Dear friends,
I tried my best to explain the Problem, Truth, and Stumbling Blocks with Scriptural evidence and world application. Tonight I will "tie the knot" by focusing on the Results of Applied Truth -- what happens when humans change through the power of Jesus. At the same time I hope to open a can of worms by asking a question I cannot satisfactorily answer: "If you can only be truly trustworthy with Jesus, is it wise to trust non-Christians?"
The question of trusting non-Christians (or even so-called Christians) depends entirely on a case-by-case basis. Certainly, I can make sweeping judgments about the evilness of such sinners (indeed sin is evil no matter how big or small), but then I would only be contributing to the original Problem God pointed out to me. I do not want to contribute to the cynicism of this age by teaching humans cannot change for the better, but I do want to be smart and encourage the guarding of hearts until Jesus comes into a non-Christian's life.
Trust permeates all areas of life, from anything as simple as trusting that your friend closed your locker properly to trusting someone with your life. There are varieties of trustworthiness in non-Christians and so-called Christians as well. Over time I have learned who has a trustworthy spirit. Thankfully, I do not have many examples of non-Christians I cannot trust at all. Most of the non-Christians I know are kind and thoughtful people who work hard and love me for who I am. No dramatic conversion story of a famed drug addict here.
I can trust Person X to tell me when I look fat and I can trust Person Z to drive safely. I do not, however, automatically trust Person X and Z's spiritual advice. Do I listen respectfully and consider their spiritual advice? Yes. But more often than not, I cannot follow their advice when it significantly affects my spiritual life. It would be unfair of me to expect that their advice would be as Biblically sound as my pastor's. 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 says "A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are Spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one." That may ring as true for you as it does for me! I cannot tell you how many times a well-meaning friend or family member has told me to do something that I know blatantly disobeys God's Word. It may be as simple as being recommended a "funny" (raunchy) film or being told that I am sexually repressed and ought to express myself before I spontaneously combust.
We have to be able to judge when to trust people. Jesus gives us a clue here: "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 7:17-19 God is the only one who can truly know a person's heart, but that person's actions can reveal a lot about their heart to us. We should take care in trusting humans, for "The heart is more deceitful than all else/ and is desperately sick;Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9
Some of you might be upset that I assert we ought to judge people's actions, but let me try to explain myself. 'Do not judge' is probably the most misused and misapplied passage I have ever heard in my life. It would be ridiculous if people blindly follow others without using discernment of character, but we are not supposed to judge a person's salvation and say they are permanently damned. Does this sound familiar? Refer to the Problem: "Humans have been scorned so often they tend to believe people cannot permanently change for the better; as a result, most expect and model failure and distrust for future generations." We need to be able to judge whether a person needs God or not and if we can trust them. This does not give us free reign to call out a person's sin as often as we please, mind. Use discretion when speaking out against sin. If you are in the presence of sin, dissuade it in the most appropriate manner possible, whether that is with a calm "hey, I don't think you should say that" or a flat-out rebuke to Satan. Just remember, lovingly judge their character, not their salvation.
Jesus judged the deceitfulness of human hearts, and yet He intentionally placed Himself in their midst. "Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples,'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.'" Matthew 9:35-37 I love this passage about Jesus because it highlights his compassion. He judged their characters and knew they were lost, yet He reacted by showing them love. Even though we cannot completely trust non-Christians in certain ways, we always need to be showing them compassion and love, revealing to them the ways Christ has transformed our once deceitful hearts. They will see the light in us! Some may resent it or try to sabotage it, but they cannot help but see.
The Truth that people see is God's Truth, His promise, which is "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 God changes us permanently in His image! When you fully realize the Truth and apply it to your life, you will change the world. I'm not even kidding.
If you were once a sinner and have now been saved by the shed blood of the Lamb, your light will shine forth in darkness and you will shatter society's conventions and transform the ideas and ideals of men. Walk boldly in Christ in your school and your peers will follow suit. Pretty soon your whole school will be transformed by the ideals of Christ, whether they convert or not. Now imagine all of the Christian undergraduates moving on to graduate school and in the work force. Christ's light will shine in all the world. This is God's promise, that He will bring redemption and transformation to all who seek His kingdom and righteousness!
