Dear Christians - Inadequate

Self: 00:00:01

Dear Christians.

2

: 00:00:03

My name is Hannah Marcley

and I'm nobody in particular.

3

: 00:00:09

I'm just a fellow believer, trying

to figure out what God wants and.

4

: 00:00:16

What that means.

5

: 00:00:17

For my life.

6

: 00:00:20

This morning.

7

: 00:00:21

I couldn't sleep.

8

: 00:00:24

And as usual, didn't think

about turning to Christ first.

9

: 00:00:29

Instead, I.

10

: 00:00:31

You know, checked email.

11

: 00:00:32

Checked social media.

12

: 00:00:34

Len to see if there are any new.

13

: 00:00:37

Important headlines.

14

: 00:00:38

And unsurprisingly, none of that.

15

: 00:00:41

Gave me any peace or sense of calm

or ability to go back to sleep.

16

: 00:00:46

And then.

17

: 00:00:48

I turned to my Bible.

18

: 00:00:52

And I read Romans seven and eight.

19

: 00:00:54

I don't know how y'all decide.

20

: 00:00:56

What to read.

21

: 00:00:57

When you open your Bibles,

22

: 00:00:59

I frequently.

23

: 00:01:01

See the verse of the day on my Bible

app and then read the things that sort

24

: 00:01:06

of surround it that seem relevant to.

25

: 00:01:09

Understanding, whatever it is that

was chosen to be the verse of the day.

26

: 00:01:15

So today's verse of the day was

Romans Eight One which reads.

27

: 00:01:22

There is therefore now no condemnation

for those who are in Christ.

28

: 00:01:28

I have a really good pastor.

29

: 00:01:29

Bill Riedel at redemption

hill church in Washington, DC.

30

: 00:01:34

And he is always reminding us that.

31

: 00:01:38

If you see you there for.

32

: 00:01:41

You have to look and

see what it's there for.

33

: 00:01:44

And at least I think

they got that from bill.

34

: 00:01:47

I might've gotten that from mark

Colavecchio At my old church.

35

: 00:01:51

So, sorry, mark.

36

: 00:01:52

If I missed attributed that.

37

: 00:01:53

But.

38

: 00:01:55

I went and read.

39

: 00:01:56

Romans seven to try to.

40

: 00:02:00

Understand.

41

: 00:02:03

Why there is no condemnation in Christ.

42

: 00:02:10

And honestly it's remarkable.

43

: 00:02:12

How many times I can re

learn the same lesson.

44

: 00:02:17

Because what Romans seven says.

45

: 00:02:22

In my.

46

: 00:02:23

Non.

47

: 00:02:24

Pastor non ordained.

48

: 00:02:27

Simple Christian.

49

: 00:02:29

Uh, understanding.

50

: 00:02:31

Is that.

51

: 00:02:34

The law.

52

: 00:02:38

Is.

53

: 00:02:40

For our old selves.

54

: 00:02:44

Because what it says is.

55

: 00:02:47

You have died to the law,

through the body of Christ.

56

: 00:02:51

So that you may belong to another.

57

: 00:02:54

To him who has been raised from the dead.

58

: 00:02:57

And.

59

: 00:02:59

That was cool.

60

: 00:03:00

But I didn't really understand

what it meant practically.

61

: 00:03:05

It goes on to say.

62

: 00:03:08

I do not understand my own

actions for, I do not do what I

63

: 00:03:12

want, but I do the very thing.

64

: 00:03:14

I hate.

65

: 00:03:16

Now if I do what I do not want.

66

: 00:03:18

I agree with the law.

67

: 00:03:20

That it is good.

68

: 00:03:22

So now it is no longer I who do

it, but sin that dwells within me.

69

: 00:03:28

For, I know that nothing good

dwells in me that is in my flesh.

70

: 00:03:33

For, I have the desire to

do what is right, but not

71

: 00:03:37

the ability to carry it out.

72

: 00:03:39

And.

73

: 00:03:41

The idea that when I fail.

74

: 00:03:46

When I fall.

75

: 00:03:48

It's not.

