The choice is yours. Let me encourage you to return to the previous 3 blogs on the topic. God is dealing with this man on the subject. May you benefit from my journey.
Today we deal with the life of sin. What this means is that you did not practice abstinence with lust and you did not abort the fetus of sin as it developed (see part 2). What has been born now is controlling your life, demanding satisfaction every day. Just like a new born child, it requires time and attention and will not be satisfied unless it receives it. The sin screams until you feed it. The sin makes a mess that you have to clean up. The sin has influence in your every waking moment.
A spiritual life in Christ is perceived as the next thing close to impossible. Even if you could 'find the time', the ramifications of taking sin with you will only expose the bad place you now find yourself. You are faced with a choice, and it usually comes down to one of 3 decisions:
1. Back out and back away
2. Go and put on a show
3. Expose yourself and confess
To the first choice:
Welcome to the world of backsliding. Could backsliding not necessarily be about sin in your life but instead what you do about it? I believe so. When we backslide we remove ourselves from the presence of God and from His people. The irony is that Satan will often present that you are the victim and the people are to blame for your decision to leave. Backsliding often begins in the decline of a prayer life. When we lose that place of communication with God - the void will be filled with other communication (see Eph 6:10). Those 'dark' forces will feed our thinking until the damage is severe. When Satan tempts us to back out and back away, it is only because he knows the consequence of you staying engaged.
"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23
So He gives us every reason to not stay in God's presence or with God's people. He may cause you to take offense. He may cause you to have great fear because people will see you for what you actually are. He may remind you of past negative experiences and cause you to doubt both God and man. He simply has one game plan, divide this man or woman from the pastor, the people and the presence of God and they will stay in this compromised position as the sin which was born will take a greater hold on their lives; leading to death in their spirit.
To the second choice:
This is something that God hates. He hates not the person but He hates the sin,
16 "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." Proverbs 6:16-19
Did you notice the part about a lying tongue? Do you realize that is exactly where you re when you come to the presence of God or His people and play church? Satan wants to further confound you by leading you to the ABSOLUTELY WRONG, TOTALLY FALSE, LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL, that by being in church you are essentially earning your place with God. This is impossible because if you could earn your place that Jesus died for nothing.
You can try to play this game, and you may convince some of the people some of the time, but God sees.
"Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." Psalm 44:21
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam 16:7
To the final choice:
"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:28 - 30
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
Do you see it? These passages scream the truth about how God sees the sin in your life. He loves you. He wants you. He created you for relationship with Him and wants that restored. He wants you to reap the benefit of eternal life, experiencing His presence, love and joy.
And that can't happen when you are carrying sin.
By the point that sin is born, you are quickly moving toward spiritual death. God has countered and moved from reminding you of the Word to discipline. He is never punitive, but instead wanting restoration. He longs that you accept truth and come to this conclusion:
A spiritual life in Christ is perceived as the next thing close to impossible. Even if you could 'find the time', the ramifications of taking sin with you will only expose the bad place you now find yourself. You are faced with a choice, and it usually comes down to one of 3 decisions:
1. Back out and back away
2. Go and put on a show
3. Expose yourself and confess
To the first choice:
Welcome to the world of backsliding. Could backsliding not necessarily be about sin in your life but instead what you do about it? I believe so. When we backslide we remove ourselves from the presence of God and from His people. The irony is that Satan will often present that you are the victim and the people are to blame for your decision to leave. Backsliding often begins in the decline of a prayer life. When we lose that place of communication with God - the void will be filled with other communication (see Eph 6:10). Those 'dark' forces will feed our thinking until the damage is severe. When Satan tempts us to back out and back away, it is only because he knows the consequence of you staying engaged.
"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23
So He gives us every reason to not stay in God's presence or with God's people. He may cause you to take offense. He may cause you to have great fear because people will see you for what you actually are. He may remind you of past negative experiences and cause you to doubt both God and man. He simply has one game plan, divide this man or woman from the pastor, the people and the presence of God and they will stay in this compromised position as the sin which was born will take a greater hold on their lives; leading to death in their spirit.
To the second choice:
This is something that God hates. He hates not the person but He hates the sin,
16 "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." Proverbs 6:16-19
Did you notice the part about a lying tongue? Do you realize that is exactly where you re when you come to the presence of God or His people and play church? Satan wants to further confound you by leading you to the ABSOLUTELY WRONG, TOTALLY FALSE, LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL, that by being in church you are essentially earning your place with God. This is impossible because if you could earn your place that Jesus died for nothing.
You can try to play this game, and you may convince some of the people some of the time, but God sees.
"Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." Psalm 44:21
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam 16:7
To the final choice:
"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:28 - 30
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
Do you see it? These passages scream the truth about how God sees the sin in your life. He loves you. He wants you. He created you for relationship with Him and wants that restored. He wants you to reap the benefit of eternal life, experiencing His presence, love and joy.
And that can't happen when you are carrying sin.
By the point that sin is born, you are quickly moving toward spiritual death. God has countered and moved from reminding you of the Word to discipline. He is never punitive, but instead wanting restoration. He longs that you accept truth and come to this conclusion:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
When we confess, we turn over that growing sin to the God who knows exactly how to destroy it. We release ourselves from defensiveness and secrecy to God having open access to our lives. We return to the cross. We reacquaint ourselves with the message that I saw again in todays verse that gave me pause:
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
When we confess, we turn over that growing sin to the God who knows exactly how to destroy it. We release ourselves from defensiveness and secrecy to God having open access to our lives. We return to the cross. We reacquaint ourselves with the message that I saw again in todays verse that gave me pause:
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
I choose to die out to sin and walk in faith, unshaken! Amen, PA, good series!
ReplyDeleteIt is a choice isn’t it Joni! God is so faithful to us and has saved us to holiness, not a slippery slide of sin and forgiveness. I believe it is once for all.... He will stand with us as we turn from the snares of the evil one!
ReplyDelete