Can I get a Hallelujiah?!
The more light we shine, the more the darkness tries in vain to fight. The Lord has already won the war, my friends; we are on the winning side! We must stand our ground and fight for the name of our Lord God. We must attack sin as hard as it attacks us. Apply the Truth and beauty of God's Word and let your light shine!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Change of Heart: Part 2 -- Battling the Lies
Yesterday I pointed out one of many flaws in the world's thinking. I proceeded to identify the problem, divulge the Truth, recognize the stumbling blocks, and show the result of Christians defeating the lies. This is a common 4-step process the Lord reveals to me, summarized succinctly below for you to refresh your mind.
Problem: Humans have been scorned so often they tend to believe people cannot permanently change for the better; as a result, most expect and model failure and distrust for future generations.
Truth: Humans can change by the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Read Romans 6 for one example of Biblical proof, and I encourage you to look for more verses.
Stumbling Blocks: Temptation keeps us from believing the truth and has the potential to weaken our resolve. When sin is not admitted because blame is applied, it keeps us from enjoying fellowship with Jesus, who is the Truth.
Result of Applied Truth: When believers obediently follow Christ and flee temptation, they are transformed into the image of Christ. Non-believers are then inspired by our transformation and start to wonder why we are more trustworthy than everyone else.
Today I will attempt to take a more in-depth look at the Stumbling Blocks and how we can take steps to overcome them. The Bible says we can defeat temptation and requires us to flee from it. Tomorrow I hope to address a question that naturally arises with the Result: "If you can only be truly trustworthy with Jesus, is it wise to trust non-Christians?"
Very well then, let's begin.
Temptation is nasty. The world was without sin in the beginning, but temptation came before sin. Temptation stems from the ability to obey or disobey the Law. "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, 'You Shall Not Covet.' But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." Romans 7:7-12
Satan presented Eve with temptation by asking her to question the only rule God had given her. What else was there for her to question? She and Adam had everything they could ever need physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There was nothing to covet, nothing to steal, nobody to commit adultery with. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Gardens. The only thing they did not have, as Satan put it, was the ability to "be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5 There was recognition of the Law, there was the temptation. And sin entered this world.
The following italicized questions are an example of every kind of frustrated excuse or complaint I had when I was in the midst of extreme temptation. The answers to my questions are an example (obviously not verbatim) of the inevitable Holy Spirit smack-down I received.
Rules, rules, rules! Why does life and Christianity have to be about following rules?! Hey, don't blame God. He tried to save humans from death by keeping them from the tree of knowledge, remember? The whole Bible is about Him planning ways to get humans back to fellowship with Him in life! Sin only causes destruction and hurt. Why do you think God hates it? These rules are for a good reason, even if you cannot comprehend it.
Well, God does not know what it is like to be faced with temptation. He's never had raging hormones and a girl/boyfriend! Actually, that is one of the reasons why God came to earth as fully man and fully God. He experienced every kind of temptation for 40 straight days with no accountability partner and no food. Jesus models for us that if you are following the Lord, it is possible to resist sin and temptation. He was even sinless through childhood and adolescence. "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." Hebrews 2:17-18
Yeah, but Jesus was God. Yeah, well Job was not! He followed hard after God and did not sin!
God won't care if I commit a tiny sin. He's got bigger things to worry about, like world hunger. Anyway, I've been saved, so it's okay if I still sin. What exactly separates a little sin from a big sin? Romans 1:18-19 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them." (bold mine) Chew on this for a while: "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, graced abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 5:20,21 - 6:1,2
It's too hard to resist! Better to sin and ask for forgiveness than be faced with unavoidable and constant temptation. Boy was I stupid. "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 No excuses there. And that whole concept of blasé "God will forgive me anyway" mentality is met with some extreme smack-down in Hebrews 10:26-27: "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." Fear the Lord your God indeed!
