The Chase Chapter Eight: Obedience, not victory

I decided, for my one page write-up that I'm going to put the url to this blog, either that or just print out my blogs, but anyway, I changed my template ( yes I can go off topic) isn't it snazzy?

On to the book;

After I read chapter seven, well got tired, stop reading it part way through, put a TBC in my blogs, and decided to pick the book up again with only 6 days till XLR:8, that all the chapters after 7 were really, really short, I mean the longest one afterwards was what, 7 pages long (thats counting the front and back as seperate).

Chapter Eight isn't really two pages long. But it still brings up some good points.

Like I stated about Chapter 7, we are given the power to beat sin in our lives, it can't control us any longer b/c of what Christ did, and the holy spirit has been sent to help us continue to fend it from ever taken domain back in here.

But as the book says in Chapter eight in the first sentence;

'Now we get to the fun part- our responsibility'

What? You mean I have to do something? I can't be lazy for this holiness thing to work? Your kidding right?

Pfft, this book doesn't know me, I was ready to start acting upon this 7 chapters ago, where was the book telling me to get off my butt and do something then?

Anyway,

Now that I sorta mocked the book, I have to pull out some of the responsibilities we are called to do now that sin doesn't control us, and the holy spirit is on our side.

We have to "Kill off everything connected to that way of death", other words we need to get rid of those things that keep allowing us to be tripped up.

I like the part in the hebrews verse where it says 'Strip down, start running- and never quit'. I can picture that, the things in my life that our holding me back, and making me go slower in the race, I need to 'strip' so I can get to that finish line, instead of tiring out and quiting the race.

I was in the boy scouts growing up, I hated it, really, I was forced into it, and the people there were jerks, I can forgive them, but I did pick up a few lessons from them. "Do your best" was the motto, and it applies to our effort in the chase of holiness as well.

I've realized that holiness isn't just going to come after I read a passage or two, and pray for it. It takes a life time to master, and then some, and we have to put the effort in if we want to make any progress.

The book says we also have to fess up to our own actions we make, and decisions ( even the bad ones) we choose to take. We have to accept that responsibilty of admitting we are wrong, and we need to get back on the chase for holiness, and not get side tracked by all the spectators on the side watching us...

*Sees Icecream Truck during race* I'm CHASING AFTER HOLINESS NOT ICE COLD ICECREAM, with it's smooth texture, and it's delicious taste, and its flavour that mealts in your mouth, and...

-Brent