THERE IS A SEPARATE PATH that the saint walks. Scripture speaks about the prideful man and what pride looks like; be aware that God resists the proud. Yet, there’s a self-abusing position that is just as bad. I say, “self-abusing” because you are constantly moving and walking in guilt and shame, beating yourself up with negative and unkind words.

Self-abasing and self- abusing are not the same thing. Self- abasing is killing that nasty ugly flesh with its lusts and desires that are contrary to God’s holy Word. Self-abasing is humbling yourself and becoming a servant to all, preferring others above yourself. However, self-abusing kills the spirit. Self-abusers rob themselves of joy and peace, constantly wallowing in the stench of their past failures and mistakes. Self-abusers throw themselves a pity party and almost never get off the pity pot. This, too, is sin.

There is a separate path for the saint. This middle road between abase and abuse- the road that says “I am Yours.” The path where the child of God has placed all love and affection, all hopes and dreams, all their brokenness and sin on the altar and they live under the love and forgiveness of the Almighty. They find themselves in Christ alone.

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus (ALONE), and have no confidence in the flesh,” Philippians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭This is that path that rejects the flesh and rejoices in Christ alone. This is the forgiven, blood-stained path where the saint walks as a new creation washed free from all shame. It is the higher road where it can get difficult to breath and you sometimes walk it alone, but it is the only path the saint can ever take. #runyourrace

To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page