I always feel guilty when I am being tempted. I feel like I ought to be above temptation, especially when I've overcome this sin. Remember that Jesus, the sinless one, was still tempted by Satan. Temptation itself is not a sin; it is when someone entertains the temptation or acts on it that it becomes a sin. Keep in mind my dorky mantra: "Once a sinner, always tempted."
The Lord was patient over these many years and combated my ignorant lies with His Truth. Can you see the progression of my thoughts? They changed from anger to shifting blame to denial to flat out disobedience until I allowed Jesus to free me from my chains of bondage. Never once did the Lord throw up His hands in disgust and smite me (though I would not have blamed Him if He did)!
So how is it that we can overcome sin and temptation, especially in the moment? How do we successfully battle the lies? Here are some practical tips I can give you from my own walk with Christ:
1) Pray -- go to God when you are being tempted, no matter how often. This is a battle of the mind, and if you can distract your mind by talking to God, Satan's got no hold over you.
2) Read Scripture -- Battle lies with Truth. You must get rid of the faulty thinking by training yourself to recite Scripture. Carry around a Bible or flashcards if you must. Find verses that encourage you and discuss your particular temptation.
3) If you're alone, go be near people; if you're being tempted by people, get alone -- in either case, it is preferable to find a safe group of Christians to take shelter in. If it's the "Christians" who are tempting you, then you need a new group!
4) Sing and listen to worship songs and hymns -- sometimes all I have to do is sing a doxology and I can feel Satan fleeing my presence like I would flee nuclear material.
5) Avoid the place or person of temptation -- go sleep on a trusted friend's couch if you must, or block that person on facebook.
6) Find an accountability partner -- get someone who is NOT struggling with the same sin to pray with you and guide you during your difficult period. Preferably find someone of the same sex if it is a sexual temptation and get somebody more mature in their walk with Christ, somebody who will not be afraid to call you out on your sin.
7) Set up appropriate boundaries and tell your small group -- whether it's a curfew, a ban on TV, or only getting on the internet when your Christian friends are around, it's necessary.
8) Get counseling from a pastor or leader -- they will be able to help you with words of encouragement
9) Be HONEST -- seriously, stop trying to make yourself look good. Do you want to get over this sin or not?
10) Flee, flee, flee! -- if you know you are being tempted, drop what you are doing and GET OUT. God does not care how stupid you look to your friends, He cares whether you are obeying Him or not.
Friends, I know you can overcome your sin. God promises you that you will not be faced with anything you cannot handle. In all honesty, it boils down to this: Do you love sin, or do you love God?
Problem: Humans have been scorned so often they tend to believe people cannot permanently change for the better; as a result, most expect and model failure and distrust for future generations.
Truth: Humans can change by the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Read Romans 6 for one example of Biblical proof, and I encourage you to look for more verses.
Stumbling Blocks: Temptation keeps us from believing the truth and has the potential to weaken our resolve. When sin is not admitted because blame is applied, it keeps us from enjoying fellowship with Jesus, who is the Truth.
Result of Applied Truth: When believers obediently follow Christ and flee temptation, they are transformed into the image of Christ. Non-believers are then inspired by our transformation and start to wonder why we are more trustworthy than everyone else.
Today I will attempt to take a more in-depth look at the Stumbling Blocks and how we can take steps to overcome them. The Bible says we can defeat temptation and requires us to flee from it. Tomorrow I hope to address a question that naturally arises with the Result: "If you can only be truly trustworthy with Jesus, is it wise to trust non-Christians?"
Very well then, let's begin.
Temptation is nasty. The world was without sin in the beginning, but temptation came before sin. Temptation stems from the ability to obey or disobey the Law. "What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, 'You Shall Not Covet.' But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." Romans 7:7-12
Satan presented Eve with temptation by asking her to question the only rule God had given her. What else was there for her to question? She and Adam had everything they could ever need physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There was nothing to covet, nothing to steal, nobody to commit adultery with. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Gardens. The only thing they did not have, as Satan put it, was the ability to "be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5 There was recognition of the Law, there was the temptation. And sin entered this world.
