark 7:21-23 CSB
Criminals have just been indicted with this singular verse that needs no clarification. Be careful to not rely on your estimation of who you are. I counsel you to never say, “God knows my heart,” unless you are confessing just how vile it is. Criminals violate the law and once caught there is an indictment against them. That leads to court where truth rears its determined head to win its case against man.
The definition above addresses several important points; what happened, is there a crime committed, how did it happen, is the accused sane, and does the accused understand the legal and moral laws where they live? Who did it, how, what did she violate, can she understand the charge, and does she know right from wrong? It is straightforward and here’s that word I love; unequivocal; there is no arguing away the meaning of what is addressed within the definition. The definition is the result of untold centuries of consideration. It is tight and clear.
Let’s go to court now. God is the judge, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He will be fair regardless of our estimation of fairness. Yet she continues to struggle against God. Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.” Therefore, she is without excuse and there are no circumstances that give her a pass. Plus, who could defend her with this terrible state she is in? The evidence is stacked against her. We shall see in a moment that Christ is the only one that can.
Here are the charges!
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Whose Heart is Good?
Let’s review what the authors of Scripture said of mankind’s state.
Job 21:14-15 CSB
“Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We don’t want to know your ways.
Who is the Almighty,
that we should serve him,
and what will we gain by
pleading with Him?”
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Psalm 14 CSB
“The fool in his heart says, “There is no God".” they are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.”
GOD REACHES OUT TO US AT EVERY TURN IN OUR LIFE
THE POINT OF THESE THINGS
I have shared the preceding to help you see that God is not capricious; there is no indecision, no lack of a plan, nothing is sudden in mood or behavior and there are never any surprises to Him. He is God; He is I Am, that I Am. He has a purpose and a plan that comes from His will. We are part of that plan, His creation, made in His likeness and He did that because He wanted to. Hence my repeated assertion, God Pursues us.
Within that plan He made provision for a savior to cleanse us from our sinful nature. That Christ, born of a virgin, came to earth to live like we do and now He is at the right hand of the Father pleading our case! He is our defender. He has shed His blood to cover our sins. It is the acceptable payment for what was due.
Nothing is needed but to yield to God and His Son and accept the gift of salvation. Once that happens, we become restored into a right relationship with our heavenly Father. It is what He wanted since before time began. Adam brought sin into the world and Jesus has cleansed us from sin.
Every moment of every day, God reaches out to us via the Holy Spirit to touch us. We struggle against God, because we can. We remain arrogant. But we need only to open the door to our hearts to let Jesus in. He knocks at that door incessantly. Anyone can turn that handle and let Him through. He wants you wherever you are and just as you are, now. Trust in God. “For the wages (punishment) of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 CSB
We Struggle In Vain!
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CHRIST - SAVIOR - MEDIATOR - ADVOCATE
“For there is one God and only one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the right time.” 1 Timothy 2:5 CSB
“But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree his is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.” Hebrews 8:6 CSB
“My little children, I am writing to you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 CSB
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, who because the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1 CSB
“… through the resurrection of Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with the angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.” Hebrews 3:21b-22 CSB
“For I passed on to you as most important what I had also received: that Christ had died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over 500 brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 CSB
OUR SAVIOR IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD!
Once We Give In and Accept Christ As Our Savior We Are Eternally Free!
THE STRUGGLE IS OVER FOR ALL BELIEVERS
WE BELONG TO GOD AND OUR SAVIOR
WHO STANDS IN OUR PLACE TO ATTEND
TO THE CHARGES OFFERED
AGAINST US THROUGH AN INDICTMENT
WE CANNOT ATTAIN ANY FORGIVENESS WITHOUT JESUS
“… I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you,
you will also know my Father.
From now on you know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7
“I will exalt you, my King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
I will bless you every day;
I will praise your name forever and ever.”
Psalm 145:1-2 CSB
