"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23. NKJV
Have you ever looked at the middle letter of the word 'Sin?' It is 'I', and quite a significant point because the worst enemy you have to overcome is yourself. DL Moody writes, 'I have had more trouble with DL Moody than with any other person.' It seems quite strange for a mighty man of God to say but when you think about it, it is true. We can all be obsessed with ourselves. The 'I' factor is the central part of our focus quite a lot.
Conversion is like enlisting in the army. There's a battle going on and if we're to receive a crown, we have to work and fight for it. It doesn't happen straightaway. DL Moody said:
We have to learn how to watch, fight and overcome. When God and man work together, there will be victory. We are co-workers with Jesus. It is His power that makes the way of grace possible.'
When you consider this, we don't step out of Egypt to the throne of God. There's a wilderness in-between that we have to contend with and this is full of traps and giants and this is where our problems begin. One rule we must remember is, we can't make it on our own. We need Jesus (John 15:5). When we recognise this, the 'I' factor begins to crumble and becomes redundant. The problem is, we still try to go it alone. We can listen to ourselves instead of God. We can please ourselves instead of God. When we live this way, sin prevails because we're living for ourselves.
This is why the Apostle Paul stressed:
'I' have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer 'I' who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which 'I' now live in the flesh, 'I' live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.' Galatians 2:20. NKJV
Notice that I have used quotation marks around each 'I' within this text to give this clarity. For us to live our lives in a Christlike manner, we need to die to self - the 'I', and put others first. When we can do this, we are living at a higher standard. We are no longer ourselves but are living for Jesus. The 'I' has been taken out.
Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard
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