You Cannot Circumcise Your Own Heart
Please Do Not Even Try!
Deuteronomy 10:16 - “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”
Deuteronomy 30:6 - “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Notice the profound paradox: We are commanded to circumcise our hearts, yet only GOD can do it.
This is the essence of the Christian struggle. We are called to do what only God can do. We are commanded to perform heart surgery on ourselves - an absolute impossibility.
A heart surgeon cannot operate on his own heart. He would die on the operating table. He needs another surgeon, one outside himself, one qualified, skilled, and able to save his life.
We are the patient, not the physician.
We need the operation, but cannot perform it.
We diagnose the disease but cannot cure it.
This is not cruelty. This is GRACE - because the impossibility of the command drives us to the only One who CAN do it: Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.
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WHY CHRISTIANS STRUGGLE TO DENY SELF AND SURRENDER FULLY
The Battle Is Real and Internal
Romans 7:15-19 - “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”
This is the Apostle Paul - the greatest missionary, theologian, and church planter who ever lived - and he says:
- “I don’t understand my own actions”
- “I do what I hate”
- “I want to do right but CAN’T”
- “I keep doing evil I don’t want to do”
If Paul struggled, you will struggle.
The struggle is not a sign of failure. The struggle is evidence that:
You are truly born again (the old nature wars against the new)
You are becoming aware of SELF and SIN
You are being prepared to receive greater grace
The Flesh Cannot Be Fixed
Romans 8:7-8 - “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
The flesh:
- IS hostile to God (present continuous reality)
- DOES NOT submit to God’s law (active resistance)
- CANNOT submit (absolute impossibility)
- CANNOT please God (total incapacity)
This is not “the flesh struggles to obey.” This is “the flesh CANNOT obey.” Ever. Under any circumstances.
Jeremiah 13:23 - “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.”
The answer is: NO. The flesh cannot be reformed, improved, trained, disciplined, or sanctified. It must DIE.
Galatians 5:24 - “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Not “improved the flesh.” Not “controlled the flesh.” CRUCIFIED it.
Why Letting Go Is So Hard
1. The Flesh Demands Control
The essence of SELF is autonomy - “I am in control. I decide. I determine my destiny.”
To surrender is to admit:
- “I am not in control”
- “I cannot save myself”
- “I am completely dependent”
- “I must trust Someone else entirely”
This is death to SELF. And SELF does not go quietly.
2. We Trust What We Can See
2 Corinthians 5:7 - “For we walk by faith, not by sight”
The flesh says: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Faith says: “I’ll see it when I believe it.”
The flesh demands:
- Tangible evidence
- Visible results
- Measurable progress
- Concrete proof
Faith requires:
- Trusting the unseen
- Believing God’s Word over circumstances
- Resting in promises not yet fulfilled
- Surrendering control completely
This is terrifying to the flesh.
3. The World System Reinforces SELF
1 John 2:15-17 - “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
The world’s trinity:
- Desires of the flesh - “Feel good NOW”
- Desires of the eyes - “Get what you see”
- Pride of life - “Make yourself great”
Everything in this world system tells you:
- You are in control
- You determine your worth
- You earn your place
- You achieve your identity
- You deserve recognition
To surrender to Christ means rejecting all of this. It means stepping out of the world system entirely.
No wonder the struggle is intense.
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WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT OUR STRUGGLE WITH GRACE
Grace Is Offensive to the Natural Mind
1 Corinthians 1:18 - “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:23 - “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles”
Why is grace offensive?
1. Grace Destroys Human Pride
1 Corinthians 1:29 - “So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
Ephesians 2:9 - “Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Grace says: “You contributed NOTHING to your salvation.”
- Not your works
- Not your decision
- Not your righteousness
- Not your effort
SELF screams: “But what about ME? What about MY part?”
Grace replies: “Your part was being dead in sin. Christ’s part was making you alive.”
2. Grace Eliminates Human Merit
Romans 11:6 - “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”
Grace says: “Salvation cannot be earned, achieved, or deserved.”
The flesh responds: “Then what’s the point of trying? Why be good?”
This reveals the heart problem: If you’re only good to earn something, you’re not actually good - you’re transactional, mercenary, and still operating in SELF.
