Evidences of Grace for 2009: How Are We Doing?

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:14-25 ESV)

We're now at mid-February, and I'm wondering how many of us are doing with our various New Year's resolutions? I can tell you that for me, I'm not doing so well. How about you?

It was my hope to grow in greater sanctification in the following areas, so that I could say that I was seeing great evidences of God's sovereign work in my daily living with others, with my family, my wife, and my kids.

I wanted to -

*take greater glory in my Redeemer who crushed the power of sin and death, and whose faithfulness is my standing place.

*be more thankful, more conscientious that my Savior’s sacrifice paid for all my sin and that the wrath of God, once meant for me, was all spent on Him.

*be more thankful that because my sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; and that God, the Just, is satisfied because He looked on Him (not me) and pardon me.

*be daily mindful that I am a debtor to mercy alone, and that by His amazing grace, I now bear His righteous name (and because of that would start living like it!).

But, despite these desires and proclamations of the work of Christ in my life as one of His children, how many days go by with little to no acknowledgment on my part of the above in that 24-hour period. How often have I found by the end of the day that I've gone the entire day with no recognition of my utter dependence on Christ, the work of Calvary, and His redemptive work on my behalf?!

How are you doing with yours?