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Brokenness Part 3: POWER and HOPE!

 


I am musing about....

Brokenness...

 but also about POWER and HOPE!!

Does anyone else get a little concerned about the one-sided narrative we hear in many of the Gospel songs and on-line sermons, blog posts and various messages these days?

So often they highlight the reality that we are fallen, broken, flawed, and in need of a Savior!

All true. SO. VERY. TRUE.

We do not need less of this message. We need to keep it coming!

But there is more. Another part of the message that we need to be hearing more of.

And that is the narrative of God's Power! Of the reality of the potential (by God's grace and power) for living an overcoming life!

The narrative of how in Christ ...

We. Are. New.

Different!

It is a narrative of hope!

We are NOT the same as we were prior to our conversion, prior to surrendering to our Jesus.

We are now a NEW CREATURE.

His Spirit lives IN us !

And that makes all the difference in the world.

I repeat. That makes all the difference in the world!

Is our human nature still evil-bent? Is our capacity to sin and fail still a reality? Oh yes!

But do we now see life differently? Do we have a new perspective? A new love? Oh yes!

Can we overcome on our own?

Not for a minute!

But the beautiful thing is that we are no longer facing the enemy and his tactics on our own. We are now empowered by God's Holy Spirit dwelling, moving and working within us. 

ONLY by His grace can we overcome!

"I CAN DO all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me" Phil. 4:13

"Greater is HE WHO IS IN ME than he who is in the world"   John 4:4

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.   2 Cor. 5:17

Does this put too much emphasis on us and our own works?

Not at all. It is ONLY because of Jesus that we can do anything, let alone the right thing, the overcoming thing!

It is a beautiful message. One of hope and victory!

His amazing power; dwelling within us, activated by our Faith and our LOVE for Him!

Does expounding this narrative mean that people will feel like failures or experience shame when they are not victorious over sin? Is that the reason that we are not hearing this narrative shared more extensively in this present cultural moment? In the church of today?

I wonder.

We need to share the whole Gospel; the message of God's forgiveness and mercy, of His grace and justification.

He is a God of second chances; many of them! He responds in love to the heart of a repentant child!

But we need to share the pivotal part of the Gospel that speaks to the hope of overcoming as well!

May this message of both mercy AND victory abound! 

As God's children live overcoming lives, their testimony shines bright.

It is a beautiful way to show the world that Jesus is alive and well. Because He is helping His children live victorious lives over sin! 

 How amazing is that? How humbling!

 We are NEW!

We are DIFFERENT!

We ARE NOTHING without Him.

We are NEEDY!

We are RELIANT!

We are BLESSED!

We HAVE OVERCOMING POWER!

Because of JESUS!!

(The final part of this series, Part 4, will give a practical message relating to the HOW!)


                                    
























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