“OUR INNER STRUGGLE,

 Part 2”

By Peter Garich

                                                             July 1, 2007

 

We all desire to live lives of true godliness. Each of us longs to experience the freedom Christ brings from the bondage sin. There’s not one among us who doesn’t want more of the Spirit-controlled life. In knowing Christ we have tasted of those glorious moments and so our hearts cry out for more. Moments where the Holy Spirit has enlightened us to

our fears and failings, while at the same time, giving us His grace to move ahead. From the beginning of our salvation His love has drawn us ever closer into the intimacy we so desperately need—and He so eagerly desires. Yet, at the same time, we are plagued by our inner cravings and desires, which wage war against His holiness, glory and true peace. There’s no denying we are all engaged in that struggle within. The Apostle Peter writes about these two competing aspects of our nature saying, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and goodness. Through these [His great and precious promises] we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desire.” (2 Peter 1:3–4)

   It’s always fascinated me that Peter does not point to our ability to do good deeds—to live lives of godliness—as our hope for winning the war within. Of course our idea is that our lives will be just fine if we can somehow control things by being good people. Even as Christians we sometimes believe that keeping our lives in “godly check” and “under control” will bring us a real measure of His peace. The truth is, we are dreadfully afraid to take an honest look at our hearts. We fear seeing ourselves as we really are—full of demanding desires, out of control needs and fearful of what we can’t control. But the Apostle Peter says this is exactly what we will find—a self-seeking, desire-driven and out-of-control heart. Because for Peter (and God), the answer to attaining true peace comes from a much different place than such superficial acts that can only give false security. The Apostle states clearly that the secret to experiencing a life of Biblical godliness—in all its manifestations—comes “through our knowledge of Him.” This is where we must start and where we will ultimately finish—in an everlasting and growing intimacy with God! From beginning to end our lives are now “hidden in Christ” as the great Apostle Paul rightly states. And to think otherwise—as if something we might do in relative goodness could be at the heart of true godliness and a deeper knowledge of God—is just wishful foolishness and worldly speculation. We will fulfill our calling to true godliness as we “continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you [we] were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” And to this beginning and end we are warned to make sure, “no one takes you captive [to be in bondage to] through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ,” for you have “fullness in Christ.” There were no illusions in the Apostle’s mind and there should be none in ours.

  Last month we ended by asking the question: what will help us finally bring about the love and intimacy we so deeply desire, as well as vanquish the fears that seem to captivate us? As stated above, it is an everlasting and growing intimacy with God. But if this is true then why is it that we are so easily waylaid in such a holy endeavor? This seems to be the $64,000 question. Why do we get so dissuaded from a deepening intimacy with God if He has given us (and He has) everything we need for life, love and the pursuit of godliness? If God, and we, both desire to be more deeply intimate, then why is it so difficult? I believe it can be summed up in one sentence. Our quest for intimacy is so labored—seemingly taking three steps forward and two steps back—because of the residual effects of the fall. We fear and falter because we FELL from grace. The same fear that gripped Adam’s heart and drove him away from God resides in you and me. The identical terror that the Disciples obsessed over as the waves grew higher and threatened their lives is a defeating part of our lives as well. Yet to His Disciples, and to us, Jesus said, “don’t be afraid” and then quieted the storm. Hasn’t He done that for us as well? In fact, aren’t the gospels full of Jesus’ assurances to those around Him to not be fearful? Jesus’ summons not to fear went out to Jairus as he anguished for his dead daughter—hoping that Jesus would bring her back. He encouraged His three closest friends, Peter, James and John, with a loving touch and the words, “Don’t be afraid” as He was transfigured before their very eyes. Matthew tells us that the three women who came to the tomb fell at the feet of their resurrected Lord and worshiped Him as He exhorted them to not be afraid. In her book, Risking Intimacy, Nancy Groom reminds us that just like Peter, James and John, or the three women, “we are no different. Does not our hope give way to fear, especially when our plans go awry and our expectations go unmet? When we face the decline of our health or the death of a loved one, does not terror leap up within us? When confronted with the loss of a job or of a significant relationship, are we not angry with God who could have prevented the loss? Moreover, the fear and rage that dominate our hearts when our circumstances disappoint or threaten us often dictate our perception of God’s goodness. When our lives are going well, we say, ‘God is good.’ But when we encounter life’s suffering and chaos, we ask, ‘can God really be trusted?’” The answer to this life changing question she states, “our integrity will not let us ignore” and I believe neither will God Himself. Even more than us, it’s God who wants His Children to be sure of the answer for it’s His nature and veracity that’s on the line. And if He’s the one that stirs things up in our lives, then it’s also Him who calms us down—“Do not fear” are the words of our loving Father. “The passion of trusting God enough to intimately connect with Him comes to none of us without struggle.” Groom goes on to say, “And the journey into such intimacy with God is made in increments, of which no step is insignificant if it leads to greater trust.” She closes the chapter on dealing with fear and intimacy by writing, “Amazingly, the God that we are to worship with reverence does not want our awe of Him to keep us from drawing near to receive His grace. In fact just the opposite is true. God longs to bring us into reconciliation and renewed oneness with Himself, though it cost Him the death of His Son to bring us home. This is the Gospel, which is able to banish our deepest fears.”

  “God is love and in Him there is no fear,” writes Jesus’ beloved disciple John. And it is this very good and glorious news that keeps us from falling into the pit of an emotional hell, out of which we cannot climb. It’s a place in our souls where our anguish and fear is fueled by our inability to be god and control the situations in life that we would rather deny and avoid. This is that chasm where Christ wants to meet us and heal us. This is that place where the gospel of God’s mercy and grace, and the forgiveness of sin, can transform us. For only God can control the future and only God can forgive us of such

sinful presumption as trying to be god. Noted Pastor and author Alistair Begg comments on the nature of the gospel and what we believe. He says that at these times of darkness, “The gospel of Christ will either be, ‘I like you, now try your best,’ or, ‘I love you and your sins are forgiven. Now go in the assurance of God’s grace and live in peace.’” And this is the hope that we have, that “this is the gospel, which is able to banish our deepest fears.” (Nancy Groom)

  In closing let me quote from Truth for Life Daily devotional. In it, Alistair Begg gives us this striking insight: “In every believer’s heart there is a constant struggle between the old nature and the new. The old nature is very active and loses no opportunity of employing all the weapons in its deadly arsenal against newborn grace; while on the other hand, the new nature is always on the lookout to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace within us will employ prayer and faith and hope and love to cast out the evil; it takes to itself ‘the whole armor of God’ and wrestles vigorously.  These two opposing natures will never stop struggling as long as we are in this world. Bunyan’s Christian fought Apollyon in a battle lasting three hours, but the battle of Christian with himself lasted all the way from the entry Gate to the River Jordan. The enemy is so securely entrenched within us that he can never be driven out while we are in this body: But although we are closely followed, and often in fierce conflict, we have an Almighty helper, Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who is always with us and who assures us that we shall eventually be more than conquerors through Him.” Through God’s grace we will be victorious over our struggle within!

 

In His Service,

Peter Garich