"But I need something more! I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I am at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?" Romans 7:17a and 24, (Msg) Can you identify with Paul’s gut wrenching cry? I can!Does the power of sin and unhealed or unresolved issues ever seem to sabotage your best intentions? More often than I like to admit, they do for me. Any real or honest follower of the Grace Message of Jesus Christ will readily admit to Paul's dilemma. For me, the very things I truly think are behind me, often jump up, seemingly out of nowhere, and bite my religious butt.Before we can get a hopeful answer to this predicament; we first have to arrive at the door of giving up! Just like Paul; who remember, had a religious pedigree as long and impressive as the State of Texas is wide- we too must exhaust all of our personal resources. Our complete heart orientation and mindset has to land squarely where Paul’s did.20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, KJV)The answer to this is in the giving up-truly coming to the end of our rope. 'There is none perfect, no not one!' "The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled be the influence of sin to do something totally different." (Romans 7:25, Msg)Jesus is the something more! Total and constant surrender and trustful reliance upon Him, is always the answer. The only way that any moment of any day (even the best or worse of days) can be pregnant with hope, is because of our moment by moment total reliance on Him alone.It will never be because we finally have a perfect score or day-we finally get it right...no, we must always let go of our rope and grab onto (by a sheer act of risky faith) the resurrection power and Grace of Jesus Christ. Something and Someone more loves you and me, even in our frailty and weakness. We cannot do anything in our own good intentions. But, we can do all things through Him who loved us!The question never changes; it’s not can I please others, myself and Jesus? It’s do I truly believe the following confession of faith? 13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. (Phil. 4:13, Amp.)Living in true faith, Ron Ross
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