At the heart of the spiritual life of mortals this side of the river is the terrifying paradox that true spiritual power exists within the context of horrifying fleshly corruption. The only way to avoid the cognitive dissonance of this reality is to embrace a shallow spiritual life that can co-exist with a sin-cursed existence. But those who dare to look to God in all things will see corruption and death all around them and within them, surrounding the realities of God; and will at times be overwhelmed by this onslaught. Yet even amidst this blasphemous and beastly unbelief, the goodness and faithfulness of God can still be seen, inspiring fanatical expressions of child-like faith in the hearts of his people.
1) God himself keeps me in intimate and personal connection with himself, even when I am at my worst; guiding me every step of the way toward a glorious end.
2) God himself is all I have, all I need, and all I want; providing me a source of strength and sustenance that is not dependent on my own spirituality or power.
3) God himself is the source of life and justly destroys all those that insist on remaining disconnected from him; reassuring me that my connection to him will be to my good and his glory.
“Oh, it is a child ’s faith — an infant faith, to be able to say “I am with God,” when I have the light of his favor shining on me; but oh, when I see the blackness of my heart, still to believe that I am continually with Him— this is a man’s faith, what if I say, brethren, a giant’s faith? It is so easy when you have many graces and many virtues to say, “Christ can save me.” Yes, but when your follies stare you in the face, when your sins rebuke you, still to say “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow; purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean,” this is faith indeed. Blessed faith that doth not shut its eye to the disease, but seeing it, and knowing all its venom and deadly power, still trusts in to the Balm of Gilead, and believes that it can heal! (From “Flesh and Spirit: A Riddle,” a sermon by Charles Spurgeon).”
