Is Living the Christian Life Impossible?

[Vine Abider]

Yes, we must all come to realize that living the Christian life truly is impossible and quite beyond our capabilities!  That is, it is quite impossible without Christ and His indwelling Spirit operating through us!

One just has to look at the passage in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 to see just how short our fallen human life is.  We are told by Jesus many wonderful things here that we must be and do, and then He finishes with, "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!"  And this is pertaining to loving all, even "those who spitefully use you."  WHAT!?  I can barely love those who love me, let alone someone who wants to maliciously do me wrong!

So today I'm musing on how capable this glorious life of within me is . . . if I just nourish my joined (to Him) spirit and live by the life of Christ in me!

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  Matt 5:20

[Mr. M]

34 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

So today I'm musing on how capable this glorious life of within me is . . . if I just nourish my joined (to Him) spirit and live by the life of Christ in me!

This is sanctification. I also posted just now on "the life of Christ in us".

We are in a similar place today in our meditations.

This enables us to say like Paul "I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me".

In Christ, all things are possible!

[TheBlade]

6 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Yes, we must all come to realize that living the Christian life truly is impossible and quite beyond our capabilities!  That is, it is quite impossible without Christ and His indwelling Spirit operating through us!

One just has to look at the passage in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 to see just how short our fallen human life is.  We are told by Jesus many wonderful things here that we must be and do, and then He finishes with, "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!"  And this is pertaining to loving all, even "those whole spitefully use you."  WHAT!?  I can barely love those who love me, let alone someone who wants to maliciously do me wrong!

So today I'm musing on how capable this glorious life of within me is . . . if I just nourish my joined (to Him) spirit and live by the life of Christ in me!

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  Matt 5:20

Hey Vine.. for me in this case its not to be sinless but a right relationship with God. So how is the Father? Duh He is sinless yet kind, good, loving. I like what one says it.  Be ye therefore perfect thus does not mean but with out sin but be full-grown, fully developed, mature and complicate in your love.  We should know for us the believer  perfection means living a Christlike life and pressing on always aspiring to a goal that is still ahead of us. This love can only happen is only possible through the lords intervening work in our life's. Rom 5 5 (..... because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.)

The fact our sins are gone.. He the Father now sees us holy and righteous sinless because of what Christ has done. We are the righteousness of God. We are in right standing with GOD because we believe in trust in Christ. He died we died. He rose we rose.. so what are we still hanging on to that was but under the blood. Christ said this while still under the law. No NT no believers no Church. He told someone again under the law "go and sin no more least a worse thing come on you"...oooh allot there many won't touch.  Yet it seems they could not sin. Yeah no one makes us do anything no one. If we sin.. we did it.. we took that thought we ran with it and He made a way out and we didn't take it. But its no longer us that sin but sin that is in us. WHO are you today a new man or still holding on to that flesh? Something made created new.. that is who I am. So all things are possible for me since I believe trust in Jesus Christ. 

[Michael37]

6 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

So today I'm musing on how capable this glorious life of within me is

I reminded of this verse:

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

and this one:

2Co 3:4-6  Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.  (5)  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,  (6)  who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

and of course, this:

Joh 15:4  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

[Marilyn C]

7 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Yes, we must all come to realize that living the Christian life truly is impossible and quite beyond our capabilities!  That is, it is quite impossible without Christ and His indwelling Spirit operating through us!

One just has to look at the passage in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 to see just how short our fallen human life is.  We are told by Jesus many wonderful things here that we must be and do, and then He finishes with, "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!"  And this is pertaining to loving all, even "those whole spitefully use you."  WHAT!?  I can barely love those who love me, let alone someone who wants to maliciously do me wrong!

So today I'm musing on how capable this glorious life of within me is . . . if I just nourish my joined (to Him) spirit and live by the life of Christ in me!

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  Matt 5:20

Morning VA,

Jesus said the Pharisees were of their father the devil, and that they were like whitewashed tombs, full of dead man`s bones. (Matt. 23: 25 - 36) And Jesus told the people of Israel that they had to have more than outward `righteousness,` (the Pharisees) but had to obey God`s Law from the heart, the right motive. (Matt. 5: 21 - - 48)

So, how blessed are we that we don`t have to do any of that but just rest in Christ`s righteousness. 

`But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and RIGHTEOUSNESS and sanctification and redemption - that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." (1 Cor. 1: 30 & 31)

 

[Marathoner]

To follow what our sister wrote, I'll say that not only is it possible to walk with Christ and dwell with Him each and every day, but that's precisely what happens when we come to Him. 

We are in His hand. That's more than sufficient to make us stand, for He is able to make us stand. 

[Vine Abider]

"It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing."  (John 6:63) Living apart from His Spirit in us profits how much?

[Vine Abider]

Read a verse which summarizes the simplicity of our salvation: "According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us."  Titus 3:5-6  He washed us (by His shed blood), then He birthed us anew (regeneration), and now His indwelling Spirit is transforming us!  

[Sower]

22 hours ago, TheBlade said:

Be ye therefore perfect thus does not mean but with out sin but be full-grown, fully developed, mature and complicate in your love. 

Thanks Blade. When I discovered the definition of perfect in scripture my outlook was lifted/enthused again.
It's good to know we are fully equipped (complete)by God to work out our own salvation,
and enabled to complete our 'good works'.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—
not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence,
continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose"

[Mr. M]

1 hour ago, Sower said:

Thanks Blade. When I discovered the definition of perfect in scripture my outlook was lifted/enthused again.
It's good to know we are fully equipped (complete)by God to work out our own salvation,
and enabled to complete our 'good works'.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—
not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence,
continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose"

@TheBlade, @Vine Abider, et al...

Our perfection is not a solo project. The Saints are perfected together in Christ. The endless concerns people express over their own perfection is hardly applicable. Find your role in the Body, apply your gifts. No one will be condemned for their struggles with the flesh, but they can overcome them in Christ, not a self-help regimen.

Ephesians 4:

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.