In "other" Words - Fault Lines

I have the awesome privilege of hosting In "other" Words today.  I selected a quote from Joanna Weaver's book, Have a Mary Spirit.  It is a great read and very encouraging.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

"Sin crouches at our doors, looking for fault lines, searching for a point of entry into our hearts and souls, which is why it's so important to allow God to expose and confront the cracks in our characters."

by Joanna Weaver

Have a Mary Spirit

Sin is crouching at our doors today and if we don't learn how to master it we will become victims of it!  "But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7).

But we cannot master sin in our own strength.  Instead, we must turn to God to receive faith for ourselves and faith and strength from other believers.  The Holy Spirit will help us to master the sin lurking in our lives or at the doors of our hearts.  This is a life-long battle that will not be accomplished until we are face to face with Christ.

God despises sin and the Bible tells us that sin separates us from God. The scripture says, "So be holy in all you do" (1 Peter 1:15). So what part of that do we not understand? God commands each of us to be holy in ALL, which means EVERYTHING that we do. WOW! That scripture immediately calls each of us to a higher level in our walk with Christ.

God is holy. He sets the standards for morality. Unlike the Roman gods, He is not warlike, adulterous, or spiteful. Unlike the gods of the pagan cults popular in the first century, He is not bloodthirsty or promiscuous. He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each of His followers. Our holy God expects us to imitate Him by having high moral standards for ourselves. Like Him, we should be both merciful and just, like Him, we should sacrifice ourselves for others.

The Word clearly states that every Christian is to pursue holiness. Every Christian is called to live a holy life. Every Christian is to strive to stay away from sin. Holiness is not an option. As Christians there is no exception to this call. This call is not only to pastors, Sunday School teachers or board members. This call is to every Christian no matter what your age, gender, educational or economic level. Every Christian is called to be holy. Because God is holy.

We each have fault lines in our lives or weak areas that can allow us to become vulnerable to the enemy.
Sometimes we try to justify to God some action which our own conscience calls into question. But if we truly grasp the significance of God's perfect holiness, we will readily see we can never justify before Him even the slightest deviation from His perfect will. God does not accept the excuse, "Well, that's just the way I am," or even the more hopeful statement, "Well, I'm still growing in that area of my life." Make every effort..... to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).  Satan doesn't waste his fiery darts and deception on just one individual when he has the opportunity to ruin multiple lives.  But be assured that God doesn't waste opportunities either.  For He is the one who takes "all things" and works them together "for good of those" who love him" (Romans 8:28).

After people commit their lives to Christ, they still may often experience a pull back to their old ways. Peter tells us to be like our heavenly Father - holy in everything we do. Holiness means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. We're to be set apart and different, not blending in with the crowd, yet not being different just for the sake of being different. What makes us different are God's qualities in our lives. Our focus and priorities must be His. All this is in direct contrast to our old ways. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. Don't use the excuse that you can't help slipping into sin. Call on God's power to free you from sin's grip.

A follower of Christ becomes sanctified (set apart for sacred use, cleansed and made holy) through believing and obeying the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).  Sanctify them by the truth: your word is truth (John 17:17).  Daily application of God's Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts.  Scripture points out sin, motivates us to confess, renews our relationship with Christ, and guides us back to the right path. We must face our weak areas or fault lines in order to strengthen them. Weaknesses left unattended are invitations to disaster.

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken (Psalm 62: 1-2).  God never abandons us.  God's all-surpassing strength is always with us. 

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from  him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken (Psalm 62: 5,6).  Trusting God to be our rock, salvation, and fortress will change our entire outlook on life.  When we fully place our confidence in God's strength, nothing can shake us and those fault lines can be conquered!

Blessings!