Spiritual Schizophrenia (Part 2)

Why break this into two parts?  It's because this is so important for you and I to understand!  In part one, we see Paul distressed over the fact that he wants to do good but keeps on sinning.  The good news is that even though we still have the old man (sin) living inside of us, we also have the new man (Holy Spirit) living there too!

Make no bones about it!  There is a war going on inside of you.  In Romans 7 we see Paul even uses those words in verse 23 “waging war”.  Satan does not want you to become like Christ.  He is going to do everything in his power to keep the old man living and the new man quiet.  That is why God left us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us.  Over time, God begins a good work in his people.  Think about this:  when a promiscuous person accepts Christ, do they still struggle with sexual sin the very next day?  More than likely the answer is yes.  But over time, the Holy Spirit begins to convict that person of their sin and lifestyle, and little by little, they begin to change.  Paul states that during his whole life he had a “thorn” in his side.  Some Christians struggle with individual types of sin their whole life.

Why say this?  For two reasons. 

1. To make sense of what is going on inside of you.  Paul’s teachings aren’t meant to be interpreted as “The devil made me do it.”  We are responsible for our own actions!  The point he is trying to make is that any good we might have inside of us is because of Jesus.  It’s all Jesus!  I had a pastor once say “It’s Christ plus nothing!”  We can’t add to our salvation.
2. The second reason is to keep in mind that we are all on different playing fields.  Some of us have been walking with Christ our entire lives and may be more spiritually mature than a new Christian.  Don’t be so quick to judge others of their sin.  Instead, love them, pray for them and instruct them as Christ has instructed all of us.

How do we produce fruit?  Through prayer and obeying God’s word.  He left us the Bible for a reason.  He wants us to follow His word as a blueprint for our lives.  If we obey God, He begins to remove the old man little by little.

Today, be in tune with the war going on inside of you.  It’s one we have already won through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  When you sin, ask forgiveness.  Get back up, brush yourself off, and try again tomorrow.  The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint.