Questions Too Embarrassed to Ask - Part 1

Questions Too Embarrassed to Ask - Part 1

When I said my early childhood was religious-free, it was true...partially. I was baptized in the Catholic Church, but also attended Catechism through my First Communion. As a teenager, I would occasionally attend church with my parents or various close friends. In adulthood, I was exposed to many devout Christians throughout my life. So, how exactly did I get to my age without knowing even the basic (embarrassingly so!) facts? Fact(S)...as in MANY!

I cannot imagine I am the only person in the world feeling so illiterate about Christianity...so I am going to post sometimes about "questions I was too embarrassed to ask." Literally. I have read many books, articles, websites, etc. geared toward new Christians. They provide many wonderful and important truths: what it means to have everlasting life, how one goes about receiving that gift, and the importance of sharing the Gospel, among many other topics. However, I have yet to find the book that begins at the. very. bottom.

Who is God? As silly as it sounds, this was one of my ponderings. Something I was consistently confused about. When I pose this question, I do not mean literally "Who is God," but more: Who is God and what is the difference between Him and Jesus? I know Jesus is the Son of God. But, to whom do I pray? Jesus? God? And then add in The Holy Spirit? And what do I call each? There are so many titles used for each person in different circumstances, I was baffled. This is what I learned (and to my credit...it really isn't all that simple).

The Beginning. To be fair, I will never assume everyone knows any detail. Genesis, meaning "beginnings" and "origins," is the first book of the Old Testament of the Bible. It sets the stage and introduces God and the beginning of his creations. The very first line of the entire Bible is, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God. The beginning. The Creator. An infinite being who was not created by anyone before Him, but who has always been there. John 1:1 tells us, "In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God. The Word was God." What does the term "The Word" mean? According to the study portion of my Bible, it is referenced as many things throughout scripture...all different, yet concluding the same. Basically, The Word is the source of God's message to His people through the prophets, and God's law, his standard of holiness (Psalm 119:11). In other words, it is the Bible filled with God's words and commandments on how believers are to live their lives.

The Man. The Gospel of John continues with, "So the Word became human and made his home among us." (1:14). God planned this long before His birth, for Isaiah told us of His coming, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given" (Isaiah 9:6). When Jesus Christ was conceived, God had become a man - a human (although still completely divine), one in which people could see, touch and hear. Up until that point, people knew God only partially since the concept was difficult to understand. Once God was in the form of a human, people could finally know God. And more importantly, Jesus was the perfect picture of God's holiness, the example every other human should strive to emulate.

Continuing the Spread of God's Love. Even if Christ had remained on earth in human form, sharing The Word of God would have been difficult to do alone. Once He returned to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit so that God would be with us and within us always. The Spirit has the ability to comfort us, guide us to the truth, remind us of God's Word and fill us with the Power of the Lord (see John 14-16). The Holy Spirit is Jesus and God, in spirit form, filling each believer with God's goodness, promises, peace, joy and love.  

What is the Bottom Line? To make the answer simple...at least this is what I have concluded as the simple answer - as always, correct me if I am wrong...

God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (also known as the Trinity) are all one and the same - merely in different forms. God continues to be our divine Father, the creator of all, and the Infinite and Sovereign Lord. His son, Jesus Christ, was the image of God in a completely human form. He presented the example and model of the perfect human - one who lived among us for 33 years, lived as a human and experienced emotions, situations and experiences all humans go through, and the only human ever to be completely without sin. Jesus died so that we, as believers, would never perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). When Jesus returned to Heaven to live at the right hand of God, He sent God in the form of the Holy Spirit to fill all believers with comfort, love, hope and joy and to serve as a reminder of how each believer should live.

I know, this isn't very clearly described. It is still difficult for me to write clearly about a concept in which I am still learning. But, that is why I am doing this. I want to share what I find as I learn. As always, I would love to hear opinions or thoughts on my interpretations or questions from other newbies! Please follow my blog to receive new post notifications via email. Always welcoming fellow journey-ers!

A Sinful Nature

Sinful Nature - Romans 6

I have found a name to what I am experiencing! This amazing, wonderful and joyous feeling I have every day. This craving and hunger I cannot sate. And finally, it is a desire that is good and healthy and glorious! "Sanctification" - the change God makes in our life as we grow in faith. That is me! Growing in faith. Slowly and surely...but every day becoming closer to God and digging deeper into His Word! Love. Every. Minute.

So..."SIN." The "power of sin" is our rebellious, sin-loving nature inherited from Adam. Although we may give in to our sinful nature, it is not us that is evil, but sin. We may have chosen to live righteously and accept the gift of eternal life, it does not mean we are not immune to sin. We merely are no longer a slave to sin - and are freely able to choose to obey God wholehearted, or allow sin to control. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires (Rom 6:12).

Is the 'sinful nature' that exists in all of us, the negative and evil power that can lead a believer to commit suicide? Not, as I previously pictured, Satan himself or a demonic presence in our hearts, but the area of sinful desires that exist in all of us. Negativity or sin, in one form or another - adultery, abuse, addiction, bullying - may be the 'sin' in one's life, growing and growing inside until it is all-consuming - it controls  them - once again becoming a slave to evil - losing any love, peace, joy and power the Holy Spirit would provide.

  

When we died with Christ, we were set free from the power that sin had to control our lives (v. 7). We no longer are required to be a slave to sin. We have the choice; do we become slaves to sin - which leads to death? Or, do we chose to obey God's teaching, break free from the bondage sin has on our lives, and become slaves to righteous living (v. 16-18)? Duh? Isn't the answer obvious and easy? Okay, maybe not so easy for new believers. What does becoming a "slave to righteous living" actual mean? And, how exactly do we accomplish this?

First, to "wholeheartedly obey" (essential in reducing sin's hold) means to give yourself fully to God. You must love Him "with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind" (Matt 22:37). Ask Him to put you to good use, whatever way He sees fit. To avoid sin, try to remember these steps:

1. Identify your personal weaknesses. Everyone has them. Honesty is essential in this step.

2. Recognize the things that tempt us. Or, the "triggers" you know will increase your desire to sin.

3. Stay away from that source of temptation. At least as much as possible. When unable to avoid the temptation, asking the Spirit to control your thoughts and desires is smart.

4. Practice self-restraint. Obviously, you will be doing this if #3 is impossible.

5. Consciously invest time in good habits and service. I replaced smoking, drinking, and all the activities I once deemed "fun," with studying His Word. And, this was not a difficult achievement, I wanted this change!

Finally, and MOST IMPORTANTLY!

6. Lean on God's strength and grace! Seek Him constantly! Talk to Him repeatedly throughout the day! Pray for strength to overcome any sinful power and avoid any sinful temptations, desires and thoughts that go against His Glory!