WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE?
23rd Mar 2022
When Charles ministered to the believers in Eastern Germany he would pose this question. The country was under a harsh Communist regime, the wall had yet to fall, and there were severe restrictions as to how and where you could meet. The word ‘struggle’ could describe every aspect of life.
In the west the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully and many of us were being delivered from our own self effort and finding great joy in experiencing the Holy Spirit’s power working in our lives and through us as we exercised faith.
An illustration Charles used to contrast self effort with the Holy Spirit’s power was to paint a picture of owning a “Trabant”, about the only available car, which you had to wait 14 years to acquire. Everyone knew they were so awful it seemed it would be better to cut a hole in the floor and use foot power rather than the pathetic engine. Yet folk were happy to get one!
Contrast that to owning a car from West Germany, for example a brand new BMW, sitting behind the wheel and experiencing the great power from the very strong engine. This always produced great laughter and amusement, but it was a powerful illustration. Do we choose to live with our own self effort, when the power of the Holy Spirit is freely available to every believer? The foolishness of that kind of lifestyle was very clear and obvious.
I am reading through Paul’s letter to the church in Rome; chapters 7 and 8 contrast the futility and failure of self effort, trying to lead a life of victory by human effort, compared to a life lived by relying on the Holy Spirit’s power and ability, as we trust Him to do in us what we cannot do by ourselves.
No human being can keep the law of Moses, except the beloved Son of God, our Saviour, who was without sin and kept all the commands and conditions in full, doing what we could not do, so that our righteousness is gifted to us. Philippians 3:9 says, “…not having a righteous of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.”
So the question is, would you rather have a Trabant or a BMW? Self effort or Holy Spirit power? Make sure you are choosing to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power not self effort or legalistic righteousness. Rather, because of your gratitude for what Jesus has done for you, find out what pleases Him and seek to be one who loves through obedience.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
