you can change

I have been reading the book 'You Can Change: God's transforming power for our sinful behaviour and negative emotions' by Tim Chester. So far, I think the book is great after only reading three chapters. One thing that I find appealing is Chester doesn't claim to have conquered sin in his own life and is honest about his ongoing struggles with sin. It does not have a moralistic, self-righteous 'if I can do it, so can you' feel to it. Everything so far has been taken directly from God's word from who God created me to be, His plan for me, my failings and how Jesus makes that plan possible.

I have sin that I have been struggling with for years and my approach to fixing it has always been the same - a determined, resolved attitude that I will change it; I make notes, lists, goals, and plan many other schemes to change myself. Not surprisingly it never works. It is, like I said, still an ongoing struggle. Lately, I've been more and more conscious of my sin, selfishness, anger, pride, greed, envy, gossiping, forgetting God and on and on and at times it overwhelms me with how far from God's standard I am. But then I am reminded of his forgiveness, love, grace and mercy. It's real, I am humbled by it and am so grateful to God that he made it possible through Jesus for me to be made righteous and to meet his standard.

It does not, however, follow that I keep sinning in this world, fighting my sinful nature will be ongoing battle while I'm on earth, but not a reason to give in to it. Part of God's plan for me is to reflect his glory and to become more like Jesus and he's not going to leave me alone to fulfill that goal. And only just now is it clear to me that I'm not the one who can make this happen; it's like I've never truly understood the gospel or God's plan before. The problem is my heart and no amount of trying to control external things will change that. It is only through the work of God (who uses all circumstances of my life to make me more holy), Jesus (who has put to death my old self and made me a new creation, united to him) and the Holy Spirit (who gives me the desire to do what is right and oppose my old sinful desires) that my heart can be changed and therefore bear good fruit in the outworking of my life.

Praise God for the way he has used a fellow sinner to make clear to me my relationship with him, his plan for my life and how he will help me in it. It's exciting!!