Failure

Because We Are Righteous in Christ, Why Do We Still Struggle?

This morning, I thanked our Father that I am as righteous as He is because He made me that way in Christ. This is a result of our union with

Have You Ever Felt Burned Out On Christianity Like I Did?

For a long time, I was obsessed with these thoughts: Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t a Christian, because non-Christians seem so much happier than me. If this is all there

If this is all there is to being a Christian, it doesn't work.

Are You Allowing Your Failures to Define You?

Dean came to GLI full of hopelessness and despair. He had experienced failure, discouragement and pain. Even though Dean was a Christian, he considered ending it all. We shared with

You Can Stop Trying to Be Like Jesus

The cause of great guilt, gnawing shame and grandiose failure in the Christian life is often from trying to be like Jesus. It sounds spiritual and noble to pursue this. Yet, it is actually the curse of many Christ-followers. Some keep trying harder. Some give up. Others settle into the mentality that guilt and failure are the normal Christian life.

My good friend, Diane Bumgardner, tells her own story of how God reversed this curse in her well written testimony below.

By Diane Bumgardner

Good morning! Another beautiful, cold morning! I so love the sunshine!! Just makes me smile to look out and see the sun smiling back at me!

I was a Christian for many years before I “crashed n burned” and learned the meaning of the verse below! I tried for years to “imitate” Jesus. I prayed for and received the power of the Holy Spirit yet I continued to live out of my flesh trying really hard to be a GREAT Christian woman!! But I couldn’t do it!! Despite all my great efforts — I failed! Over and over! I failed! On my bedroom floor one morning, desperate for relief from guilt and shame for all my failures, I cried out to God: “I can’t take it anymore!!! I cannot live the Christian life and bring you honor! I just want to die!” God spoke so softly to my heart: “Finally! You are right where you need to be”! Then He spoke this verse into my heart: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh (in this body), I now live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” From that moment, nearly 30 years ago to this day, God has been teaching me how that works; this “Jesus living in me, thru me, as me” truth! I am and will ever be a work-in-progress! So are we all! BUT GOD!! Yes, but God is faithful!! He will “restore my soul…guide me in paths of righteousness”! It is His WORD of promise to us! Makes me wanna shout: “SHINE ON!!” On this new day filled with promise! Blessings to all of you!!

I hope Diane’s story encourages you today that you are not alone in this journey wherever you may find yourself in life. And that God’s answer is Christ in you!

Believe it! It’s the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

All Your Failures Are Erased through the Gift of Righteousness

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with regret, even for a moment, because of past failures? I have and it can take your emotions down to the bottom of the ocean where there is no light and no life. The great news is that though you may remember your failures, God doesn’t.

There is a fascinating Scripture in Romans 4:19-21 that gives us keen insight into this issue in the story of Abraham. You may remember that God promised good ole Abe that he was going to be the father of many nations, but for years nothing happened.

One day, he and Sarah hatched what seemed like a genius idea. They would help God fulfill His promise by using a custom of the day which allowed wives to give a female servant to their husband for the purpose of impregnating her. When the child was born, the wife would be there and the child would be considered hers. This was the ancient way of having a surrogate to provide a child to a husband and wife.

There was a problem though. This was not God’s plan! It was the plan according to the flesh of Abraham and Sarah. God actually wanted Abraham to trust Him to get Sarah pregnant through Abraham, though she was past child bearing age.

When you read that story in Genesis 12-25, there is no doubt that Abraham wavered in his faith in God’s promise. But, here is how God remembered it when the Holy Spirit wrote Romans 4:19-22 through Paul.

19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. NASB

Do you see it? Because God saw Abraham’s righteousness, He says that Abraham “did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.” And that is the good news of the Gospel! As one who is in Christ, you may occasionally visit the land of regret, but God wants you to “set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) In other words, let the Gospel guide your thoughts away from regret and into the confidence of your gift of righteousness in Christ before our Father! And as one who is 100% righteous before Him in your identity in Christ, your soul will be able to rest in the peace of God.

What are you going to do the next time Satan brings regret into your mind? Preach the Gospel to yourself remembering that because you are righteous, God sees you as one who has lived by faith, not by doubt.

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!

All Your Failures Are Erased through the Gift of Righteousness

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with regret, even for a moment, because of past failures? I have and it can take your emotions down to the bottom of the ocean where there is no light and no life. The great news is that though you may remember your failures, God doesn’t.

There is a fascinating Scripture in Romans 4:19-21 that gives us keen insight into this issue in the story of Abraham. You may remember that God promised good ole Abe that he was going to be the father of many nations, but for years nothing happened.

One day, he and Sarah hatched what seemed like a genius idea. They would help God fulfill His promise by using a custom of the day which allowed wives to give a female servant to their husband for the purpose of impregnating her. When the child was born, the wife would be there and the child would be considered hers. This was the ancient way of having a surrogate to provide a child to a husband and wife.

There was a problem though. This was not God’s plan! It was the plan according to the flesh of Abraham and Sarah. God actually wanted Abraham to trust Him to get Sarah pregnant through Abraham, though she was past child bearing age.

When you read that story in Genesis 12-25, there is no doubt that Abraham wavered in his faith in God’s promise. But, here is how God remembered it when the Holy Spirit wrote Romans 4:19-22 through Paul.

19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. NASB

Do you see it? Because God saw Abraham’s righteousness, He says that Abraham “did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.” And that is the good news of the Gospel! As one who is in Christ, you may occasionally visit the land of regret, but God wants you to “set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) In other words, let the Gospel guide your thoughts away from regret and into the confidence of your gift of righteousness in Christ before our Father! And as one who is 100% righteous before Him in your identity in Christ, your soul will be able to rest in the peace of God.

What are you going to do the next time Satan brings regret into your mind? Preach the Gospel to yourself remembering that because you are righteous, God sees you as one who has lived by faith, not by doubt.

Believe it! It’s the Gospel!

Charlotte