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Chuck kendrick's avatar

Thanks for the thoughts. I particularly resonate with comments about the importance of relationship with God and living that relationship is so synonymous with repentance.

I wonder how wrong we can go if we centered our lives on simply living every in presence of God. I think Brother Andrew was really a great model for us here.

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John E. Dobbs's avatar

Amen Chuck. It's quite a shift from seeing our relationship with God as 'religion' with 'duties' ... to a 'relationship' that grows closer and deeper.

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Esther Lau's avatar

Thank you for the honest writing. As you said it is hard to face the reality of the wretch that I am, but praise God for Jesus. But, I need to sit in the wretchedness longer to really appreciate Him...

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John E. Dobbs's avatar

Thank you Esther ... yes, it's tempting to rush past that part...but it does remind us of what an awesome gift Jesus offers! Appreciate your comment.

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Richard Myerscough's avatar

I was struck by this prayer, John, from The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett, especially the lines at the top of the second page. You might appreciate it too.

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Adam Lawley's avatar

I was just reading this passage the other day! Great work!

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Doug White's avatar

We can not do what "we want to do" and not do "what we don't want to do," on our own power. Primarily because the evil ones are much stronger than us and we also need the Holy spirit involved in the struggle.

Paul does not mention the HS here (Romans 7) but he does quite extensively in the next chapter. Angels are also involved in our strength as they were with Christ in the Garden the night before the Cross.

And 1 John 1:7 has removed the guilt from a lot of people over the years. Walk in the light and we have a shower head over us that is continually pouring out the blood of the Cross and we don't have to feel guilty or wonder if we 'messed up' today and forgot to repent of something.

We need to continually thanks God, and pray for, His HS and His angels to be involved in our life.

Paul gave the answer to his, and our, predicament in the last verse of ch. 7 and the first verse of chapter 8.

The answer is Jesus and there is no 'condemnation' for those who are in Christ. The condemnation is not in the struggle. The condemnation is in the giving in to the struggle.

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Debi Hassler-Never Forsaken's avatar

Yep, this resonates with me

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Ishah Naomi's avatar

Such a good word here! Reminds me about a book I purchased last year that I'm yet to get to; 'Repentance the First Word of the Gospel' by Richard Owen Roberts.

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John E. Dobbs's avatar

Sounds like a good book!

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