The Apostle Paul had a thorn in his hip. We are not told what it was, but I think it
represents all of our trials and temptations- take your pick. For me there have
been temptations and trials that The Holy Spirit of God has worked through me
to overcome. Note the title of this essay is “Perfecting Power.” This power is the power of the Holy Spirit of
God working within us. Remember Paul’s crying out to God for his thorn to be
removed and God responded with, “My grace is sufficient for you, My power is
perfected in your weakness. When you are weak, then I am strong” (2Corinthians
12:9). This is the perfecting power of
God that works. It is usually slowly and
painfully. To some we are told that He gives miraculous powers. He healed me
miraculously, but I don’t believe that He gave me the miraculous power of
healing. He does continue to work in purifying me.
Moreover, God is working in me to overcome my thorns. I am
praying and seeking and realizing that we have a role. “Since we have these promises,
dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body
and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence to God” (2Corinthians
7:1). Throughout Scripture God is admonishing us to purify ourselves. Yes, God
has cleansed us of all sins on the cross, but our sinful nature is not totally
gone. We are working out our salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12
instructs us. It is a process and God is orchestrating it through the perfecting
power of His Holy Spirit in those who believe.
I have written about “perfect,” the word of the decade that
seems to be the common response to any offer. But only God is perfect and some
day, God willing, we will see His perfect face and be perfected. But until
then, we are to continue to purify or perfect ourselves. And remember that we
cannot do this on our own; it is the perfecting power of the Perfect One
working within us.
So how hard is this? Remember what Paul said in Romans
7:14-25 one of the most difficult to interpret passages that is clear on the
subject of sin lest you should think you can handle it:
“We
know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to
do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I
myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does
not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what
is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want
to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to
do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil
is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see
another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me
a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who
will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me
through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.