76

: 00:03:50

The new me.

77

: 00:03:51

It is the sin that

dwells in me that I hate.

78

: 00:03:57

Doing it.

79

: 00:03:59

Is.

80

: 00:04:02

Such a powerful idea.

81

: 00:04:07

And what's powerful about it to me.

82

: 00:04:09

Is that.

83

: 00:04:10

There's no such thing.

84

: 00:04:13

As failure.

85

: 00:04:16

In the new me.

86

: 00:04:18

The new me.

87

: 00:04:20

Is perfect.

88

: 00:04:22

In Christ.

89

: 00:04:26

The sinful me isn't me.

90

: 00:04:28

It's just clinging on it's.

91

: 00:04:31

It's like a.

92

: 00:04:34

What's a good analogy.

93

: 00:04:36

It's like a.

94

: 00:04:40

Skin disease.

95

: 00:04:42

It is plaguing the outside of me.

96

: 00:04:45

But it's not me.

97

: 00:04:49

I don't know about everybody.

98

: 00:04:51

Else's feelings.

99

: 00:04:53

But very often.

100

: 00:04:56

I feel.

101

: 00:04:58

Inadequate to the task.

102

: 00:05:01

Before me, whatever that task might be.

103

: 00:05:05

Pretty frequently.

104

: 00:05:06

For me, it's feeling inadequate.

105

: 00:05:10

To be a good mother.

106

: 00:05:13

It's feeling inadequate.

107

: 00:05:16

Too.

108

: 00:05:17

Solve.

109

: 00:05:19

The bad things that are harming people.

110

: 00:05:22

I love.

111

: 00:05:23

And even people, I don't

know that I hear about.

112

: 00:05:25

Around the world.

113

: 00:05:27

I'm one of those people that cries

over stories in other countries

114

: 00:05:32

for people that I've never met and.

115

: 00:05:36

It's really inconvenient.

116

: 00:05:37

Um, but.

117

: 00:05:40

It is also a constant reminder of.

118

: 00:05:44

How fragile and limited.

119

: 00:05:47

Humans are.

120

: 00:05:49

And I hate that.

121

: 00:05:51

I like feeling like if I work

hard enough, I can do it.

122

: 00:05:58

But I don't do it.

123

: 00:06:00

Even though I believe I could.

124

: 00:06:02

I don't because I do that, which I hate.

125

: 00:06:06

I agree with the law, that it is bad.

126

: 00:06:09

That I can't fix it,

that the world is broken.

127

: 00:06:13

I agree.

128

: 00:06:14

My spirit is groaning.

129

: 00:06:18

For the fixing the redemption.

130

: 00:06:23

That Jesus promises.

131

: 00:06:27

And I feel inadequate.

132

: 00:06:29

That's not from Christ.

133

: 00:06:33

That's from the accuser.

134

: 00:06:34

That's from the law to which I am dead.

135

: 00:06:44

There's no such thing as adequate.

136

: 00:06:48

Outside of the law.

137

: 00:06:49

Adequate as a meaningless term.

138

: 00:06:55

The law asks if you're good enough.

139

: 00:06:57

But can the law tell you if your friend.

140

: 00:07:01

Likes you.

141

: 00:07:04

Christ likes us.

142

: 00:07:05

He loves us.

143

: 00:07:07

He wants us.

144

: 00:07:10

Is that something the law can tell you?

145

: 00:07:15

No.

146

: 00:07:17

Adequate.

147

: 00:07:19

Good enough measuring up.

148

: 00:07:22

Satisfying the requirements.

149

: 00:07:24

That is.

150

: 00:07:28

The wrong question.

151

: 00:07:29

The law cannot tell you.

152

: 00:07:32

Whether or not.

153

: 00:07:34

God wants you.

154

: 00:07:37

Because he's already told you.

155

: 00:07:39

He wants you.

156

: 00:07:42

Just like you are.

157

: 00:07:43

Adequate doesn't factor into it.

158

: 00:07:47

It's like asking a cake.

159

: 00:07:51

Whether or not.

160

: 00:07:53

The law finds it tasty.

