Am I Stuck Or Am I Free Indeed? ("Steps To Christ" Chapter 2)

So today's excerpt (from Chapter 2 of Steps To Christ) has some hard truths for us -- if we're willing to look. And that's a mighty big "if" -- you may have noticed that our society as a whole is not particularly enamored with taking hard looks and hearing hard truths. And oh-BTW, lest we get too smug, as denizens of this planet and this society specifically, we're at least a tad bit susceptible to that mindset, so heads up! We have to take James' admonition to heart:

"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."
James 1:22-25

So here we go, and remember: only in looking hard and seeing and accepting and incorporating Truth are we set free (John 8:36 says, "If the Son sets you free you are free indeed." I hear it say, "ONLY if the Son sets you free are you actually free. Anything else is temporary and unreliable; don't buy it!").

Here're Chapter 2's thoughts...

...Selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. (p.17)

It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Job 14:4; Romans 8:7. Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.  (p.18)

[Reminds me of the words of Jeremiah:
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
'I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind...'"
Jer. 17:9-10]

In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God; earth was cut off from heaven. Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no communion. But through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven. With His own merits, Christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made, so that the ministering angels can hold communion with man. Christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of infinite power. But in vain are men's dreams of progress, in vain all efforts for the uplifting of humanity, if they neglect the one Source of hope and help for the fallen race. "Every good gift and every perfect gift" (James 1:17) is from God. There is no true excellence of character apart from Him. (pp.20-21)

Shall we not regard the mercy of God? What more could He do? Let us place ourselves in right relation to Him who has loved us with amazing love. Let us avail ourselves of the means provided for us that we may be transformed into His likeness, and be restored to fellowship with the ministering angels, to harmony and communion with the Father and the Son.  (p.22)

Gonna not write and rather let that marinate for a while -- you?
Actually, another couple of lines from this chapter really leapt out at me (then we can let the marination begin):

"People who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means."  1 Corinthians 2:14

Overarching it all for me, though, was this idea:

"The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death."

That's who He is, that's what He's about. Praise God.

Shall we not regard the mercy of God?
What more could He do?

You've been prayed for today.

J