10/24/22 GOD'S PLAN IS A VICTORIOUS LIFE

10/24/22 GOD'S PLAN IS A VICTORIOUS LIFE

GOD'S PLAN IS A VICTORIOUS LIFE.

As part of our Human Nature, God gave us Reason, Desire, Emotion, Conscience, Will. They were given to Adam, Eve and to all mankind for the purpose of knowing and following the will of God. 

Sin broke our proper relationship with God and therefore these components of the soul were impaired and inhibited in their function. But even in the most despicable of men each of these components can be found functioning. This does not save anyone, but God's "common grace" through these qualities keeps the sinner from being the total monster he could be, and makes it possible for any sinner to be saved.

All of the human condition is defiled, depraved, corrupted, but unlike the angels, God created man so that he can be redeemed from his fallen condition. God did not make us to be lost, but He did make us so that we can be saved.

Before salvation, these five soulish components are used by God to guide and restrain men from total reprobation. This is called "common grace" and "prevenient grace." God works in the lives of the unsaved, leading them to salvation.

After people are miraculously converted and made into a new creatures, they are able to employ their human abilities in the service of God, including their Reason, Desire, Emotion, Conscience, Will. At this point they have Human Nature (the nature to be human, i.e. body, soul, spirit) and the New Man (newness of life in the likeness of Christ) and the continuing presence of the Sinful Nature (the Old Man). The Old and the New are opposed to one another, appealing to the Human Nature through the soul, to make a choice concerning right and wrong. The believer is enabled to make the right choice but the Carnal Mind battles the Mind of Christ in the believer.

When a believer dies to self, sin and the world (when they crucify their Old Man) then they are filled and purified by the Holy Spirit. This leaves the Sanctified believer with a redeemed Human Nature, which still has the ability to sin; a New Nature. However, the Sinful Nature, tendency to rebel, has been done away with, conquered (not controlled). Though Sanctified believers still have the ability to sin, they are not plagued from within to disobey God. The inner war has ceased, though the outer battle continues.

Sinning is the choice of the human nature.
As a sinner, the decision is to sin.
As a carnal believer, the decision is to not sin, but the inner conflict sometimes convinces the Reason, Desire, Emotion, Conscience, Will to disobey God.
As a Spirit filled, Sanctified believer, the decision is to not sin, though Satan continues to tempt and oppress. However, the temptation is from the outside and not from the inside of the believer, therefore the Spiritual believer does not have the inward battle, which the Carnal believer has. This allows the Spiritual believer to have more control over his Reason, Desire, Emotion, Conscience, Will.

God enables us to live victoriously through the surrender of our Reason, Desire, Emotion, Conscience, Will. Learn to live in the Spirit and use your Reason, Desire, Emotion, Conscience, Will in submission to God. You will find power, peace and purity as your daily companions.