161

: 00:07:58

It's using a totally wrong metric.

162

: 00:08:01

I am crucified with Christ.

163

: 00:08:05

I am dead to the law.

164

: 00:08:09

I am not trying to be good.

165

: 00:08:12

I delight in the law of

God in my inner being.

166

: 00:08:16

But I see in my members, another law.

167

: 00:08:19

Waging war against the law of my mind

and making the captive to the law

168

: 00:08:24

of sin that dwells in my members.

169

: 00:08:27

Wretched man that I am, who will

deliver me from this body of death.

170

: 00:08:33

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ.

171

: 00:08:35

Our Lord.

172

: 00:08:36

That's how Paul puts it in Romans seven.

173

: 00:08:41

I want to be better.

174

: 00:08:43

Than I am.

175

: 00:08:44

So did Paul.

176

: 00:08:46

So do I bet a lot of you.

177

: 00:08:50

Who will deliver us?

178

: 00:08:52

From this.

179

: 00:08:56

Totally.

180

: 00:08:58

Less than we want to be.

181

: 00:09:02

Body.

182

: 00:09:05

I grew up with this idea that.

183

: 00:09:07

I should be.

184

: 00:09:09

Storming the battlements all the time.

185

: 00:09:12

That I should be.

186

: 00:09:15

Charging into.

187

: 00:09:17

A meaningful fight.

188

: 00:09:21

So letting go.

189

: 00:09:23

Of.

190

: 00:09:24

This should this adequate, this idea of.

191

: 00:09:31

Perfection.

192

: 00:09:34

Has been really hard.

193

: 00:09:36

And I think that's in part because I

don't know what to replace it with.

194

: 00:09:40

I don't know what my.

195

: 00:09:43

Fight should be for or against.\

196

: 00:09:48

And I think.

197

: 00:09:50

That's.

198

: 00:09:53

The hardest part of applying the

things that Paul says here for me.

199

: 00:09:58

I want a metric.

200

: 00:09:59

I want something to conquer.

201

: 00:10:01

I want a purpose.

202

: 00:10:04

I've been thinking a lot about.

203

: 00:10:06

purpose..

204

: 00:10:09

And how purposeless.

205

: 00:10:11

It seems many Americans in particular,

I can't speak to the rest of the world.

206

: 00:10:17

Feel about.

207

: 00:10:21

Their are days.

208

: 00:10:23

The monotonous trudge of get up,

go to work, take care of the kids.

209

: 00:10:31

Hope everything is working out.

210

: 00:10:32

Okay.

211

: 00:10:34

Do it again.

212

: 00:10:35

Doesn't feel like.

213

: 00:10:38

The big battle, the big

charge against the world.

214

: 00:10:42

That we imagined as kids.

215

: 00:10:44

Or at least.

216

: 00:10:45

I think a lot of us did.

217

: 00:10:47

Especially when I see.

218

: 00:10:52

Bad things happening.

219

: 00:10:54

Or fear, bad things coming.

220

: 00:10:57

But this search for a.

221

: 00:11:01

More fulfilling metric.

222

: 00:11:05

Is not godly.

223

: 00:11:07

It's.

224

: 00:11:09

Just trying to find a new

thing to enslave ourselves, to.

225

: 00:11:14

In Romans nine pulses.

226

: 00:11:18

What shall we say then that

Gentiles who did not pursue

227

: 00:11:22

righteousness have attained it.

228

: 00:11:24

That is righteousness by faith.

229

: 00:11:27

But that Israel who pursued a law

that would lead to righteousness did

230

: 00:11:31

not succeed in reaching that law.

231

: 00:11:33

Why.

232

: 00:11:34

Because they did not pursue it by

faith, but as if it were based on works.

233

: 00:11:39

They have stumbled over

the stumbling stone.

234

: 00:11:42

So pursuit, you can see

the words change, right?

235

: 00:11:46

Israel who pursued a law.

236

: 00:11:49

That would lead to righteousness did

not succeed in reaching that law.

237

: 00:11:53

So, what are we supposed to pursue?

238

: 00:11:59

That's what we keep asking ourselves.

