Sunday, June 04, 2006
an excerpt from my Pentecost sermon today
The mistake that some people make – and I have to confess that I have as well – is to think that we can somehow train our old nature to behave better. That idea is totally false. That’s what leads to legalism. That was the problem with the Pharisees. That is what has given piety a bad name in our day.
Dr. William Newell writes: “To hope to do better – is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.” When we want to say, “I hope to do better” – we have to recognize that we can’t. Only the Holy Spirit in us can accomplish this. If we try to be better by ourselves – we will fail.
Dr. Newell also writes – and I love this statement: “To be disappointed with yourself means – you believed in yourself.”
We have to stop believing in ourselves. Nothing good is going to come out of ourselves. That is why so many of the seminars and motivational speakers we see on TV lead people astray.
Dr. William Newell writes: “To hope to do better – is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.” When we want to say, “I hope to do better” – we have to recognize that we can’t. Only the Holy Spirit in us can accomplish this. If we try to be better by ourselves – we will fail.
Dr. Newell also writes – and I love this statement: “To be disappointed with yourself means – you believed in yourself.”
We have to stop believing in ourselves. Nothing good is going to come out of ourselves. That is why so many of the seminars and motivational speakers we see on TV lead people astray.
