Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Live out, by faith, what you already know

"...as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance." 1 Peter 1:14

The women of Higher Ground were working through a Beth Moore study last year when I remember hearing Beth say on one of the DVD's that we have the greatest potential to overcome sin at the moment of conviction. As we ignore the conviction and fail to act upon it, its impact becomes less and less. Wow! I was really convicted by that thought but unfortunately I didn't do anything with it.
When the Lord brings conviction to my heart, it is like I store it for future reference as opposed to making immediate application. I wish I could say it was different but unfortunately, it is not. There is a part of me that thinks that it is a good piece of information to store away and pull out at a time when obedience won't be so hard. What I have found is that time never comes. Obedience doesn't become easier because of age; obedience becomes easier through a pattern of obedience. Obedience is hard. It takes dying to myself and when the time comes I don't find it any easier to die. The secret to dying is not to die unto death but to die unto life. "...reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:11. It helps to remind myself that I am dead to the sin of _______, but alive to God.
When God brings conviction to our hearts and we know better, we know the right thing to do; do we obey or keep up our old ways? Do we conform to our former lusts or do we choose to walk in obedience and holiness? Do we change because of our encounter with the Almighty? Do we take advantage of the Holy Spirit power availed to us at the moment of conviction or do we let the conviction and the power wane?

My challenge to you is to live out, by faith, what you already know. Avail yourself of Holy Spirit power to walk in victory.

Diane

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