“For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Galatians 5

I could be discouraged by the raging of my flesh, or affirm its reality by daily celebration of the grace awareness of the struggle… the fight. To do so is not an indifferent nor complacent response, but rather a regard by realization of my need for more grace and the required, tangible help of the Holy Spirit to conquer remaining sin. We should never be content nor conquered. And I should always find it true that even on the best day of my greatest naivety that “there is no good thing that dwells in me, that is in my flesh, nor even the wishing of good…” How foolishly naive it is to think I might improve that which is marred by transgressions. I must see the old man crucified with Christ that the new man recreated in righteousness and holiness of truth might flourish to the celebration of a new life with new appetites.

I think of the Christian life as that old car commercial that advertised the “Push, Pull, or Drag Sale” that offers to make good on any trade-in you get to the car lot. God is determined by decree to complete His story of redemptive grace in my life regardless where I am today. We have a deal with the Almighty of His design and choosing.

God, who stretches back into eternity past, (bear with the oxymoron term), is in covenant with His elect, before the world was. I suspect He has what appears to us from the earthy perspective as contingency plans to get us to heaven in regal adornment as we experience grace perfected in Christ Jesus. In reality these apparent “contingency plans” are the 1st Grace Story revelation of His glory in His children as He has always intended to reveal.

I think I ought bow down and worship and praise and adore such a holy and wise and good Father who bought me with blood unblemished of infinite worth. Glory!