The following italicized questions are an example of every kind of frustrated excuse or complaint I had when I was in the midst of extreme temptation. The answers to my questions are an example (obviously not verbatim) of the inevitable Holy Spirit smack-down I received.
Rules, rules, rules! Why does life and Christianity have to be about following rules?! Hey, don't blame God. He tried to save humans from death by keeping them from the tree of knowledge, remember? The whole Bible is about Him planning ways to get humans back to fellowship with Him in life! Sin only causes destruction and hurt. Why do you think God hates it? These rules are for a good reason, even if you cannot comprehend it.
Well, God does not know what it is like to be faced with temptation. He's never had raging hormones and a girl/boyfriend! Actually, that is one of the reasons why God came to earth as fully man and fully God. He experienced every kind of temptation for 40 straight days with no accountability partner and no food. Jesus models for us that if you are following the Lord, it is possible to resist sin and temptation. He was even sinless through childhood and adolescence. "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." Hebrews 2:17-18
Yeah, but Jesus was God. Yeah, well Job was not! He followed hard after God and did not sin!
God won't care if I commit a tiny sin. He's got bigger things to worry about, like world hunger. Anyway, I've been saved, so it's okay if I still sin. What exactly separates a little sin from a big sin? Romans 1:18-19 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them." (bold mine) Chew on this for a while: "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, graced abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 5:20,21 - 6:1,2
It's too hard to resist! Better to sin and ask for forgiveness than be faced with unavoidable and constant temptation. Boy was I stupid. "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 No excuses there. And that whole concept of blasé "God will forgive me anyway" mentality is met with some extreme smack-down in Hebrews 10:26-27: "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." Fear the Lord your God indeed!
I always feel guilty when I am being tempted. I feel like I ought to be above temptation, especially when I've overcome this sin. Remember that Jesus, the sinless one, was still tempted by Satan. Temptation itself is not a sin; it is when someone entertains the temptation or acts on it that it becomes a sin. Keep in mind my dorky mantra: "Once a sinner, always tempted."
The Lord was patient over these many years and combated my ignorant lies with His Truth. Can you see the progression of my thoughts? They changed from anger to shifting blame to denial to flat out disobedience until I allowed Jesus to free me from my chains of bondage. Never once did the Lord throw up His hands in disgust and smite me (though I would not have blamed Him if He did)!
So how is it that we can overcome sin and temptation, especially in the moment? How do we successfully battle the lies? Here are some practical tips I can give you from my own walk with Christ:
1) Pray -- go to God when you are being tempted, no matter how often. This is a battle of the mind, and if you can distract your mind by talking to God, Satan's got no hold over you.
2) Read Scripture -- Battle lies with Truth. You must get rid of the faulty thinking by training yourself to recite Scripture. Carry around a Bible or flashcards if you must. Find verses that encourage you and discuss your particular temptation.
3) If you're alone, go be near people; if you're being tempted by people, get alone -- in either case, it is preferable to find a safe group of Christians to take shelter in. If it's the "Christians" who are tempting you, then you need a new group!
4) Sing and listen to worship songs and hymns -- sometimes all I have to do is sing a doxology and I can feel Satan fleeing my presence like I would flee nuclear material.
5) Avoid the place or person of temptation -- go sleep on a trusted friend's couch if you must, or block that person on facebook.
6) Find an accountability partner -- get someone who is NOT struggling with the same sin to pray with you and guide you during your difficult period. Preferably find someone of the same sex if it is a sexual temptation and get somebody more mature in their walk with Christ, somebody who will not be afraid to call you out on your sin.
7) Set up appropriate boundaries and tell your small group -- whether it's a curfew, a ban on TV, or only getting on the internet when your Christian friends are around, it's necessary.
