Compelled by His Kindness...

It is an impossible thing to fully express how kind God is to adopt a person as his child when they come to believe in His Son Jesus. But those who do confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life have come to know a little bit of His awesome kindness because of the unending grace and mercy they receive in their new life with Christ. Their new life is rougher not smoother then before because the love they have for themselves is still there fighting against the new way they are to live...which is to love and choose Christ in ALL things. Their new life is rough because it is to be lived strictly through God the Holy Spirit's strength but their natural strength keeps rising up. It is rough because it is not easy or popular to live for Jesus Christ...the One who said, " I Am the Truth."

And so the one who is experiencing this spiritual battle is the one working out their salvation with fear and trembling. They wake up, live life and go to sleep working to beat down their old flesh through the Spirit of God. In this daily battle the reality brings both victory through obedience and at times set backs by choosing sin, but it is at those places of victory and defeat that the child of God still sees the awesomeness of His lovingkindness. They see that the ultimate battle of life and death has already been won through Jesus' death on the cross and Jesus' life through the resurrection, and by this they know without a doubt that they have been forgiven of all their past, present and future sin. They know they are dying with Jesus daily and that they will be raised with him in a moment. They know they already have victory through Christ's works and not their own. They come to learn that God is truly Kind.

It is this kindness of God expressed through His Son Jesus Christ that compells a person to turn away from their self pleasing life to a life that is God pleasing. It is God's kindness expressed through His Son Jesus Christ that fuels the heart to hate sin and to sincerely turn away from it. The one who loves God will not turn away from Jesus Christ. The one who believes in Jesus Christ loves Him and will not keep on sinning. The reason to keep trudging ahead is because of his kindness towards us!

The following quotes are by Francois Fenelon in the book The Royal Way of the Cross. Fenelon's books are mostly an archive of personal letters that were written by him to his friends during the late 17 century. I have been blessed reading Fenelon because he cuts to the chase in regards to how we naturally love ourselves more than Jesus himself. He helps the mind bring its spinning wheels down to the ground so there's more potential for faith seen in action.

“Do you want the consolation God can give, or do you want God Himself?”

“What right do we have to complain? We suffer from an excessive attachment to the creature-above all to self. God orders a series of events which detach us gradually from the creature first, and finally from self also. The operation is painful, but our corruption makes it needful, and therefore it is we who suffer so keenly.”

“That is false humility which believes itself unworthy of God’s goodness and dares not look to it with trust. True humility lies in seeing our own unworthiness and giving ourselves up to God, never doubting that He can work out the greatest results for and in us.”

“You wait to be familiar till God shows a smiling face; but I tell you that if you will open up your heart thoroughly to Him you will cease to trouble about the aspect of His face. Let Him turn a severe and displeased countenance upon you as much as He will, He never loves you more than when He threatens, for He threatens only to prove, to humble, to detach souls.”

“Leave it all to God; it is not your business to judge how He should deal with you, because He knows far better than you what is good for you. You deserve a certain amount of trial and dryness. Bear it patiently! God does His part when he repulses you. Try to do yours too, and that is to love Him without waiting for Him to assure you of His love for you. Your love is a guarantee of His; your confidence in Him alone will disarm Him, and turn all His severity into tenderness. Even if He were not to grow tender, you ought to give yourself up to His just dealings, and accept His intention of nailing you to the cross in union with His beloved Son, Jesus.”