He Has You

We need to train up people on how to overcome. All of us struggle. All of us have something that is impossible to get past – seemingly impossible. Whenever you use the word “impossible” in any area of your life, you need to prefix it with the word “seemingly.” It may seem impossible, but with God, it’s possible.

You are not impossible to change because nothing is impossible for God. Jesus taught, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NKJV).

It seemed impossible to men that a lame man, born unable to walk, as a grown man could be touched once and arise and walk. It seemed impossible to men to look at a storm, to then rebuke it and say, “be calm,” and it would be calm. It seemed impossible to men that someone who had died could be raised back to life, but it happened.

If God could raise Jesus from the dead, imagine what He can do for you. “…just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4 NKJV).

The things that we have in our own lives that are seemingly impossible are things like our inability to control our sin. It might be an addiction or an attitude. It might be anger, selfishness, or a host of other things. One of the greatest errors in the mind of a Christian is how much they justify their own sin.

The more effort it takes to justify yourself, the less likely it is that you were ever justified. Jesus taught, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15 NKJV).

You can go down the list of the ten commandments and find your sin issues. These commandments are like a summary of sin. God didn’t have to give us twenty commandments because ten was enough. From these ten are found the roots of all sin.  

Stop confessing the sins of others, and just confess your own. “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:3 NKJV).

We don’t want to be overcome by lying, stealing, greed, and hate. We want to overcome them. To overcome sin, we can’t just tell people to tough it out or just be strong. That may have worked for you, but the next person who is not as tough, as strong, as self-disciplined will fail and then think themselves unable.

Don’t live in regret for your failures, but in awe of all God would yet do through you. “Yes, God is working in you to help you want to do what pleases him. Then he gives you the power to do it” (Philippians 2:13 ICB).

The problem is we teach them a way that won’t work for them. There’s no one way that works for everybody. God made us all different, and there are going to be different ways that God will be able to change us. And that is the key right there; it’s not that we can change ourselves, but that God is going to change us.

You can overcome sin when the Holy Spirit overcomes you. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27 NKJV).

The problem we all have is not that we cannot overcome sin, but we don’t let Him help us. Let God have His way with you. Let God change you. Let Him show you the way. Maybe you will have to tough some things out. Stop thinking it’s going to be easy. Life is not easy.

God has worked salvation into you, but it is up to you to work it out. “…work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12 AMP).

Maybe He is going to have to hurt you. Maybe He will just keep calling out your name. He doesn’t want you to run away from Him in shame because of your sin, but to run to Him to help you overcome it. Jesus never turned sinners away but asked sinners to turn from their sin. Jesus said, “come to Me.”

The struggle we are in often reveals what we have yet to surrender. Jesus taught us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NKJV).

Then Jesus said you can get rest with Him. It’s not that you have to work hard. That was the message of the Pharisees. Jesus said to yoke ourselves with Him, that in union with Him He will help us to live our lives as we should.

Programs fail because they try to fix the flesh instead of killing it. “I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20 AMPC).

Blessings to you,

Paul Balius