239

: 00:12:05

We're supposed to pursue the Lord.

240

: 00:12:08

We're supposed to live in faith.

241

: 00:12:12

And that means not asking.

242

: 00:12:16

Am I doing enough?

243

: 00:12:18

Am I.

244

: 00:12:19

Fixing it, can I work harder?

245

: 00:12:21

Can I, what else can I do

to try to mitigate the.

246

: 00:12:25

Evils of the world.

247

: 00:12:28

Those are all okay.

248

: 00:12:29

Things.

249

: 00:12:32

But if you're pursuing them,

250

: 00:12:35

Instead of saying, wow.

251

: 00:12:37

Christ has this in the Palm of his hand.

252

: 00:12:40

And I really.

253

: 00:12:42

Hope.

254

: 00:12:43

He fixes it soon.

255

: 00:12:45

I really hope that.

256

: 00:12:47

The world is better soon.

257

: 00:12:49

And pray continuously.

258

: 00:12:52

For his.

259

: 00:12:55

Relief.

260

: 00:12:56

And redemption.

261

: 00:12:57

That's what I'm learning.

262

: 00:13:00

There is no metric.

263

: 00:13:03

There is no.

264

: 00:13:05

Standard.

265

: 00:13:07

And that is.

266

: 00:13:09

Unsettling.

267

: 00:13:10

Kind of like everybody tells you about

kids that they push up against boundaries

268

: 00:13:16

because it makes them feel more secure

to know that there are boundaries.

269

: 00:13:19

Well, it makes me feel more secure too.

270

: 00:13:21

But that's not how it works.

271

: 00:13:23

Pursuing the law is not how it works.

272

: 00:13:29

It's just an every decision.

273

: 00:13:32

Smile.

274

: 00:13:34

At Christ.

275

: 00:13:36

And say, Hey God.

276

: 00:13:38

Do this.

277

: 00:13:39

Act.

278

: 00:13:40

Show me.

279

: 00:13:43

We don't get a script.

280

: 00:13:44

That's not to say that there's no such

thing as evil or that we can't do wrong.

281

: 00:13:48

And those kinds of things.

282

: 00:13:52

But it is to say that looking for

something by which we can find the

283

: 00:13:57

condemnation, the verse that got this

whole thing started for me was that.

284

: 00:14:01

There is no condemnation

for those in Christ.

285

: 00:14:04

No condemnation means no standard

against which to be measured.

286

: 00:14:10

I don't a lawyer.

287

: 00:14:12

I like standards.

288

: 00:14:13

I like clear expectations and taking

the facts and saying a happened.

289

: 00:14:18

And then B happened and then

C happened and therefore, The

290

: 00:14:22

other side has violated the law.

291

: 00:14:24

That's that's what I do.

292

: 00:14:29

But that is the law.

293

: 00:14:31

Remarkably.

294

: 00:14:32

I never thought about that before, but.

295

: 00:14:35

I do human law.

296

: 00:14:39

Human law is not useful.

297

: 00:14:42

And our relationship with God.

298

: 00:14:44

Except in that it shows us how bad

we are at our relationship with God.

299

: 00:14:51

And I hope you find that encouraging.

300

: 00:14:55

So dear Christians.

301

: 00:14:58

Those are my thoughts on

what's happening today.

302

: 00:15:03

With me and Jesus.

303

: 00:15:04

Maybe it's helpful for you.

304

: 00:15:05

Maybe it's not.

305

: 00:15:06

Go check out Romans seven.

306

: 00:15:08

If you're feeling.

307

: 00:15:10

Like, you're not measuring up

to who you think you should be.

308

: 00:15:15

Maybe it'll help.

309

: 00:15:17

I love you.

310

: 00:15:20

All of you.

311

: 00:15:23

If anyone ever listens,

I hope that you hear.

312

: 00:15:29

Christ's.

313

: 00:15:31

Hands reaching out to you.

314

: 00:15:38

And if you need me, give me a call.

315

: 00:15:42

Love Hannah.

Share Episode

Shownotes

Transcripts

Follow

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube