by God's Little Boy
© MakeshiftDarkroom.com 2013
Posted 7/3/13

It is in the Psalms and not the chronicles, of our life, that we are known of God.

It is in the Psalms that we see the godly heart and life of King David. The Psalms reveal to us the true man that is David - the hidden man of the heart as he appears to worship in God's presence. But it is in the chronicles (1&2 Sam, 1 Chron) where we also see the darker dusty account of his life. It is in the chronicles where the sins and shortcomings of his earthly nature are recorded. Why are they recorded and set forth in open display? They are "chronicled" for our sake that we might come to realize, by contrast, the fact that our sins will never be chronicled or imputed to our account.

The "Psalms" represent the life of Spirit filled engagement with God. It represents the life of faith - life in the new man. It is in the "Psalms" of our life where we touch the heart of God and commune with him, in his presence. Sometimes it is in joy, sometimes in necessity, and sometimes even in anguish that we are before the Lord, who is our strength and our life. Whatever our condition we are before the Lord in faith, and we know that whatsoever is of faith is not sin.

The "chronicles" of our life are those dark times, in the flesh, when we become disconnected from Christ our head. We are disengaged spiritually and distant from the power of his presence. These are the times that our old nature emerges and assumes the throne of our heart. These are times when we are not walking in who Christ has made us to be. In our "chronicles" we have lost touch, even if only for a moment, with who we really are and it is reflected in our thoughts, words, and actions.

God delights in the Psalms of our life. This is how he chooses to see us and to know us. Even when we are absent he waits for our return holding a thousand brand new beginnings in his right hand. It is during the Psalms of our life when heaven's "tapes" are rolling; when our life is being recorded for the archives of eternity as an expression of his own glorious life. This is the part of our life that will not be forgotten or go without reward.

THE DOTTED LINE

—    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —    —

In terms of practical experience, the Christian life is like a dotted line. It is certainly not a continual unbroken line of spiritual and sinless perfection, but a broken line consisting of life in the flesh, and life in the spirit. The dots are all of the times we walk in the new man by faith and the dashes are the times that are lost in fleshly living. The dashes are lost times that are omitted from our account by the mercies of God. The dashes are the invisible part of the line because they represent that part of our experience that is not imputed to our account. This is because the dashes represent who we are no longer. They represent the life of the man that has been crucified with Christ. God only sees the dots! They are the only part of the line that God counts. He puts the dashes of our old life behind his back and will not identify us with them. Truly, the dots, in the line, represent our Psalms and the dashes our chronicles.

One day, God will connect the dots in the line. He saves each one of them. He gathers them all up and keeps them against that final day. In the end, all of the dots in the line will abide forever as gold, silver, and precious stones. At the judgement seat of Christ the dashes of wood, hay, and stubble will be consumed by the fire that shall try every man's work, and this shall be our loss. The dots will pass through and abide the test of fire approved and affirmed to form a new unbroken line that will determine what we will be for all eternity. As we grow in grace the dots become longer and the dashes shorter. And while we are in process God calls the things which are not, in our life, as though they were. He sees us as his finished product. He knows no man after the flesh, but sees his people through the eyes of the finished work of Christ.

THE TWO NATURES OF ROMANS 7

"I Saul" and "I Paul"

In this passage we may refer to the Apostle's old nature as "Saul" (his former name) and his new nature as "Paul" (the new name God gave to him).

"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I (Saul) am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I (Saul) do I (Paul) allow not: for what I (Paul) would, that do I (Saul) not; but what I (Paul) hate, that do I (Saul). If then I (Saul) do that which I (Paul) would not, I (Paul) consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I (Paul) that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I (Paul) know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I (Saul) find not. For the good that I (Paul) would I (Saul) do not: but the evil which I (Paul) would not, that I (Saul) do. Now if I (Saul) do that I (Paul) would not, it is no more I (Paul) that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I (Paul) find then a law, that, when I (Paul) would do good, evil is present with me. For I (Paul) delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I (Paul) see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I (Saul) am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I (Paul) thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself (Paul) serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:14-25)

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