Posts Tagged ‘sin’

Confess and Forsake

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

Verse: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
– Proverbs 28:13

Quote: “Furthermore, we must forsake the evil: having owned our fault, we must disown all present and future intent to abide in it. We cannot remain in rebellion and yet dwell with the King’s Majesty. The habit of evil must be quitted, together with all places, companions, pursuits, and books which might lead us astray.”

Today Spurgeon tells us that the sinner’s “business” is to confess and forsake his sin. I love his line of owning our fault, and then disowning our connection with the sin. You cannot truly be healed from sin until you do both of those completely. You must take full responsibility for the sin, not shirking the blame off on anyone, then take every measure not to engage in that sin again.

It is not easy as humans to disassociate ourselves with certain creature comforts that we might have, but if there is a specific person, or restaurant, or TV show, or personal goal, or whatever that is making you more susceptible to sin, you must distance yourself from it immediately. There is nothing in this life that is more valuable than your relationship with the Father, and as we discussed yesterday, there is no room for sin in that relationship.

It is easy for us to downplay sin because it is everywhere, and we are born with the inclination towards it, but let us not forget that sin is what nailed Jesus to the cross, and it is still what separates us from God. However, God continues to love us, and invite us back into fellowship with Him. Confess and forsake your sin, and walk hand in hand with the Creator once again.

Signs of the New Birth

Friday, August 15th, 2008

Verse: “Ye must be born again.
– John 3:7

Quote: “The effective working of the new birth in us is that we do not commit sin, not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have stopped sinning.”

Not the immediate reaction to the new birth, but the “effective working” will produce in us the functioning life of Christ Jesus. 1 John 3:4-9 paints a detailed portrait of sin’s role in the life of a Christian: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin.”

Does this mean that if you sin you have never received the saving grace of Jesus Christ? No, what it means is that if you truly accepted God’s free gift of salvation and committed your life to Him, then you would pursue the life of Christ until you are living it out in actuality. God has given us the power over sin, and He commands us not to sin, so it is up to us to act out what God freely gives in the form of redemption.

If we have been born of God, sin is not in our nature; we have been given a new nature where sin has no place. When you sin, you are putting on your old, rotting flesh and parading around like a sheep in wolves clothing. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that “God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” This means that when you sin, it is a deliberate act of separating yourself from God and refusing His help.

To live a sinless life after your new birth is commanded, not suggested.

My 5 (almost 6) year old nephew understands this, so it cannot be too difficult to grasp. I wish I could remember the verbatim conversation he had with my brother where he decided he wanted to tell everyone to stop sinning, because it’s what God wants. Great story. Maybe he’ll post it on his blog before long.

The Concentration of Personal Sin

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Verse: “Woe is Me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” – Isaiah 6:5

Quote: “When I get into the presence of God, I do not realize that I am a sinner in an indefinite sense; I realize the concentration of sin in a particular feature of my life.”

It is easy for us to confess that we are “sinners”; it is often used as a sign of humility among believers.  But when we are communicating with God, He won’t settle for such a generic label.  His Spirit presses until you confess that particular area of your life His light has revealed.  Then, as you give that part of you completely over to God, He will lay open to you a different area.  Be honest with yourself before God, and watch how He works in your life.