The willing is present

[Not me]

Scripture says;

Romans 7:18 (NASB)
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good [is] not.

“the willing is present in me”

This willingness that is to be present in us, is the the willingness to choose the good or the righteous thing in any and all circumstances, rather than what we ourselves want.  This is the willingness that we are called to have in us. 

This desire to the good or the righteous thing, is that which must be brought forth in the believer. This is that in Scripture “God works in us to will~~~etc”.  This willingness is what God is continually working in us to a deeper degree regardless of how much growth we possess.. So how does God actually work this “will to do” in us? Look at Jonah. God didn’t force him. God brought circumstances (sometimes unpleasant for that’s all we will listen to)  that caused Jonah, of his own free will to choose the good. Jonah could have not said anything on the boat, but he chose the righteous thing, he chose to speak, and tell the truth, which he knew would condemn him, yet save the men on the boat.  Whereby, because Jonah chose the good, God could and did work further in his life. 

This is where our struggle lies. Being taught to want the good and righteous thing. Our will’s vs God’s will which one will our will choose. 

(Once we are taught to want the good and the righteous thing,  struggles for the most part turn into a brief moment of struggle as we die to our own will’s in the situation. But since we have learned that our own will’s are sin, and do not produce righteousness, we yield ourselves quicker and in a more complete way as we grow. But I digress.)

This is our struggle, in the working out of our growing in Christ. This, being made willing to choose the good. For this is what we are called to,  be willing to want the good. Once we have been taught with our will’s to choose the good. It is than that God can move to “working in us the “do” part. But the willing must come first. 

Once we can say like Paul “the willing is present in me” than it’s a question of how the good gets brought forth and manifested in our lives. This is where 

Scripture says;

Romans 6:16 (KJV)
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Though it is true we are powerless to produce the righteous thing in the strength of our own selfs. That is not the end of it...... As scripture says we can produce the righteous thing by yielding ourselves by faith to the Spirit of Christ in us.

For with the will’s willingness to chose the good (Christ) or the evil (self) is where our freedom of choice begins and ends. Self or Christ are the two kingdoms set before us and in us. We can choose to yield to the Spirit of God in us (which all Christians have if they are His) or we can choose to yield to that which we are familiar with. Which is letting self or the old nature still have the rule in us.

We, all day long are given opportunities to live out from Christ or self. If by faith we yield ourselves to the Spirit of Christ in us, we will be able to manifest righteousness or the good in that particular situation.

 This submission to the Spirit of Christ in us is accomplished by being a do’er of the word where it tells us to “reckon ourselves dead unto sin but alive unto God”.  For this is the limit of the freedom of our wills, we can choose who rules in us....Self or Christ. The doing of the good we are powerless in ourselves to accomplish. If we don’t reckon ourselves dead and submit ourselves  onto God we will fail at the manifestation of righteousness. Scripture says the flesh (fallen nature/old man) is not, cannot be fixed, or made to do right. It can only be killed or put to death that a new life/nature might take over. This is the place of the choosing for the believer, whether they have victory or not,  is to whom they yield themselves. Self or Christ, it’s always that choice. 

This yielding as servants to obey is accomplished by being a do’er of the instruction given of how to accomplish this act of yielding. Which is as we read to “reckon oneselfs dead onto sin but alive unto God”. 

This our deaths in Christ is that that frees us from the dictates and constraints and limitations and the inability of the old man to manifest righteousness. For the manifestation of righteousness is always God’s will, always. 

Is is by believing,  we received the Spirit of God. It is by believing that we, all that was born from our mother’s womb, died with Christ. For all growth comes from God in and through faith. God’s heart is set on our being set free from sin so we can manifest righteousness in this present age. 

This is what the Galatians stumbled over. Having begun in the Spirit (faith/believing) they received salvation by simply believing what God’s judgment of things were. Now, as before, all growth comes the same way. By believing what God’s judgement are concerning our inability to obey the ordinances of God. So a simple turning of the will to God by faith on a moment by moment basis is that which sets the believer free from  themselves so the works of the law can be fulfilled in them,  not by them. 

For when Jesus died we died. It is believing this and reckoning it so on a moment by moment faith,  that is what gives the believing hearts that which they most long for. Freedom from sin. 

If these writings have pricked something in your heart, go to God with them and ask about them. For only He can show the believer inwardly the truth or not about them. For growing in Christ is to be are all and all. 

Blessings 

Much love in Christ, Not me 

[Willa]

We each are set free according to our unique understanding.  For me it is Rom. 8:1 and 8:5

Rom 8:1  NKJV  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Rom 8:5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

When we walk in the Spirit we set our minds on Jesus and His love for those we encounter.  It is Christ in us Who reaches out to meet the needs we see.  Our focus is on Christ and his working through us.  

When we focus on what we should not do we end up doing the things we don't want to do.  When we look at Jesus and the things His love directs us toward, we do the things we should do.

[Not me]

10 minutes ago, Willa said:

We each are set free according to our unique understanding.  For me it is Rom. 8:1 and 8:5

Rom 8:1  NKJV  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Rom 8:5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

When we walk in the Spirit we set our minds on Jesus and His love for those we encounter.  It is Christ in us Who reaches out to meet the needs we see.  Our focus is on Christ and his working through us.  

When we focus on what we should not do we end up doing the things we don't want to do.  When we look at Jesus and the things His love directs us toward, we do the things we should do.

Blessings as we focus on Christ so He might be manifested in our lives to a greater and greater degree.

Much love in Christ, Not me