Letters to Christian about God

The law of sin is an indwelling law, deep in a man where dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). The law of sin brings ignorance and darkness into the mind to contend with our understanding. The law of sin brings spiritual deadness and stubbornness into the will. The law of sin brings vanity and defilement into the affections. The seat of the law of sin is the heart (Prov. 4:23; Mark 7:23). That which is called the carnal mind is the same as the law of sin. “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so” (Rom. 8:7). If you are alive and following your flesh, you are not pleasing God. The friendship of the world is enmity with God (1 John 2:15-16). When the Bible uses the phrase “in my flesh,” it means “in me by nature” that is corrupted. The extent of hostility or enmity toward God appears in the whole of the carnal mind opposed to God. The natural man’s deep-rooted enmity against God appears in the affections, will, and the practice of sin in his life. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Rom.11:32). All men have been shut up under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe (Gal. 3:22). We are wretched men and wonder who can set us free from this body of death (Rom. 7:24). The Bible is clear that we are God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10), and that God works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). The Spirit opens the heart (John 1:12, 3:16, 16:7-14). We have the responsibility to humbly cast ourselves before Him in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). We are responsible to be serious and sincere. We are responsible to strive, improve and grow in the gifts and graces that God has given us. We discover our responsibility by working out what God has already put into us for salvation. When we read our Bible and learn about God, we are to open our hearts and let God, be God. Our new heart from God comes with an honest faith and a deeply rooted determination to be obedient. Spiritual intelligence and understanding comes to the heart by faith (Heb. 11:13). The exercise of faith in Jesus manifests assurance to us from the path of obedience. We follow on to know the Lord (Hosea 6:3). In humility with fear, and trembling with vigilance, we discover God’s loving presence. We discover a willingness to know the Lord and His teaching, and to do His will (John 7:17). We discover our loving the Lord and have deep desires to live in the obedience of faith. “A good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (Ps. 111:10). God makes His Word shine in our mind and heart to discern the glorious reality of Jesus. By the grace of God, we come to realize He has disclosed Himself to us (John 14:21) with the grace of responsibility. Amen. God’s grace and mercy has been revealed in our soul. It has been the Lords doing. To God be all the glory. How does God deliver us from our indwelling corruption and awful bondage to sin? First, at our regeneration, He makes good on the promise, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart, I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jer. 31:33). We are born again. Second, in our present Christian life, His law becomes powerfully alive in us with the knowledge of Christ. “The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). The awful enmity inbred in every one of Adam’s posterity, Christian, dominates every faculty of their being and is against God. But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13). For He Himself is our peace, by abolishing in His flesh on the cross, the enmity between man and God. God now grants us grace to be saved through faith, and to grow in righteousness as free gifts (Eph. 2:8). Salvation is God’s gift and work for man (Eph. 2:10, Phil. 2:13). Man, by the grace of God, discovers the work of God, in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). We are responsible to strive and be diligent in the work of securing our souls. We work at our salvation by setting our mind and heart on it with great care. We are to maintain an attitude of fear and trembling in absolute dependence upon God’s grace. We tremble with holy awe and fear to offend such a great God. We are to imitate Christ. It is God’s sovereign enablement that makes it possible for man to fulfill his responsibility. It is a divine balance with our responsibility blended with God’s divine resources. For those chosen by God for salvation as a vessel of mercy, we discover His goodness and love, power, and faithfulness. We learn to follow the Lord in obedience. We learn that we are responsible to use every means available to us in Bible study, prayer, service, and fellowship to gain experiential evidence, with fear and trembling, that the grace of God is with us. Another way of saying all this, is that the start of our spiritual life entirely requires the grace of God drawing us to be born again. Once this happens, our growth is accomplished by God’s grace and man acting responsibly, working together. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). In being made willing to do His will, you shall know of the teaching (John 7:17). By the grace of God, we keep His commandments, proving the Lord has disclosed Himself to us (John 14:21). In salvation, we discover His awesome presence. Amen.

The law of sin is an indwelling law, deep in a man where dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). The law of sin brings ignorance and darkness into the mind to contend with our understanding. The law of sin brings spiritual deadness and stubbornness into the will. The law of sin brings vanity and defilement into the affections. The seat of the law of sin is the heart (Prov. 4:23; Mark 7:23). That which is called the carnal mind is the same as the law of sin. “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so” (Rom. 8:7). If you are alive and following your flesh, you are not pleasing God. The friendship of the world is enmity with God (1 John 2:15-16). When the Bible uses the phrase “in my flesh,” it means “in me by nature” that is corrupted. The extent of hostility or enmity toward God appears in the whole of the carnal mind opposed to God. The natural man’s deep-rooted enmity against God appears in the affections, will, and the practice of sin in his life. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all (Rom.11:32). All men have been shut up under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe (Gal. 3:22). We are wretched men and wonder who can set us free from this body of death (Rom. 7:24).