Holiness

I'm currently reading a collection of Spurgeon sermons on holiness in the life of a believer. It has been an excellent companion for me this last week. In it he says that we should always be dissatisfied but never discouraged. I think that is an awesome observation. When I take stock of my life, and compare it to what the Bible says it should look like, they never match up perfectly. I want to embody the fruits of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22, 23)- but I always seem to let my selfishness and pride take over and trump those things. I want to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which I have been called" (Ephesians 4:1), yet I continually walk in my own way. I am dissatisfied. My longing is to be like Christ, yet "I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15). I am thankful for Romans 7 because it reminds me that I'm not alone in this struggle. Even though my deepest desire is to be like Christ, my earthly life will be a battle to embrace such a desire. But Romans 7:24,25 encourage me. "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ!" And then Romans 8:1 starts off the amazing chapter by saying, "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Dissatisfied? Absolutely. Discouraged? Far from it! I am not condemned! Jesus has bought my life with His blood and I am adopted into the glorious family of God. There is no need for discouragement because the ultimate battle has been won! Yes, in this world there will be trial and temptation over and over again. But He will work it for my good (Romans 8:28) so I need not worry or get down. The price has been paid for my righteousness. Yet I must day after day strive to live out such righteousness. Every circumstance and situation in life provides yet another unique opportunity to become what I already am- righteous. A sermon I continually return to has this part that talks about how a caterpillar has the DNA of a butterfly, long before it actually becomes a butterfly. The guy compares this to our lives as Christians. We have the DNA of Christ the moment we surrender our lives to Him. And one day, we will be like Christ. But our life is a process of becoming that. Here ends my ramblings of today. My prayer is that today I will surrender even more to God's unbeatable ways and become a little more like Him. May it be so for you, too.