I CAN'T, BUT HE CAN!
05th Mar 2014
When God presents himself to Moses, as recorded in Exodus 34:2, He announces who He is in terms Moses can understand -
Compassionate
Gracious
Slow to Anger
Abounding in love
Abounding in faithfulness
Maintaining love
Forgiving wickedness
Forgiving rebellion
Forgiving sin
These same characteristics are found in Jesus - King of Kings, and characterised by love, truth, faithfulness, forgiveness and graciousness. God as He lives in us by His Spirit wants His nature to be growing within us and displaying the same fruit and characteristics. Self-control and self-effort cannot grow this fruit, and striving will retard it. The fruit is the product of a union of your spirit with God’s Spirit, an unforced outcome. Intimacy is therefore vital in this process of “Christ being formed in you”, in order to display the supernatural nature of the One who lives in you.
I tried unsuccessfully for years to achieve self-control by self-discipline and self-effort. I couldn’t do it - until one day I felt God say, “Stop trying to be self-controlled, rather be constantly filled by my Spirit and self-control will be the result created by Me in you.” What a relief to let God grow the fruit and to stop trying.
This fruit is described in Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
I don’t have in my human nature any of these attributes of God, I can value them, admire them, but only God can create them by His presence within me. Therefore, my clinging to Him, allowing Him to live His life through me, will produce the fruit and reflect who His is.
I can’t, but He can!
by Joyce Sibthorpe
