Still Not Perfect
For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.
Romans 7:15 (CSB)
We live in a world that often views Christians as nothing but hypocrites. People use this claim to distance themselves from the church and to justify not following Christ. At the same time, believers often criticize one another, claiming that others cannot genuinely follow Christ because of their lives. While this may be true in some cases, there are also times when sincere believers stumble and err. Such missteps happen because we have yet to achieve perfection.
The Constant Tension. The apostle Paul told the church in Rome that a constant tension exists between what we should do and what we actually do. He understood the expectations of the Lord and recognized the divine calling upon his life regarding how he should live. Yet, Paul found himself engaging in actions that diverged from the ways of the Lord. He illustrates the struggle that we, as followers of Christ, experience. We know the ways of the Lord and sense His guidance, yet we still struggle to consistently follow His teachings.
The Moments of Failure. The apostle told the people in Rome that he continued to engage in activities he hated. These activities represented moments of failure in Paul’s life to faithfully follow the Lord. They may have included a lack of self-control or patience with others. He might have reacted poorly in certain situations and practiced judgment instead of love. We must recognize that all followers of Christ still face moments of failure. We all continue to struggle and experience missteps. These missteps do not indicate an insecure future but remind us that we are still being perfected as we live in the certainty of eternal security.
Eternal Security and Spiritual Growth. Eternal security encourages us to grow spiritually. It reminds us that when we falter, we still rest in the eternal promises of the Lord. We find hope in knowing that one misstep as a child of God does not remove us from God’s eternal blessing. It provides certainty and motivation as we journey toward becoming more like Christ. We must learn to allow eternal security to guide us through the moments of tension and missteps, leading us to the place of resting in the goodness of the Lord and pursuing Christlikeness.
QUESTIONS
How do we allow missteps in our lives to derail us instead of resting in eternal security that is from the Lord?
How do you find encouragement to grow closer to the Lord because of the presence of eternal security?
