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Kidney Stones and Indwelling Sin
by Steve McVey
 
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I spent the past month battling with a kidney stone – ever had one? A man should never wish one on his worst enemy. Some women have told me that it is similar to having a baby. I’ve told them that can’t be true or no woman would ever have more than one child.


After a month, I finally had to have surgery two weeks ago. Thankfully, the kidney stone is gone. I prayed for God to “roll away the stone,” and He did – He just did it through a doctor.


For a month I kept talking to my family about “what is wrong with me.” However, in reality, there was nothing wrong with me. Instead, something was wrong in me. I had a stone in my kidney, but I, myself, wasn’t a stone. It was in me, but not me. The stone didn’t define who I am.


That’s how it is with the power of indwelling sin. In Romans 7:23, the Apostle Paul says that the sin is in my body. At salvation, we received a new spirit. Our soul is being renewed. But we still live in the same old body we’ve always had. And in that body is the residual effect of sin.


One day we will be given a glorified body, but until then we have the power of sin within us. Paul said that “evil is present in me” (7:21). He didn’t say that he was evil. The fact that indwelling sin still is present in our bodies doesn’t give us the identity of a sinner.


You are a saint who sometimes sins. You have a new identity now. You should no sooner call yourself a sinner because the power of indwelling sin is in your body than I would call myself “Rocky” because a kidney stone was in mine. Of course we don’t live sinless lives, but it isn’t our behavior that gives us our identity. Birth does that.


You have been born into the family of God through Jesus Christ. Now you possess His very nature. (See 2 Peter 1:3-4) Don’t define yourself by sin. The essence of who you are is grounded in the union you have with Jesus Christ. You are a Christian. There may be something wrong in you and it may manifest some ugly symptoms at times. But there is nothing wrong with you.


I’ve been told that one way to avoid kidney stones is to drink plenty of water. Jesus is the River of Living Water that flows from within us. (See John 7:38) Drink deeply of His life everyday. He alone will keep us from becoming stuck down by debilitating sin.



Steve McVey is the President of Grace Walk Ministries, a discipleship ministry located in Atlanta, GA. If you have been sent this devotional by a friend and want to know more about Grace Walk Ministries, visit our web site at www.gracewalk.org.


This devotional may be duplicated if printed with no changes in its entirety and with the following acknowledgment: “Copyright, 2003,used by permission. Steve McVey, Grace Walk Ministries, www.gracewalk.org ”

Note:  I have had many kidney stones in my life A4C ;D
 
 

Wow! That's a great story. I've had my share of kidney stones, too.   :)

The Pain :'(

yeah :'(

i know

WHY GOD'S CHILDREN SUFFER

Contrary to common belief, the Bible does not teach that
all men are the children of God. Our Lord said to the re-
ligious leaders of His day: "Ye are of your father the devil"
(John 8:44), but to the Christian believers at Galatia
St. Paul wrote: "Ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26).

As the children of Adam, it is not strange that we should
have to bear suffering; for sorrow, sickness and death en-
tered the world through sin (Rom. 5:12). But some people
wonder why God's children, whose greatest desire is to
please Him, should have to suffer along with others.

There are several reasons for this. In the case of Job, God
allowed His servant to suffer to prove to Satan that Job did
not live a godly life for personal gain—and Job was richly
rewarded later for all he had borne.

Further, God's people could not be of much spiritual help
to others if they were exempt from the sufferings which
others have to bear. In such a case the unsaved would say:

"Yes, you can talk! You don't know what it is to suffer dis-
appointments, sickness and pain, as we do."

Then too, it must be remembered that even the most
godly saint is not perfect and must at times be disciplined,
"for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom He receiveth" (Heb. 12:6). This is done for
our good, to keep us from sin and its consequences.

Finally, suffering and adversity tend to make God's chil-
dren pray more and lean harder on Him, and herein lies
their spiritual strength and blessing. St. Paul said: "I take
pleasure in infirmities.. .for when I am weak, then am I
strong" (II Cor. 12:10).

But there is a great twofold advantage which the suf-
fering Christian has over others. First, his sufferings are
only temporary and, second, they earn eternal glory for
him.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:17).

Brother Love :)

Hey Brother I Love You Bro, GRRRRRRRRRREAT message  ;D

This is so sweet, so helpful. Thank you.

I have seen many people approach death and have seen some die.

Some, who knew Christ as their Savior, were ready, even
eager, to go to be with Him. Some passed from this scene
with songs or words of praise on their lips. Others, who had
failed to prepare, died in mortal fear, not merely of death,
but of what lies beyond.

These things do not always run true to form, however, for
I have also seen the most hardened unbelievers go out of
this life joking and seemingly unafraid, while, on the other
hand, I have seen sincere Christians cringe with fear at the
approach of death. These human reactions did not change
the fact that the unbelievers had reason to be afraid, while
the believers need not have feared.

The Word of God tells us that "it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27,28). It is
the "after this" that makes men so afraid to die. They fear
the truth of Rom. 14:12, that "every one of us shall give ac-
count of Himself to God."

But wait: we did not quote all of Heb. 9:27,28. The full
passage reads as follows:

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time apart from sin, unto salvation."

This can mean only one thing: that Christ died for us and
bore the judgment for our sins, the "second death."

This is why Heb. 2:9-15 declares that "by the grace of
God" Christ "tasted death for every man.. .that through
[His] death He might...deliver them who through fear of
death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Author C.R. Stam

Thanks Brother, I needed that.

Brother Love :)

That's very nice! A good reminder.

I hate sin.  I hate kidney stones.  BLEAHHHHH!

 :)

Brother Love :)

I even hate them more Bro  ;D

Now that is good.

The Crusader