+DEV+ We Cannot Transform Ourselves

Date: January 31, 2013 1:01 AM
Topic: +DEV+  We Cannot Transform Ourselves

We Cannot Transform Ourselves

 "...that you may know...his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead..." (Ephesians 1:18-20)
Scripture Focus: Matthew 7:16-20

My sinful heart is the living canvas upon which God paints His marvelous work of gracious transformation. When I struggle with a particular sin for a long period of time, or when I do everything in my power to conquer that sin and fail miserably, the stage is set for me to understand where true and lasting change really comes from. All of my growth is His work and not mine.

We cannot transform ourselves. Real change always flows from the heart outward, and we are no match for our own fallen hearts. When I struggle with a certain sin for years and God bears with me patiently, then does His breathtaking work to melt my heart, granting me not only repentance but real power to change, I know that the work is all His. I will take no credit. Don't be discouraged today if you still battle the sins you've tried the hardest to overcome. Some of God's most glorious work will be done in you at your lowest moments. When He chooses to abolish that sin forever, you will worship Him and not yourself!

Insight: "The clearest proofs they have had of Christ's excellence have been occasioned by the mortifying proofs they have had of their own vileness." (John Newton)




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