Pastor G.'s Weekly Devotional: HE'S GOD -- WE'RE NOT!

Pastor G.'s Weekly Devotional: HE'S GOD -- WE'RE NOT!
Pastor G.'s Weekly DevotionalSep 8, 2008

Romans 7:14-25 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

HE’S GOD AND WE’RE NOT

We are all ambassadors of Christ. We all represent Him to the world. Jesus is not here in person anymore, and we may be the only Jesus that somebody ever sees. It is our obligation and duty to represent Christ to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We need to look like Jesus by the way we walk and talk. We need to go where He would want us to go, do what He would do, forgive like He would forgive, be kind and love like Jesus would. The ROC is filled with people who represent Christ to the world in so many ways: helping the poor, feeding the hungry, loving the fatherless, clothing the naked, visiting those who are in prison, and winning the lost. If Jesus were still physically here, He would look very much like many of the people who are part of The ROC.

People often talk to me about their Christian life. They are trying so hard to live like Christ that they are actually angry and frustrated with their walk with God. They are discouraged, depressed, and filled with doubt about their walk. Their desire to be like Jesus isn’t quite working out like they want it to work out. They are finding out that no matter how hard they try, they can’t be as much like Jesus as they want to be. I always have just one bit of advice for them and it is simply that “You Ain’t Jesus.” I know that’s not good English, but it is the truth.

We can try all we want to be like Jesus, but it isn’t going to happen, because He’s God – We’re not! Yes, every Christian should have a heart that says, “Jesus, I want to be more like you.” Yes, we should pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the power to be more like Jesus. However, we often set expectations and have aspirations to be a super power Christian, but we are just setting up ourselves for disappointment, because He’s God – We’re not!

I am not talking about what others think about us. Hopefully, people are seeing Christ in us by our actions, decisions, and deeds. In this instance, I am not talking about what others think about us. No, I am talking about what we think of ourselves as Christians. We know ourselves better than anyone, and we know those hidden things that no one else sees but God. You know the wicked thoughts. You know about your faults and failures. You know how far from being like Jesus you really are, and because of that, you are beating yourself up all the time.

I am here to tell you that there is someone who wants to keep you in that place of discouragement and frustration, because you are rather useless to God in that condition. His name is Satan, and he wants you to forget that God is God – and you are not!

The devil loves to use pride and our ego to cause us to put ourselves up on some spiritual pedestal. It is very unfair for us to think we can be Jesus. We need to remember that He’s God – we’re not! We have got to be smarter than the enemy and realize that he also knows that God is God – and we are not! He loves it when he gets us so distracted in trying so hard to be so spiritual that we get off the track of be an effective soulwinner and witness for Christ to the world.

We will never get to the place where we can say, “Praise God, I am just like Jesus.” Where do we think those thoughts come from? If we keep putting ourselves down because we keep realizing how far short we fall, we are going to get so frustrated and discouraged with Christianity that the next step will be to quit. That is exactly what Satan would love to see happen in our lives. We have to be smarter than him by remembering every moment of the day: God is God – and we are not!

In these verses in Romans 7, I believe Paul was at this same place. Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived. He was like Christ in so many ways. He lived his life as much like Jesus as is humanly possible. I think everybody knows that to be true, except for one person – Paul. Paul knew who he was and that even though he wanted to be like Jesus, he could never be Jesus. He knew that even though he did many things like Christ, he was still a long way from being like Christ. He said the things I should do, I don’t do; the things I hate to do are exactly what I do. He said he had sin living inside of him and that in his flesh there was nothing good. He said he had the mind to do what is right, but not the power. He said his mind was telling him one thing, but his flesh was telling him the opposite. The greatest example of a Christian, Paul, said that he was a wretched man. Paul knew he was much more unlike Jesus than he appeared to be. He called himself the chief of sinners. However, Paul did not beat himself up over it, because he realized that Jesus was God – and he was not.

The sooner we realize that we are and always will be sinners saved by grace, the sooner we will stop thinking we can arrive at a place of always being perfect and without sin. That will be the moment when we realize that God is God – and we’re not!

Sometimes it is easier to forgive others than it is to forgive ourselves. We need to remember we are made of dust. Stop destroying your life by condemnation. Jesus died that we could be redeemed and at that moment, the work of salvation and redemption began. Until the day we die, God will be growing us up into the image of Christ. We are called to get back up when we fall down and to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

God is not condemning us. Condemnation does not come from God. Jesus did not come to condemn us; He came to set us free. It comes from the devil and makes us condemn ourselves. Conviction, on the other hand, is from the Lord, who is just trying to help us be changed from glory to glory. The process flows much smoother and is more successful when we can remember that He’s God – and we’re not!

God is not expecting us to be Jesus, so who are we to think we should be. God does expect for us to try our best. He does expect us to yield our life to His Spirit, and to have a heart to want to be like Jesus. God is not okay with us using our weaknesses to go and intentionally sin.

This devotional is for those who truly want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. We need to remember that God is not finished with us yet. God has a long way to go with us. God will be working on us till we die or Jesus comes back. There will not be a day while we are on this earth when we can say we have arrived and are now perfect like Jesus. Why? Because He’s God – and we’re not!

Don’t be hard on yourself if you are battling depression. You are in good company. Many Christians fight depression, and even King David struggled with it. Think about all those in the Bible who had high’s and low’s, valleys and mountaintops from Job to Paul and on and on. Maybe you are disappointed in yourself because your faith gets weak, well, look at Doubting Thomas. So did John the Baptist’s faith, because he said to the disciples go and see if that really is Jesus. The Bible is full of examples of people who struggled and God still used them like Peter who denied Christ one day and then led thousands to Jesus.

Let me encourage you to keep striving to be like Jesus, but when the going gets rough, just remember: He’s God – you’re not! Stop kicking yourself for every failure and start thanking God for His grace – His unmerited favor -- that always gives us another chance … and another chance … and another chance. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. And always remember: He’s God – and you are not!

Pastor Geronimo
Daniel 12:3
www.theroc.com