Friday, February 10, 2012

Are you the enemy?

Are you the enemy?

Gal 2:20-21 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Have you ever hear the phrase: You are you are you own  worst enemy?

On 10 September 1813, after defeating the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry, commander of the American fleet, dispatched one of the most famous messages in military history to Maj. Gen. William Henry Harrison. It read: "Dear Gen'l: We have met the enemy, and they are ours, two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop. Yours with great respect and esteem. H. Perry." In 1970 cartoonist Walt Kelly famously paraphrased the statement as "We have met the enemy, and he is us" in an Earth Day poster that featured characters from his long-running strip Pogo and mourned the sad state of the environment.

It is true "If I was to kick the enemy that gave me the most problems I would not be able to sit down for a week." -Chuck Swindoll.

"I as you "I" think that "I" is all "I" needs.  But that does not even sound right. The Me, myself and  are still bad math. it does not add up to three but its still adds up to a very selfish one.

The Enemy of Salvation

William Nicholson, of the book Shadowlands said, “Self-sufficiency is the enemy of salvation. If you are self-sufficient, you have no need of God. If you have no need of God, you do not seek Him. If you do not seek Him, you will not find Him.”

My teachers always said we are saved from sin and from self. Not enough today it said about salvation from self! Though we are made in the image of God, because of sin, we have lost the likeness of God. The bible say "the outward self, what you see in the mirror, no matter how we pamper it... is perishing. What most people do not realize is that “Sinful Self” is the enemy. When I say "self" I mean it is that part that wants it own way, its own glory, and lives for its own purposes. What we need is a new self in place of the old self. Self can never each perfection But Matthew 5:48 says that is what God demands. But no on is prefect...that is right but listen to this:

"God's STANDARD is perfection. The ONLY way we can obtain Perfection is through faith in the ONE that was PERFECT. If you are trying to earn, merit, or work for God's grace...you wasting your time! Get rid of your list and increase your trust!" Shane West

There is hope: Jesus wants to restore his likeness! in us! He want to give us a new self...himself. Salvation means he restores to a right standing with God. us from a sinful selfish state. When we repent and put our faith in him not us.  We trust in what he did on the cross. The old self wants to maintain its hideous form and deceive you as you look in the mirror thinking everything is fine listen to this:

Jas 1:21-25 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

We need a new Self:

Eph 4:22-24 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. AMP

Today, do not trust in you self for salvation but Trust in Jesus Christ!

Eph 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. NKJV