8) Get counseling from a pastor or leader -- they will be able to help you with words of encouragement
9) Be HONEST -- seriously, stop trying to make yourself look good. Do you want to get over this sin or not?
10) Flee, flee, flee! -- if you know you are being tempted, drop what you are doing and GET OUT. God does not care how stupid you look to your friends, He cares whether you are obeying Him or not.
Friends, I know you can overcome your sin. God promises you that you will not be faced with anything you cannot handle. In all honesty, it boils down to this: Do you love sin, or do you love God?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Change of Heart: Part 1 -- Identifying the Problem
God's allowed me to notice that there is a common misconception in the circles of the wounded or abandoned (so basically all of us). Wronged people have a hard time believing that humans can permanently change for the better. Why should they believe any different? Time and time again their failed relationships have proven that humans are untrustworthy creatures. The older they get, the more scorned they become as our spouses leave them and our business partners betray them. It is only natural to take the cynical approach so that they may guard their hearts and protect their loved ones from the same pain.
Unfortunately, this falsified protection they feebly use as resistance becomes the source of power for The Liar (aka Satan) and his cronies. Automatically they find themselves becoming more and more cynical of human behavior -- and rightly so, if they dare to turn on the news. Trusting humans becomes dangerous, almost laughable, and will most certainly lead to destruction. The intentions of any kind-hearted individual are tainted by the sins of those who came before him or her. The bold pronouncement of a newly inspired teenager to say "This is wrong; I will change!" is greeted by rolled eyes and an illegal promotion of "safe" underage drinking by those who "know better". Those who attempt to change from their negative ways are seen as doomed to repeat their actions; worse still are those who believe that such a person could change -- how naive! It is better to expect failure and guard against making it worse than trying to stop it. After all, it's just their personality type -- it's in their blood, their hormones! We can't change who we are.
Hopefully you're starting to see the lie in this.
Our society places the expectation of failure on our heads before we even attempt to change for the better. A common phrase I hear is, "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic". I believe the original purpose of that phrase was to keep alcoholics out of temptation -- if they believe they are "fixed" and able to drink and control the urge, they will inevitably fall back into their old ways and destroy what they have worked so hard to achieve. It is smart for alcoholics to recognize their weakness and avoid it. I have no issues with this phrase. The issues I have are the lies that have latched themselves onto an idea like this. Let me replace "alcoholic" with something generic, like "sin" itself.
What would you say if I said "Once a sinner, always a sinner"? There is something fundamentally wrong about that statement! The Bible completely contradicts that statement over and over. Just read Romans 6 and you will know what I'm talking about. Romans 6:6-7 "our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin." or Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." and the wonderful Romans 6:22-23 "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NASB translation) Praise be to God, once we accept Him as our Savior we are cleansed from our life of sin!
Now, since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), it is definitely required to flee from temptation the way alcoholics do. The Bible says to "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18) We are even told that we can "resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). What amazing grace God shows us! He changes what was once rotten flesh and replaces it with His purity and light. God patiently teaches us how to change for the better in His Image, and when we pursue Him with all of our hearts, that change is permanent.
Remember: just because God has delivered you from sin does not mean you can flirt with that area of temptation. My mantra might turn into "Once a sinner, forever tempted". Perhaps you are finding it difficult to change and resist temptation in the first place, even when seeking Christ. Take heart, for "no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (italics mine) There is no temptation that you cannot overcome if you are truly seeking God's righteousness. You must rely completely on God and flee temptation; you must believe that God can change your heart! The Lord will not turn away from you or give up on you, so you can trust Him even when you cannot trust humans.
Sometimes, however, the problem lies with the admission of sin in the first place. My friend, do not fall into the trap of believing that God's commandments do not apply simply because He created you to be a sexual being, or because you're young, or because He has "bigger" things to worry about. There is no society too civilized to be convicted of sin.
God can and will change your heart, your personality flaws, your mind -- if you let Him! Allow the most trusted and faithful Lord of the universe to heal your wounds and lavish you in His love. Come into His presence on bended knee and ask Him to reveal to you how you can change permanently, so that you can properly reflect the character of Christ. Then Satan's lies can be destroyed by Truth and non-Christians will be inspired to know why we, as recipients of God's grace and transforming power, are more trustworthy than the average joe.
