Steps of Reconciliation...

The first step in seeking out God is to accept the fact that He is real. That’s a no-brainer to anyone that has a brain and can think. Creation must have a creator. The second step is to understand that the flesh and the spirit are in constant conflict with each other. There is a war that rages inside of you. The flesh wants nothing more than to seek pleasure. The spirit wants to seek God, regardless of the circumstances. When we realize this is an unending battle, and we are hopeless in ending this battle by ourselves, only then can we seek God with all of our hearts. God’s law shows us His character. He is far higher than us, Holy and Perfect. It also shows us our rebellious nature, for no matter how hard we try, we can’t keep the law. When the law serves it’s purpose in showing us we are law-breakers and deserved of death, then and only then does the cross make sense. We are in need of someone to come and rescue us. The ones that respond by receiving God’s spirit to help, receive the weapons and strength to battle the flesh. The ones that deny their dilemma of being a condemned sinner, continue to love the world and live to gain friendship with it, all the while never realizing they are an enemy of God. Being His enemy means you can never please Him. So what does all of this mean? In order to be righteous, as God requires, you have to be right with God. The only way to be right with God is to be granted the righteousness of God, and that is imputed to us through faith in Christ. Only His righteousness is acceptable to God. And that is only possible if we admit our hopeless situation of rebellion and seek out the only remedy that can set us free. It all begins with being honest with ourselves (humility), accepting God is real, and seeking out forgiveness from the only One Who is able to forgive sin (Jesus). Are you being honest with yourself?

1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong–you want only what will give you pleasure.4 You adulterers![V] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?[W] 6 But He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proudbut favors the humble.”[X] 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor. James 4:1-10