Continued From Real Life, Part I
My experience described in Part I left me pondering one question: when had my soul suffered? The answer was an easy one: my soul has been pained during those times I stubbornly rebelled against God.
The most obvious example I can recall is when I struggled with debt (and the dishonesty with my husband it fueled). At some point I realized I was holding debt as an idol, but it was so hard to let it go. I had done such a great job of convincing myself how much I needed it, that there was a time I didn't even want to give it up. During those few weeks of willful disobedience, my soul was in anguish.
This makes sense because sin puts us at odds with a righteous God, and there is no peace for our souls when we live in conflict with our Creator (Psalm 32:3-4).
While painful, this is never a permanent predicament for the Christian. We may wrestle with our rebellious hearts, but our souls are irrevocably tethered to Christ. Though we still struggle, He is faithful to give us victory over sin as we repent and yield to His Spirit, restoring our souls and bringing us peace (Romans 7:18-25, 1 John 1:9)
However, those who attempt to treat or mitigate sin with mere morality and good deeds--or worse deny the existence of the problem altogether--there is no rest, and there is no peace (Isaiah 57:21). Sin is the great sickness of our souls, and left untreated, the implications are eternal (Matthew 7:21-23, Galatians 6:7-8). Denial of this truth is as perilous as ignoring a fatal disease, and we are as powerless to solve the problem as I was to rid myself of cancer (Romans 2:9-19, 1 John 1:8, Ephesians 2:8-9).
But there is a great Physician who provided the only remedy. It is a powerful prescription accomplished by His perfect obedience (Philippians 2:6-8, Romans 5:19), purchased by His blood (Hebrews 9:14), secured by His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-26), and sealed by His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). It is offered freely to all who come to Him in humble repentance (Romans 3:23-24).
There is a part of you, your real life, that will continue on when everything else passes away. Do you have eternal life in the Son, or will you contend with Him, and face His wrath in eternity (Romans 2:4-8)?
"Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." -1 John 5:10-12