3. Grace Makes God the Hero (Not You)
Ephesians 1:6 - “To the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
Ephesians 1:12 - “So that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”
Ephesians 1:14 - “To the praise of his glory.”
All glory goes to GOD. None to you.
SELF hates this. SELF wants applause, recognition, credit.
Grace says: “It’s not about you. It’s all about Him.”
The Flesh Cannot Comprehend Spiritual Things
1 Corinthians 2:14 - “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
The natural mind (flesh) CANNOT:
- Accept spiritual things
- Understand them
- Discern them
Why?
John 3:6 - “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Flesh produces flesh. Spirit produces spirit. They are two different realms, two different operating systems, two different kinds of life.
You cannot understand spiritual realities with a fleshly mind any more than a blind man can understand color or a deaf man can understand symphony.
This is why grace seems:
- Illogical (“How can faith alone save?”)
- Dangerous (“Won’t people abuse it?”)
- Insufficient (“There must be more I need to do”)
- Offensive (“So my works mean nothing?”)
Yes. That’s exactly right. Your works mean nothing FOR SALVATION.
Isaiah 64:6 - “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
Why the Word of God Offends the Flesh
Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The Word of God:
- Cuts deep
- Exposes SELF
- Reveals motives
- Judges thoughts
- Divides truth from lies
The flesh HATES being exposed.
John 3:19-20 - “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”
The Word is LIGHT. The flesh prefers DARKNESS.
Why?
Because in the light, you see:
- Your sin
- Your selfishness
- Your pride
- Your rebellion
- Your total depravity
- Your utter helplessness
This is unbearable to SELF.
SELF wants to believe:
- “I’m basically good”
- “I’m trying my best”
- “I deserve credit”
- “God is lucky to have me”
The Word says:
- “You are dead in sin”
- “Your best is filthy rags”
- “You deserve hell”
- “God saved you by pure mercy”
No wonder people reject it.
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HOW TO LET GO: PRACTICING FAITH IN GRACE
Letting Go Is Not Self-Generated
Philippians 2:13 - “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Even the desire to let go is God’s work in you. Even the ability to surrender is His gift.
You cannot manufacture surrender from SELF.
That would be like trying to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - physically impossible.
Practical Steps That Aren’t Really “Steps”
These aren’t techniques to master or disciplines to achieve. They are postures of dependence, ways of positioning yourself to receive what only God can give.
1. Saturate Yourself in the Word
John 15:3 - “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”
John 17:17 - “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
Ephesians 5:26 - “That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word”
The Word does the washing. Not your effort to apply the Word. The Word itself.
Practically:
- Read Scripture daily (not as a duty, but as desperate need)
- Meditate on it (chew on it, let it soak in)
- Memorize it (hide it in your heart)
- Pray it back to God
- Listen to it (audio Bible while driving, working, etc.)
As you soak in the Word, it washes you. You become aware of SELF. This awareness is painful but necessary - it’s the diagnosis before the cure.
2. Cry Out in Your Weakness
Romans 7:24-25a - “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Paul’s progression:
Awareness of struggle → “I can’t do what I want”
Desperation → “Wretched man that I am!”
Cry for help → “Who will deliver me?”
Answer → “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ!”
Stop trying to fix yourself. Start crying out.
Practically:
- When you fail, don’t spiral into self-condemnation
- Don’t make promises to do better
- Don’t create your own self-improvement plan
- Instead: “God, I can’t. You must. Please.”
Psalm 34:18 - “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 51:17 - “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
God doesn’t want your strength. He wants your brokenness.
3. Fix Your Eyes on Jesus, Not on Your Performance
Hebrews 12:2 - “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith”
Don’t look at:
- How well you’re doing
- How much you’ve grown
- How holy you’re becoming
- How much faith you have
Look at:
- How sufficient Jesus is
- How complete His work is
- How perfect His righteousness is
- How infinite His grace is
Practically:
- In temptation: “Jesus, be my strength”
- In failure: “Jesus, be my righteousness”
- In doubt: “Jesus, be my faith”
- In weakness: “Jesus, be my sufficiency”
2 Corinthians 12:9 - “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
4. Practice Dying Daily
Luke 9:23 - “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”
1 Corinthians 15:31 - “I die every day!”
Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Daily death to SELF means:
- “Not my will, but Yours”
- “Not my glory, but Yours”
- “Not my plans, but Yours”
- “Not my comfort, but Your purpose”
Practically:
Throughout the day:
- “Lord, I choose You over my comfort”
- “Lord, I choose obedience over my preference”
- “Lord, I choose Your glory over my reputation”
- “Lord, I surrender this situation to You”
This is not one-time. It’s DAILY. Moment by moment.
