If You Are Struggling with Sin...

...remember that Jesus hates sin (and your sin in particular), and if you are in Christ today, He has dealt with it and is dealing with it through the cross and the power of the Spirit at work in you. I came across these words from Charles Spurgeon this morning (Owen consistently and sweetly asks at breakfast if we can read Morning and Evening, a wonderful 365-day devotional by Spurgeon that takes about 3 minutes to read together...I think he likes looking up the date for that morning):

"[Jesus] hates wickedness so much that He bled to wound it to the heart; He died that it might die; He was buried that He might bury it in his tomb; and He rose that He might for ever trample it beneath His feet."

How Should We Think about Good Works?

The gospel teaches us that we are saved by the grace of God, through faith, not because of our good works ("For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." -Eph. 2:8-9). So, as those who have been saved by grace through faith (not good works), how should we now think about good works? Paul answers that question in the very next verse in Ephesians ("For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." -Eph. 2:10).

Matthew Henry gives some good help in his commentary on this verse:

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, &c., v. 10. It appears that all is of grace, because all our spiritual advantages are from God. We are his workmanship; he means in respect of the new creation; not only as men, but as saints. The new man is a new creature; and God is its Creator. It is a new birth, and we are born or begotten of his will. In Christ Jesus, that is, on the account of what he has done and suffered, and by the influence and operation of his blessed Spirit. Unto good works, &c. The apostle having before ascribed this change to divine grace in exclusion of works, lest he should seem thereby to discourage good works, he here observes that though the change is to be ascribed to nothing of that nature (for we are the workmanship of God), yet God, in his new creation, has designed and prepared us for good works: Created unto good works, with a design that we should be fruitful in them. Wherever God by his grace implants good principles, they are intended to be for good works. Which God hath before ordained, that is, decreed and appointed. Or, the words may be read, To which God hath before prepared us, that is, by blessing us with the knowledge of his will, and with the assistance of his Holy Spirit; and by producing such a change in us. That we should walk in them, or glorify God by an exemplary conversation and by our perseverance in holiness."

Prayer Struggles

If any of you struggle with prayer (or maybe you don't but you "have a friend who does"), you might find some help in reading an article by David Powlison called "Praying Beyond the Sick List." Here is a representative excerpt:

"It's hard to learn how to pray - for the sick as well as the healthy. How often do we make intelligent, honest requests for something we need from capable, trustworthy friends? Prayer is a lot like that. But somehow when the making of a request is termed "praying" and the capable party is termed "God," things tend to get tangled. You've seen it, heard it, done it: the contorted syntax, formulaic phrasing, meaningless repetition, 'just reallys,' vague non-requests, artificially pious tone of voice, air of confusion. If you talked to your friends or parents that way they'd think you'd lost your mind. But what if your understanding of prayer changes, and if your practice of prayer then changes? What then? What if the prayer requests you make - and the ones you ask others
to make - change?"

By the way, whenever I've struggled in prayer, I've found that it is usually fruitful for me to ask myself, "Why am I finding it hard to pray right now?" That helps me identify the deeper issue and address it in light of the cross of Christ.

Speaking the Truth in Love

This is a good word that I came across today, from Tim Chester's book You Can Change (here), on how we can point others to Christ when they've sinned (of course, it's true for us too):

“What should you do if others confess their sin to you? Speak the truth
in love. Don’t tell them their sin is understandable or
insignificant. That offers no comfort because it’s a lie. But we can
speak words of comfort because we can speak words of grace. Call them to
repent of their sin and to accept by faith the forgiveness that God
offers. ‘You are guilty, but Christ has borne your guilt. You deserve
God’s judgment, but Christ has borne your judgment.’ This is true
comfort. Embody that forgiveness in your ongoing acceptance and
love. But accept people with God’s agenda for change. Explore, if
you can, the lies and desires that lead to their sinful behavior. Together
you may be able to discern the truth they need to turn to and the idolatrous
desires they need to turn from. Be proactive about offering
accountability. That means asking the right question! Ask them how
they’re getting on; ask them whether they’ve sinned again. Be specific –
ask when, where, why, how often. Above all, point them to the grace and
glory of Christ.”