That Inadequate Feeling!

How often do you find yourself feeling there’s something wrong, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? Well, there is something wrong but there’s also something more right, because “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom 5:20). The purpose of sin is to bring us to God; the continued presence of sin is to keep us dependent on God. This is the same reason for Satan’s continued presence in this life.

The wrong inside us, which is the “old man” or sinful nature (Rom 7:17, 20, 21, 23, 25), cannot be present without us sensing and noticing its existence. We know it has been crucified (Rom 6:6) but its’ eradication will not occur until “the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23). Due to its presence, we at times sense the condemnation it possess and this produces “that inadequate feeling”, but we must also remember to keep a guilt-free conscience (Acts 24:16; 1Ti 1:5, 19; 1Ti 3:9; 2Ti 1:3; Hbr 10:2, 22; 1Pe 3:16, 21) in spite of it, so that our fellowship with the Father may be unhindered, esp. during our prayers of confession to Him (1Jo 1:9).

We are never adequate to address the sin issue, nor are we required to, because the pardon in our life from what Christ has procured when He said on the cross, “It is finished”, has been and will always be not only more than adequate but the sole element of resolution for all sin. Our part is “casting all your care on Him” (1 Pet 5:7) and trust that the Lord’s propitiation (Rom 3:25; 1Jo 2:2, 4:10) is always the only answer. This especially includes self-condemnation, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God” (1 John 3:20, 21).