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THE UNSEEN WORLD AND SPIRITUAL FOOD
What Is the Unseen World?
2 Corinthians 4:18 - “As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
The SEEN world:
- Physical realm
- Temporary
- Passing away
- Governed by natural laws
- Subject to decay and death
The UNSEEN world:
- Spiritual realm
- Eternal
- Permanent
- Governed by God’s Word
- Immune to decay
Hebrews 11:1 - “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:3 - “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
The unseen realm is MORE REAL than the seen realm. The seen was made from the unseen. The temporal proceeds from the eternal.
2 Corinthians 5:7 - “For we walk by faith, not by sight”
Walking by sight = living according to the seen, temporary world
Walking by faith = living according to the unseen, eternal world
The Christian life is learning to live in the unseen while physically present in the seen.
What Is Spiritual Food?
John 4:31-34 - “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.’”
Jesus’ food = doing the Father’s will.
Not physical bread. Not even literal sustenance. Obedience to the Father.
Matthew 4:4 - “But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”’
Spiritual food = God’s Word, God’s will, God’s presence
John 6:35 - “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”
John 6:51 - “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Jesus Himself is our spiritual food.
How do we eat Him?
John 6:53-58 - “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.’”
John 6:63 - “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
We eat Jesus by:
- Believing His Word (taking it in, receiving it)
- Abiding in Him (union, communion, fellowship)
- Trusting His finished work (His body broken, blood shed)
- Depending on Him alone (daily, moment by moment)
This is the food that never runs out, never spoils, always satisfies.
Revelation 2:17 - “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna”
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“REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE” - The Warning
The Story
Genesis 19:15-17 - “As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, ‘Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.’”
Genesis 19:26 - “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”
Clear command: “Do not look back”
She looked back. She died.
Jesus’ Warning
Luke 17:28-33 - “Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
Jesus says: “Remember Lot’s wife” in the context of His second coming and the rapture of the Church.
What Does It Mean?
1. Don’t Look Back at the World System
Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom - the city of sin, comfort, wealth, security (as she knew it).
She was being rescued from destruction, yet she longed for what she was leaving.
Application for us:
When Jesus comes for His Bride, when He calls us out of Babylon (the world system), don’t look back with longing.
Don’t say:
- “But I had a good life there”
- “I had security, comfort, possessions”
- “I had identity, status, recognition”
- “What about my career, my house, my plans?”
Philippians 3:7-8 - “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”
2. Don’t Be Divided in Heart
Lot’s wife had one foot out of Sodom, one foot still in it.
She was saved physically but not emotionally/spiritually. Her treasure was still there.
Matthew 6:21 - “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
James 4:4 - “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Application for us:
You cannot love God and love the world.
You cannot treasure heaven and treasure earth.
You cannot follow Jesus and cling to SELF.
Choose. Daily. Moment by moment.
3. Don’t Preserve Your Life (SELF)
Luke 17:33 - “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
Lot’s wife tried to preserve her old life - her comfort, her identity, her security in Sodom.
She lost everything.
The paradox of the Christian life:
- To find life, you must lose it
- To gain all, you must release all
- To be filled, you must be emptied
- To live, you must die
Matthew 16:24-25 - “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’”
APPLICATION FOR TODAY:
As we approach the return of Christ (and we are CLOSE), the warning is urgent:
- Don’t be attached to this world
- Don’t treasure earthly things above heavenly
- Don’t preserve your comfort, reputation, security
- Don’t look back with longing at the system He’s calling you out of
Let go. Look forward. Run toward Jesus.
