Josh Hatcher's Blog

So today, I’m digging for roots.. I’m not liking my mindset..
I was on guard today.. and I watched how many times my mind was sabotaged and assaulted by an army of greedy selfish little thoughts determined to take over the high ground in my head.. and lead me down wicked little rabbit trails…

I lost count, but I was constantly praying, and rebuking those thoughts, (I’m sure many a passerby thought I was strange as I appeared to be talking to myself.)

I want to know why Satan keeps assaulting the same places in me.. and keeps hitting me with the same temptations. Sure, I know it’s because he sees my weak spots But why am I weak in some areas and not in others? Why am I so prone to give in to some things, but anchored down and “un-budged” in others?

So, I’m going to go through some scripture. All these thoughts are raw, like cookie dough. I’m just writing what comes in my head.. the questions, the insights…the wisecracks… so if I sound like a heretic because I don’t have the answers, then just relax. I’m just trying to revisit truth, not reinvent it. I’m trying to look at God’s word and apply it, and all those thoughts that go through my head as I’m figuring it all out are getting written out and “blogged”… why? Because I know that I’m not alone in a desire to get right with God.. I know I’m not the only one who struggles. And I know that my transparency in hashing this out will help someone..

Romans 7
14 The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. 15 I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.
18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. 19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
(NLT)

Allright.. now the greatest Christian leader of all time, except for Jesus of course, is talking my language… Paul’s saying he’s a screw up like me! I like this guy…

I feel like this. It’s like I keep screwing up, and I’m tired of it.. Everything I do to try to clean up my act just doesn’t work!

Let’s keep reading, and see if Paul’s got any solutions….

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

No condemnation… okay.. so God still loves me, even though I’ve neglected Him, that’s good…

This stuff about the “power” of the life giving spirit… That’s the stuff that’s been rocking my theological world over the past year. I grew up in church, I’ve been taught the Bible. And somehow, I’ve always felt powerless… like I had a faith in a powerful God, but he’s kept all that power to Himself, to use whenever He thinks it’s appropriate… But I see Jesus telling fisherman and sinners to cast out demons and heal sick people, and raise the dead… that’s POWER… I’m not a “power hungry” guy.. but I could use a dose.. just enough to overcome.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Yeah… that makes sense.. but how do I get back out of the sinful nature? How do I let the Spirit control my mind? I’ve got free will right? Why do I feel like I have no choice but to sin?


9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.) 10 Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.

Ok.. so I’m not controlled by my sinful nature.. but I still have it… I know Jesus is there, I know that I’ve put the Spirit in control, but why do I still screw up?

12 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into his family—calling him “Father, dear Father.” 16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

We’re making a little more sense now. I don’t HAVE to sin. Before I had Christ I HAD to sin, there was not other option, I was a slave. Now, I am God’s son.

So that’s where I am today. Still no answers to a few of my questions. Why do I sin when I know it’s wrong? Why am I weak in some areas, and strong in others, and how can I strengthen the weak parts.

But what I DO know, is that God is not condemning me. He’s my daddy, and He’s taking me fishing, even though I didn’t clean my room, and I should be grounded. He could ground me, he could spank me, but he’s forgiven me, not because I deserved it, but because he already took the punishment for my sin on himself.

He loves me, and He has given me the tools to live this life the right way. I just have to figure out what they are and how to use them.