When God's people earnestly seek Him, only then can we transform the world. This is change I can believe in. It is God-driven, and God-inspired.
This is my prayer; will you join me in it?
Unfortunately, this falsified protection they feebly use as resistance becomes the source of power for The Liar (aka Satan) and his cronies. Automatically they find themselves becoming more and more cynical of human behavior -- and rightly so, if they dare to turn on the news. Trusting humans becomes dangerous, almost laughable, and will most certainly lead to destruction. The intentions of any kind-hearted individual are tainted by the sins of those who came before him or her. The bold pronouncement of a newly inspired teenager to say "This is wrong; I will change!" is greeted by rolled eyes and an illegal promotion of "safe" underage drinking by those who "know better". Those who attempt to change from their negative ways are seen as doomed to repeat their actions; worse still are those who believe that such a person could change -- how naive! It is better to expect failure and guard against making it worse than trying to stop it. After all, it's just their personality type -- it's in their blood, their hormones! We can't change who we are.
Hopefully you're starting to see the lie in this.
Our society places the expectation of failure on our heads before we even attempt to change for the better. A common phrase I hear is, "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic". I believe the original purpose of that phrase was to keep alcoholics out of temptation -- if they believe they are "fixed" and able to drink and control the urge, they will inevitably fall back into their old ways and destroy what they have worked so hard to achieve. It is smart for alcoholics to recognize their weakness and avoid it. I have no issues with this phrase. The issues I have are the lies that have latched themselves onto an idea like this. Let me replace "alcoholic" with something generic, like "sin" itself.
What would you say if I said "Once a sinner, always a sinner"? There is something fundamentally wrong about that statement! The Bible completely contradicts that statement over and over. Just read Romans 6 and you will know what I'm talking about. Romans 6:6-7 "our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin." or Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." and the wonderful Romans 6:22-23 "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NASB translation) Praise be to God, once we accept Him as our Savior we are cleansed from our life of sin!
Now, since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), it is definitely required to flee from temptation the way alcoholics do. The Bible says to "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18) We are even told that we can "resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). What amazing grace God shows us! He changes what was once rotten flesh and replaces it with His purity and light. God patiently teaches us how to change for the better in His Image, and when we pursue Him with all of our hearts, that change is permanent.
Remember: just because God has delivered you from sin does not mean you can flirt with that area of temptation. My mantra might turn into "Once a sinner, forever tempted". Perhaps you are finding it difficult to change and resist temptation in the first place, even when seeking Christ. Take heart, for "no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (italics mine) There is no temptation that you cannot overcome if you are truly seeking God's righteousness. You must rely completely on God and flee temptation; you must believe that God can change your heart! The Lord will not turn away from you or give up on you, so you can trust Him even when you cannot trust humans.
Sometimes, however, the problem lies with the admission of sin in the first place. My friend, do not fall into the trap of believing that God's commandments do not apply simply because He created you to be a sexual being, or because you're young, or because He has "bigger" things to worry about. There is no society too civilized to be convicted of sin.
God can and will change your heart, your personality flaws, your mind -- if you let Him! Allow the most trusted and faithful Lord of the universe to heal your wounds and lavish you in His love. Come into His presence on bended knee and ask Him to reveal to you how you can change permanently, so that you can properly reflect the character of Christ. Then Satan's lies can be destroyed by Truth and non-Christians will be inspired to know why we, as recipients of God's grace and transforming power, are more trustworthy than the average joe.
When God's people earnestly seek Him, only then can we transform the world. This is change I can believe in. It is God-driven, and God-inspired.
This is my prayer; will you join me in it?
He who has ears let him hear. Matthew 11:15
Good evening, fellow bloggers.