SEATED AT JESUS’ FEET: The One Thing Needed
Mary and Martha
Luke 10:38-42 - “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”
Martha = Activity, service, worry, distraction, DOING
Mary = Rest, listening, worship, focus, BEING
Jesus says:
- One thing is necessary (not many things)
- Mary chose the good portion (not Martha’s busyness)
- It will not be taken away (eternal value)
What Does It Mean to Sit at His Feet?
1. Posture of Humility
Sitting at someone’s feet = Position of a student, learner, servant
You are not the master. You are the disciple.
2. Posture of Rest
Sitting = Ceasing from your own activity to receive from Him
You are not working to earn. You are resting to receive.
3. Posture of Attention
At His feet = Close, focused, undistracted
You are not multitasking. You are single-mindedly devoted.
4. Posture of Listening
“Listened to his teaching” = Receiving His Word
You are not talking. You are listening.
Why This Portion Will Not Be Taken Away
Everything else in this world is temporary:
- Your career will end
- Your possessions will rust
- Your achievements will be forgotten
- Your body will decay
- Your reputation will fade
But time spent with Jesus:
- Builds eternal treasure
- Produces lasting fruit
- Transforms you into His image
- Feeds your soul with imperishable food
- Cannot be stolen, lost, or destroyed
Matthew 6:19-21 - “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The reward Jesus promised: Eternal intimacy with Him. This can never be taken away.
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THE DIVINE SURGERY: What Only Jesus Can Do
The Diagnosis Through the Word
As you soak in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit performs diagnostic work:
Stage 1: Awareness of SELF
- You see your selfishness
- You recognize your pride
- You become conscious of your sin patterns
- You realize your total depravity
This is painful. But necessary.
Psalm 139:23-24 - “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Stage 2: Attempted Self-Surgery
- You try to fix yourself
- You make resolutions
- You create self-improvement plans
- You work harder to be holy
This always fails. But it’s part of the process.
Romans 7:18-19 - “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”
Stage 3: Desperation and Cry for Help
- You realize you CANNOT save yourself
- You recognize your complete helplessness
- You cry out: “God, save me! I can’t!”
- You stop trying and start trusting
Romans 7:24 - “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
This is where grace meets you.
The Surgery Only Christ Performs
Colossians 2:11-12 - “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
“Circumcision made without hands” = God’s work, not yours
What Christ does in this divine surgery:
1. Cuts Away the Old Nature
- Removes the foreskin of the heart (hardness, rebellion)
- Puts to death the old man (SELF)
- Crucifies the flesh
Romans 6:6 - “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
2. Washes You Clean
- By His blood (justification)
- By His Word (sanctification)
- By His Spirit (regeneration)
Titus 3:5 - “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”
3. Gives You a New Heart
- Soft toward God
- Responsive to His Spirit
- Capable of loving Him
Ezekiel 36:26 - “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
4. Places His Spirit Within You
- To empower obedience
- To produce fruit
- To transform from within
Ezekiel 36:27 - “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
5. Declares You Righteous
- Not because you are
- But because Christ is
- And you are IN Him
2 Corinthians 5:21 - “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Your Role in the Surgery
You don’t perform it. You receive it.
Your role:
Acknowledge you need it - “I am sick, I need healing”
Trust the Surgeon - “I believe You can do this”
Submit to the process - “Not my will, but Yours”
Rest in His work - “You do it, I cannot”
Philippians 1:6 - “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Not “you will complete it.” HE will complete it.
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THE WEAKER YOU ARE, THE GREATER THE GRACE
The Upside-Down Kingdom
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
The world says: “Get stronger. Build yourself up. Be powerful.”
God says: “Be weak. Let Me be strong through you.”
The progression:
You try in your own strength → You fail
You recognize your weakness → You cry out
You depend on His strength → He works
His power flows through your weakness → Grace super abounds
Isaiah 40:29-31 - “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
God gives power to THE FAINT.
He increases strength to THOSE WHO HAVE NO MIGHT.
Not to the strong. To the weak.
Failure Brings Awareness of His Goodness
Every time you fail, you have a choice:
Option 1: Spiral into Self-Condemnation
- “I’m such a failure”
- “I’ll never change”
- “God must be so disappointed”
- “I should just give up”
This is still SELF-focused. Still about YOU.
