"Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made men upright; but they have sought out many inventions."

As opposed to trusting in God, we His creation have discredited His ability to provide our lives with fulfillment, joy, peace, righteousness, true happiness, and satisfaction.
Instead, we seek out inventions that masquerade as self-fulfillment options other than that which has the sole capability of fulfilled purpose in a man's life.
That is the definition of original sin:
Seeking self-accomplishment in one's own life of that which can only be accomplished by that one's creator.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

God create us to be just like Him. He succeeded. But man did not trust Him, and heeded lies, departing from truth.

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

So the great impostor Satan used the serpent to draw mankind from being in the image of God to being just like a god.

The amazing part is that He can make us upright again.
Jesus came into this world through the miracle of the virgin birth. Then he turned the established religious thought on its head by demanding the perfection of God the Father from all men in His first sermon to the general public. He proceeded to perform physical miracles which restored physical bodies, making them whole; but the miracles were not only confined to bodily repair. Jesus restored hearing and sight, healed infirmities, made the sick well, raised the dead to life, and cast out demon spirits.

Then the Holy Spirit through Paul's letter to the Roman church told us that the natural things are a shadow of the spiritual. Jesus restores physically to give people hope that they may be restored spiritually.

Restored to what?

The image of God.

This is not pride. This is the purpose of our existence, and the glory of the cross. The Bloody, Gory, Wonderful Cross. Our return to the image of our Father is fulfilled by the cross. Our death is necessary. Christ has fulfilled our death.

Yet we pursue inventions. We know of the cross, but we allow the flesh to pursue its own happiness at the expense of the Spirit's influence in our lives. And we think if we satisfy the flesh, even in a small way, it will open those we pursue in the Gospel to Christ.
How foolish we are.
We invent ways to bring people to Christ, and neglect prayer, fasting, even our own salvation, and justify our selves in our sin and call it grace, or the triumph over legalism.

Our definition of legalism too often crosses the line into those actions that are definitive of the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, which makes us free from the law of sin and death. Simply put, we call following the law of the Holy Spirit legalistic and oppressive.

Oppressive to the flesh, absolutely. So kill it. Crucify it. Nail it to the cross.
So we did that yesterday. Do it everyday, and don't lose hold on your steadfastness in the faith. It is that serious.

Sean is right. Pray without ceasing is a command. Why can't we question our Salvation? Why can't we examine ourselves? We ought to do so before taking communion lest we be found guilty of the body and blood. It can only produce holiness in the life of a true Christian. If you're not real for Christ, then at least you'll be honest with yourself. You'll still be going to hell because you love darkness rather than light, because your deeds are evil, and the light will make them manifest. Are you willing to expose to God that which he already knows? Examine yourself. Repent, turn from wickedness, and be found in Him.
You are a Christian who struggles in some area. Me too. Why aren't we fasting and praying that we find deliverence in Christ? Because it would be legalistic? We are fools to think that!
Know we not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?

We are so concerned with looking "holier than thou" that we neglect holiness. But the Word commands us to Be Holy, again as God is Holy. So the Word commands us to be in His image.

He stooped to our level, so that He could raise us up to His.

So Why do I walk the way that I Do?
Wretched Man that I am!!! WHO SHALL DELIVER ME???
I thank God. I am delivered through Jesus Christ my Lord. He will show me how to walk after the Spirit, by whom the flesh is put to death, and having walked after and followed Him, I am no longer under death by servitude to sin, but alive through SERVITUDE to Christ.

We live to serve HIM.
But there's this "area" (see "sin issue") in my life that I just can't get over... Fast, watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation... there remaineth no more excuse for sin.

I know the arguments of those wary of this line of thought: don't get too lost in this ideal. Don't get too hopeful that Christ will accomplish a miracle in your life, or that CHRIST WILL ACTUALLY BE FOUND OF THOSE THAT SEEK HIM WITH THE WHOLE HEART.

I believe.

"But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days."

He's the....

Word of Life
shed abroad in our hearts by his
Marvellous Light.
We first thought it would destory us because we were
Part of the Night,
facing an end to existence; but that was
Only a Lie,
satan making us to shy to be
Removed from our Plight
by the
Payment of Christ
who paid our
Debt when He Died.


He did it in Spite
of the sin in our souls, but we
Fight against Pardon
in fear of losing control. So we
Dodge the Truth
as we're hitting the throttle,
Unaware that we're Headed
straight to the bottom of
Hell,
(where satan is waiting for us to share in his payment).
The Darkness Surrounds Us
And Seems to Become Us,
and all of the sudden death
Starts working among Us.
But
He Who Paid our Debt
is a
Soldier Indeed.
He's the greatest Warrior
of all eternity.
He Conquered Darkess
with light,
Pierced the Darkness
of night,
Speaks the Word
and now we're exposed to His
Marvellous Light.

Now the Sword of the Spirit,
it bears down from on high;
And We're Shook,
realizing He's greater than deceit in our minds.
Now It Hit's and
divides us from the
Clever Beguiling of the
devil who's lied.
No, he's never been right.

The Destruction that we
thought we'd receive is
Really our payment;
Jesus has the Receipt, it's
in his bank account statement.
It's that Treasure laid up
for the righteous who trust
That the gold that He's got
won't rust or corrupt.
Because He purchased Us
we are eternally free;
We're looking around for our chains
but can't find them;
We're Free!
Slaves to Jesus
and yet we're His friends.
We're not just forgiven,
we have the power to stand.
Stand against the devil and his
evil A #1 fan.
That would be the Flesh
that we're wrapped in
Which starts to wonder,
"What happened?"
(Old man stuck in the
mind frame that
Sin is like crack), and
just won't let it go.
It tries to drag down our souls,
but we're saved and we know
The old man's gotta go.

So we open the Book
to find a
Love Note
written by the
Son of God who died to
save our souls.
But it's alright because,
although He died,
He's alive! Yes, He's seated
at the right hand of
God Most High. He
sends His Spirit to guide
So the flesh has to die
as we take hold of this life.
Though we were crucified
we now live
Unto him. How did that
happen again?
When we saw the Truth
and began believing in Him.

So if we rep like we're
believing in Him,
We need to step like we're
believing in Him;
Not like the rest of the world
that's not believing in Him.
If believing in Him
won't cause our
Evil to mend,
then we have yet to crucify our
Agreement with Sin.
Drop to your knees and repent;
Then stand up and be sent,
to show the way to be saved
To all those you call friends.
It is your heart that He'll mend.
We can begin again.
A fresh start, forgiven,
When we're adopted by Him.

I know that this verse might be long and seem
grievous,
but the Word's been my passion since my errors
egregious
were cleansed in the blood flow of the One who
redeemed us,
seized us,
released us
from misdeeds
of unjust
disobedience.
He sees us
as He is - Just.
He freed us
to speak thus
- His freedom,
and teach us
to leave lust
and reap the
Salvation
of Jesus

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.