I write to you with the hopes of being a source of encouragement and light. I plan to write about myself very little unless it is required for the discussion topic at hand. If you have come to this blog expecting juicy gossip about my life or a detailed family tree analysis, you've come to the wrong place! You may get my occasional rants about society and how overall ridiculous it is, but I promise it will stay relevant to whatever topic I feel led to discuss.
Right, that leads me to these mysterious "topics" I keep mentioning. Here's a disclaimer: all of my topics will be about God; more specifically, following the life modeled by Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of the world. God tends to teach me valuable truths of His Word in lesson plans, which I file away safely in my brain -- hence the name of this blog, "The God Files". My brain picks up on all sorts of interesting spiritual things but nothing clicks until God gives me the proper external stimuli of a speaker, book, movie, or music to tie it all together. It is like God purposely left the corpus callosum out of my brain so that He could remind me that this wisdom I so readily receive is from Him! This is why Matthew 11:15 "He who has ears" is one of my favorite verses; not only does it explain my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it reveals the style of my ministry through music and blogging!
Even though I will talk freely about Identity, Love, Sex, Conflict or whatever pops up, I am well aware that there are certain topics more troublesome than others. If you have a conflicting thought, a different translation or outlook please share it respectfully with me. I do my best to keep an open mind and heart to the opinions of other people, regardless of whether you consider yourself to be a Christian or not.
The Lord has transformed me into a woman passionate about changing the world one person at a time. I could not do it without His loving widsom, guidance, and patience. I pray that my humble attempts to exhort you in the ways of Christ will bear great fruit and further the Kingdom of God, and I look forward to the adventure!
Now for those of you who have not run away screaming, I will be glad to show you a summary of my doctrinal beliefs. If you ever want to clarify what it is I believe, feel free to ask me.
I write to you with the hopes of being a source of encouragement and light. I plan to write about myself very little unless it is required for the discussion topic at hand. If you have come to this blog expecting juicy gossip about my life or a detailed family tree analysis, you've come to the wrong place! You may get my occasional rants about society and how overall ridiculous it is, but I promise it will stay relevant to whatever topic I feel led to discuss.
Right, that leads me to these mysterious "topics" I keep mentioning. Here's a disclaimer: all of my topics will be about God; more specifically, following the life modeled by Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of the world. God tends to teach me valuable truths of His Word in lesson plans, which I file away safely in my brain -- hence the name of this blog, "The God Files". My brain picks up on all sorts of interesting spiritual things but nothing clicks until God gives me the proper external stimuli of a speaker, book, movie, or music to tie it all together. It is like God purposely left the corpus callosum out of my brain so that He could remind me that this wisdom I so readily receive is from Him! This is why Matthew 11:15 "He who has ears" is one of my favorite verses; not only does it explain my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it reveals the style of my ministry through music and blogging!
Even though I will talk freely about Identity, Love, Sex, Conflict or whatever pops up, I am well aware that there are certain topics more troublesome than others. If you have a conflicting thought, a different translation or outlook please share it respectfully with me. I do my best to keep an open mind and heart to the opinions of other people, regardless of whether you consider yourself to be a Christian or not.
The Lord has transformed me into a woman passionate about changing the world one person at a time. I could not do it without His loving widsom, guidance, and patience. I pray that my humble attempts to exhort you in the ways of Christ will bear great fruit and further the Kingdom of God, and I look forward to the adventure!
Now for those of you who have not run away screaming, I will be glad to show you a summary of my doctrinal beliefs. If you ever want to clarify what it is I believe, feel free to ask me.
I believe in one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all, (Ephesians 4:5-6) existing externally in three persons: Father, Son – who is fully human and fully divine (Colossians 2:9), and the Holy Spirit. I believe that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23-25), and that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice (Romans 3:23-25). Those who want to receive eternal salvation need to accept Christ and only Him through faith (1 John 5:11-12) and not on the basis of righteous works (Ephesians 2:8-9). I believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:3,9). I believe in the unique divine inspiration, entire trustworthiness and authority of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). I believe in the calling to glorify the Lord by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. (Philippians 2:2).
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