Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
I don't know how many times I have studied Romans 7 & 8 and still miss one simple truth, having to do with the will and with performance, being a partnership, we will, God enables.
I often go back to Jack Kinsella's article "The Defeated Christian" to see the same truth told over and over again:
It's the GUILT that keeps you defeated, and keeps you from the Throne. It keeps you from telling people about Jesus. It keeps you beaten down.
The most frustrated people I know are people who try to change themselves from a natural person to a spiritual person while being a carnal person.
No such thing as a super saint, except liars and great pretenders, the rest of us are the kind of People Jesus wants out there taking care of business and staying before Him in prayer and worship for the needs of others on the front lines or whipped by guilt and failures so much that they quit and lay down to be stepped on.
I get in that shape from time to time and don't want to get back up just to take another hard shot, but the most miserable place to be in on your back taking that count and some just don't care how they go out, walking or carried, but I reach that point where I don't want to be found still licking wounds and filled with self condemnation since there is no condemnation to us folks, who belong to Jesus.
I just think that "The Defeated Christian" is one of the best article I have come across, something to look at more than once and keep handy so we don't lose heart or get big headed, just balanced and keeping ourselves in the love of God, that is all He wants from us, already knows that we can't fly solo, just needing to get that truth in our head so we are standing when we are taken and not in some corner filled with guilt and self pity over our weaknesses.
