"Feet of Clay, Spirits of Gold"

(Thanks to Mark C. for inspiration on this one)

Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have clay feet no less the most ardent rejector of God and His truth. Indeed, expose all of the wayward thoughts we have thought, feelings we have felt, words we have said, and actions we have performed (or neglected to perform), and it would be clear that we are still "waiting for... the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23).

This is not to excuse sin because God's enabling and overcoming power is available to us in every temptation. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13). It is rather to simply acknowledge the truth of the human condition in a fallen world, and to magnify the grace of God in such a manner that we avail ourselves of its redeeming and keeping power. We do ourselves and our world no good by denying the realities of our flesh, and the too many times we have walked after its impulses and inclinations to the detriment of God's glory in our lives.

Most importantly, the clayness of our feet does not affect or exclude the truth of our Christ-inhabited spirits. Nothing changes the fact of our "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). We may not always live in the fact of our spiritual birth and subsequent nature, and we may too often leave a trail of dust rather than the fragrance and fruit of the Holy Spirit. However, if we have believed, "ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). The more we understand, affirm and submit ourselves to such truth, the more that we will walk by the nail-scarred, but resurrected feet of our Lord rather than our feet of clay. "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

Through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus, believers can begin to honor God from where we are. If the frailty of our clay feet has made forgiveness necessary in this hour, it is abundantly available to the honest, repentant heart. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound... Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee" (Romans 5:20; Psalm 86:5). We may also be feeling our frailty in a particularly challenging way at present, and if so, let us be honest with God and ourselves that we desperately need Him to act on our behalf. He is more than willing to do so, and our calling is to trust that while our feet are composed of clay, our spirits are filled with the pure gold of the Spirit of our Lord Jesus. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and as we believe His Word, we shall find it abundantly fulfilled that no one has ever trusted in the God and Father of the Lord Jesus and been disappointed for doing so. And no one ever will.

"LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am."
(Psalm 39:4)

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."