Obedience

This is something that's majorly on my mind at the moment. I mean not just in context of fear, but just in general because I find it so hard. As much as in my mind I know that God is worth it in the end and worth more than anything I could have on earth, I can't believe so wholeheartedly that I don't covet or am patient or, or, or...

The sermon this week at MICC was on 1 John 3:4-10. It was harsh. Particularly scary verse:

verse 6: No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

The pastor explained it was related to your attitude to sin. Of course we still sin, but how do we view it? Do we recognise that it hurts God or do we not care what He thinks about it? Is it something we are trying to avoid or is it something that doesn't bother us at all? You do realise that:

verse 8: He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

but

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

So this really goes back to the power of the Holy Spirit living in me. Do I really believe I have this power in me that will completely transform me? So I REALLY believe it? Am I living like there's any truth in it? At the moment, I can say for 90% of my life the answer is no. I'm also really impatient. I want God to change me now in my timing. When has God done anything according to man's timing? Never. He knows best. So in some way I have to rest in the promise of Phil 1:6:

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In all honesty, I'd much rather be a completed work than a work in progress. Everything feels like an upward struggle. I need to learn how to rely on God's strength...