Option 2: Run to Grace
- “I failed again. I need Jesus.”
- “His grace is greater than my sin.”
- “His righteousness covers my failure.”
- “Thank You that Your love doesn’t depend on my performance.”
This is Christ-focused. About HIM.
Romans 5:20 - “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”
Your failure doesn’t disqualify you from grace. Your failure is the very context where grace shines brightest.
The darker the background, the brighter the diamond.
The deeper the pit, the higher the rescue.
The worse the sinner, the greater the Savior.
His Faithfulness in Your Failure
2 Timothy 2:13 - “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”
When you fail: HE REMAINS FAITHFUL.
When you fall: HE REMAINS FAITHFUL.
When you sin: HE REMAINS FAITHFUL.
Why?
“For he cannot deny himself” - His faithfulness is not based on your performance. It’s based on His character. And His character never changes.
Hebrews 13:8 - “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Numbers 23:19 - “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
Your failure reveals His faithfulness.
Your weakness displays His strength.
Your sin showcases His grace.
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TRANSFORMATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT
The Work Is Internal, Not External
Romans 12:2 - “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Transformation = metamorphoo (where we get “metamorphosis”)
Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly - complete internal reorganization.
This is not:
- Behavior modification
- External conformity
- Religious performance
- Self-improvement
This is:
- Internal transformation by the Holy Spirit
- Renewal of mind through the Word
- Death of old nature, birth of new
- Christ being formed in you
Galatians 4:19 - “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!”
The Agent of Change Is Love
2 Corinthians 5:14 - “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died”
What changes you?
- Not fear of punishment
- Not desire for reward
- Not religious duty
- Not peer pressure
THE LOVE OF CHRIST
When you truly grasp how much He loves you - that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you - everything changes.
You stop trying to earn His love and start responding to His love.
You stop performing for acceptance and start living from acceptance.
You stop working for righteousness and start resting in His righteousness.
1 John 4:19 - “We love because he first loved us.”
His love came first. Our love is response.
Romans 2:4 - “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
Not His wrath. His KINDNESS.
The Evidence of Transformation
Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Notice: Fruit (singular), not “fruits” (plural)
This is one fruit with nine manifestations - the character of Jesus being reproduced in you.
You don’t produce this fruit. The Spirit produces it through you as you abide in Christ.
John 15:5 - “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
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CONCLUSION: THE STRUGGLE IS THE PATH
Dear struggling believer,
Your struggle is not a sign of failure. It’s evidence of life.
Dead people don’t struggle. Corpses don’t fight temptation. Those still in Adam coast along in the flesh without internal conflict.
But you? You’re at war. And that war is proof:
- You’ve been born again
- The Spirit dwells in you
- The old nature is dying
- The new nature is growing
Romans 8:13 - “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Notice: “By the Spirit” - not by your own willpower
You cannot circumcise your own heart. But Christ can and will.
You cannot perform heart surgery on yourself. But the Great Physician can and will.
You cannot transform yourself from the inside out. But the Holy Spirit can and will.
Your role: Stop trying. Start trusting.
- Stop working for salvation. Start resting in His finished work.
- Stop performing for acceptance. Start receiving His acceptance.
- Stop trying to be strong. Start embracing your weakness so His strength flows.
Remember:
- The weaker you are, the greater the grace
- The more you fail, the brighter His faithfulness shines
- The darker the pit, the higher the rescue
- Where sin abounds, grace SUPER abounds
Cry out to Him:
- “Lord, I can’t. But You can.”
- “I am weak. Be my strength.”
- “I fail constantly. Be my righteousness.”
- “Circumcise my heart. I cannot do it.”
- “Wash me clean. Transform me from within.”
- “Make it stop! Save me from myself!”
And He will.
Philippians 1:6 - “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
THE Grace Awakening Study Guide
Who is Craig Rogers and KINGDOM Empowered?
About the Author:
Craig Rogers
KINGDOM Empowered CEO and CoFounder
Professional Experience: CEO | KINGDOM Empowered (2020 -...
Professional Experience: CEO | KINGDOM Empowered (2020 - Present) In his role as co-CEO, Craig’s daily mission is to surrender his...
