Breaking Through Barriers To BlessingПримерок

 ‘Why me?’ must be near number one in the top ten of the most commonly asked questions in life. Another question, ‘Why not me?’ is often asked by Christians who feel that God’s blessings are eluding them. Their spiritual lives seem to fall short compared to famous biblical characters, their historic spiritual heroes, or even some of their contemporaries. There appear to be some barriers to blessing; obstacles to maturing as a Christian. It’s as if there is a blockage in the way, obstructing what they know to be God’s declared will for their lives. Does this describe your experience?

Why is the experience of many Christians much less than what they are led to expect? Part of the answer is that Christian conversion is not the end of our spiritual search and transformation, but rather the beginning. The new birth is a threshold experience that opens the door of salvation, but then leads into a kind of hospital of healing in which the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, begins the process of changing us from ‘glory to glory’ into His own image. So, when you become a Christian, you embark on a journey that will never end until you are like the Son of God Himself.

It’s vital that these obstacles to blessings in our lives are diagnosed correctly, so that we may receive appropriate treatment. Often the wrong condition is being addressed, or the wrong remedy applied. Sins, wounds and demons are three general areas where most, if not all, problems occur. Sins are our acts of disobedience to God’s will as revealed in His Word. Wounds are the hurts, both internal and external, that we experience. Demons are actual spiritual personalities who seek, under the lordship of Satan himself, to destroy human lives.

The solutions for each of these problem areas are different. It is crucial that the correct treatment is applied to each condition. Sins cannot be healed or expelled. Wounds cannot be repented of or expelled. Demons cannot be repented of or healed. Sins should be repented of, wounds need to be healed, and demons must be expelled.

In the next few days, we will consider together each of these barriers to the blessing of God. We will consider the areas of sins, wounds and demons with a view to identifying and overcoming these hindrances to your progress as a Christian.