INNER CONFLICT

" I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21).

Devotion 5 of 5

WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION?

That shall we conclude from this situation? The Holy Spirit makes the conclusion for us. We do well to believe it. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). That is not just a nice saying. It is not a creedal statement which we must try to believe. This is a divine affirmation. It is a statement of the condition of every person that is in Christ Jesus.

BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE!

The personal struggle we have with evil now becomes our evidence of justification! If we were not free from sin, we would not hate it. If we were not cleansed from it, it would not be so aggressive to obtain our affection. If we were not justified, Satan would not be so aggressive in his appeals to our crucified nature!

THERE IS A BETTER DAY COMING

I would be remiss if I did not remind you deliverance is on the way! Your struggle is temporary, so you must hold on your way! The existence of the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) proves there is an environment for which it is adapted. God created the world "to be inhabited," and then populated it with creatures and people (Isa. 45:18). Viewed from another perspective, before the Lord provided Adam with a wife, He stirred in him a desire for one by having him name the animals, that came to him in pairs (Gen. 2:18-20). Desire and condition are always matched with the appropriate environment.

Think of the present condition of the child of God. He is a citizen of heaven, and, consequently, is a "stranger and pilgrim" in the world (Phil. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:11). He occupies a realm that is passing, but he himself is advancing from "glory unto glory, even as by the Spirit of our God" (2 Cor. 3:18). The believer has intense longings and appetites that cannot be satisfied by the world order. In fact, the world militates against the preferences and delights of the person in Christ.

Our longings are not simply dreams and vain wishes. They are associated with reality and certainty. This is why the Spirit speaks of "hope" in such a unique way. In Christ "hope" speaks of surety. It is associated with Divine commitment and the longing of the believer. It is no "will-o-the-wisp!"

The Lord has made a commitment to those in Christ. They are involved in a process that will culminate in them being "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). Ultimately, they will be "without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27). They have been led by the Spirit to anticipate a time when they will be presented "without fault" to God (Rev. 14:5; Jude 24). By faith, through the Spirit, believers now "wait for the hope of righteousness" (Gal. 5:5), patiently waging a "good warfare" against fleshly proclivities (1 Tim. 1:18).

There can be no uncertainty in Scriptural hope. It is too critical! In Christ it is not merely "I hope so," but a "rejoicing of the hope" (Heb. 3:6). This hope has a sanctifying effect. "We are saved by hope," proclaims the Apostle (Rom. 8:24-25). This is what enables us to deal effectively with sins and weights that so easily beset us (Heb. 12:2). Personal purity cannot be accomplished by law, but it can be achieved by hope! "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). The degree of holiness that we achieve is directly proportionate to the clarity and measure of the hope we have in Christ.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

It is remarkable that the contemporary church ignores the matter of the resurrection with such consistency. To claim association with Christ, and yet not live in hope of the resurrection is a condition unacceptable to Him. The absence of a living and vibrant hope is confirmed by the general ignorance that exists concerning the resurrection. It is also shown by the fewness of the hymns in our song books on heaven, the coming of the Lord, the resurrection, and the hope of glory. We are living in a time of remarkable departure from the faith, and yet the apparent majority of professed believers are oblivious of this condition. This corroborates the earthiness of the religion of these days.

In our present state, we have two incompatible natures. Our "outward man" is perishing, while our "inward man" is being "renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16). While the world draws attention to the "body" with its attire and emphasis, those in Christ confess its vileness. We know that it is associated with "corruption," "dishonor," and "weakness" (1 Cor. 15:42-44). It is a source of humiliation to us, and we long for it to be "changed" into the likeness of our Savior's glorious body (Phil. 3:21). This shall be accomplished at the resurrection.

There is a resurrection body, and God has "wrought us" to inhabit it (2 Cor. 5:5). He has graciously apprized us of its existence, and created us in Christ Jesus with longings to possess it (2 Cor. 5:1-2). Now, while we wait for the promised occupancy, "we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened" (2 Cor. 5:4). Unlike the fatalist, we do not "groan" simply because we desire to get out of this earthly body. We do not want to be "unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life" (2 Cor. 5:4).

Our "groaning" is not a fleshly moaning or complaining. It is the groan of travail and expectation. Our dissatisfaction with our present state has been prompted by the contemplation of coming glory. We are not merely discontent with the injustices and frustrations associated with earthly life. Our bodies are grievous to us because of their corruptible nature. What a marvelous thing has taken place! At one time the commandments of God were grievous, and our bodies were pampered. Now the commandments are no longer grievous, but the flesh is (1 John 5:3). We long for the redemption of our bodies!

Our resurrection bodies will be characterized by "incorruption," "glory," and "power" (1 Cor. 15:42-43). These are qualities that we now possess in the "inner man." We have been made "partakers of the Divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). Viewed from another perspective, we have been made "partakers of Christ" (Heb. 3:14). Within, we are being "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18). How fitting that we anticipate putting on bodies that are compatible with our renewed natures!

The view of a "carnal church" is a gross contradiction. It presumes that an unprepared people can make the transition to a prepared condition and place. This simply is not true! God has not promised good things to those that are not prepared to receive them! Anywhere and everywhere unprepared people are mentioned, a curse is pronounced. There are no exceptions. No person that is not anticipating and preparing for the resurrection can be considered to have a part in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. For such a condition to exist requires the negation of God's Word, and He cannot lie! As evident as this may appear, there is a remarkable absence of anticipation and preparation in the professed church. It appears to be fascinated with this world, and that is a spiritually disastrous situation.

The cry, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death!" is not often heard from the contemporary church. The reason for this is that, for the most part, is that it is not living by faith. It has settled down in the world instead of assuming the posture of a stranger and pilgrim in it. The condition is inexcusable and intolerable. It is time for godly people to cry out against this situation. It is neither right nor acceptable.

In Christ, we have been created for incorruption, glory, and power. Until deliverance comes, we struggle with corruption, dishonor, and weakness. The struggle is not wrong; it is right! It is not evidence of condemnation, but of justification! Let every soul sensitive to this struggle rejoice in the prospect of deliverance.

-- TOMORROW: RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FAITH -- -- MONDAY: New Series. THE CURRENT MINISTRY OF JESUS --