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EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

 

“Jesus is a friend of the sinner but no friend of sin.” — Pastor Clayton Balsley’s sermon  on July 28, 2019

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 ESV.

There is a promise in the hymn entitled “Jesus is a Friend of Mine.” Here are a few of the lyrics:

“Jesus is a friend of mine, He saved my soul, Renewed my mind, Jesus is a friend of mine.”

My hubs, Greggy, and I read the classic book “Humility and Complete Surrender,” penned by Andrew Murray. I would suggest adding it to your 2020 reading list! It will challenge and change you!

Some quotes:

• “Peter did not know himself. He did not believe he was as bad as Jesus said he was.”

• “What are we to do with the flesh that is entirely under the power of sin? Deliverance from that is what we need.”

• “Christ uses the word; deny self twice. First, we deny self, then we deny me (referring to him).”

• “There are two great powers fighting each other; the self-nature in the power of sin and the Christ in the power of God.”

“An Eskimo fisherman came to town every Saturday afternoon. He always brought his two dogs with him. One was white and the other was black. He had taught them to fight on command.

“Every Saturday afternoon in the town square the people would gather, and these two dogs would fight, and the fisherman would take bets. On one Saturday the black dog would win; another Saturday, the white dog would win, but the fisherman always won!

“His friend began to ask him how he did it.

“He said, ‘I starve one and feed the other. The one I feed always wins because he is stronger.’

“This story about the two dogs tells us something about the inner warfare that comes into the life of a person who is born again. We have two natures within us, both struggling for mastery. Which one will dominate us? It depends on which one we feed.” — Billy Graham’s The Holy Spirit

And, then, “Peter went out and wept bitterly. This was the changing point and the change. Peter was now a changed man.”

When discussing the above book, a friend shared, “You are likely worse than any accusations.”

“We are born into sin,” Psalm 51:5 NIV. “Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet we often continue this path relentlessly.”

“None else but Christ Jesus can give deliverance from the power of self.”

Philippians 2:13, NIV: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”

May we, as versed in the Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night,” fall on our knees in repentance and serve only Jesus, the incarnated Christ.

Robin (Beckman) Gudal, intentional in life, is a wife, momma, nana, friend, and a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus.