|
| Fight Back Against The 7 Deadly Sins |
|
| |
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I recently read an Associated Press article entitled: Here’s How To Fight Back Or Give In To 7 Deadly Sins. They say: “. . . you might want to check yourself out against something that has stood the test of time: the seven deadly sins . . . And in the interest of free choice, here are some modern suggestions for fighting them off — or indulging them."
They list the seven deadly sins as: 1) greed, 2) sloth, 3) lust, 4) gluttony, 5) pride, 6) wrath, and 7) envy. AP gives a paragraph or two on how to fight back or how to give in to each of the seven sins.
I take this article as a challenge. Anybody can give in to the 7 deadly sins through passive surrender. That requires no effort, no resistance, no courage, no principles.
However to rise up and overcome the 7 deadly sins requires great determination, heroism, boldness, and character. Only the bravest and strongest individuals will sincerely and consistently attempt it.
As Christians we are called to righteousness -- right living. And we don't have to do it alone. We have a Deliverer who has set us free to live in a new way. Now we don't have to be conformed to this world and its sins. We have been given the power to live a holy lifestyle -- to do right. Will we use the power that Christ has given us? Or will we simply give in and obey the whims and temptations of our culture? We do have a choice!
Life without challenge is boring. Fighting to overcome the sins in our life, makes life an exciting challenge. Why not put even more effort into your fight to live right this coming year?
|
|
| To add a comment to "Fight Back Against The 7 Deadly Sins" |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
 |
|
|
Steve these are just a sign of one thing. Lack of intimacy with God. We were created to have fellowship with God. its just that simple. If we are spending time with the Lord and allowing Jesus to live through us as an extention of him, then how are any of these things even an issue?
The word says it is the Holy Spirit that keeps us from these things to begin with. Is our goal to try and be good or is our goal to have the love relationship with God. If you are married, the greatest culmination of that love is making love with your wife.
If you are a Christian, the greatest culmination of your relationship is not trying to be good for God because you Love him, its spending real intimate time with him. |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Amen Steve...Great Blog ;o) |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| I read that... the battle is the Lord's, not ours. |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| William: Who's battle is holy living? By His grace, the Lord has given us the power to live right. Now what do we do with that power? |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| GA: As believers we still face temptations. The devil and the flesh work to seduce us into sin. That is why the Bible says: "Resist the devil." Grace is awesome! I don't deserve to have fortgiveness and the power to live a holy life, however, God, by His grace, has given them to me. Now what will I do? Will I "continue in sin that grace may abound"? We are all faced with the choice. Will we use the grace we have been freely give to resist sin and live right? Or will we ignore the grace and continue to missbehave in thought and deed? |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Thanks, Mar Jay. I appreciate your being a long-term reader of my blog. |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
Steve
I don't think I need to concentrate on the enemy. My life with him is life through him. Jesus said that he did nothing outside of the father doing it through him. I have read this time and time again. Could Jesus have done all those things? Yes he could have. But he also had two natures. Divine and man.
He fulfilled the law by doing it as man? No, he did it by the Father God doing things through him. Living throgh him. Now as a believer and us having two natures since we are man and born again of the spirit of the living God....do we fight the things of the spirit in the flesh being our natural man, or do we through the Spirit?
Sin is no longer the issue for a born again believer because they are forgiven. Where is your strength, in fighting? Or is it in the Spirit of the Lord. Do you find peace and Strength in the Gospel, or is your placement in your value found on a battlefield that the Lord said he already won? There is a saying, do not continue to beat a dead horse. I do not fight battles already won by the Lord.
The born again believer is not called a sinner. He is not called a saved sinner. Instead he is called a Saint. It is not because of how he can live his life as a person who is a believer in Christ. It is because of what Christ did for the world. We are not pure because of our actions. We are not righteous either because we are flawed. We fail. We have and we will. We are pure in God's eyes because of Jesus. The same way as righteous. It is because of us identifying and believing on Jesus Christ and the completeness of him.
Is your relationship to your wife and children based on how well they perform? The better they perform the more you love them and are happy? If so then that is called conditional acceptance and love. You know your wife and children are imperfect and you accept that. God is the same. Believers are drawn to God's goodness. The soulish part of our relationship is us not totally comprehending that and we make our own laundry list of do's and donts' instead of walking in the Love of the relationship which steers us to good things.
You will do bad things. Perhaps not as bad as some other believers. You did not stop being human. And it may stop you from feeling comfortable with the Lord. But he is still there. What happens? His Goodness and Kindness brings you always back to him.
We aren't called to live "right". We are asked to be the people that allow Jesus to live through us.
Best Wishes
William |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
I'm with Paul on the more I try not to do the things I don't want to do the more that I do them.. who will deliver me...
JESUS CHRIST....
praise God! |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| "Thank you dear for this;
Let me say like my brother william said here that;
There is a saying, do not continue to beat a dead horse. I do not fight battles already won by the Lord.
The born again believer is not called a sinner. He is not called a saved sinner. Instead he is called a Saint. It is not because of how he can live his life as a person who is a believer in Christ. It is because of what Christ did for the world. We are not pure because of our actions. We are not righteous either because we are flawed. We fail. We have and we will. We are pure in God's eyes because of Jesus. The same way as righteous. It is because of us identifying and believing on Jesus Christ and the completeness of him.
|
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
Gracealone, you wrote "its spending real intimate time with him" - people tend to miss that very important aspect of our relationship with Him.
Awesome comments guys!! |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Steve, you hae sucessfully done it again, you have messed me up, what i don't understand is how so many times we get comfortable in missing our most important and precious time with the one who loves us more than anyone in this world. |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
Good discussion. Thanks to all.
To all of us who have received God's grace, our behavior matters. We are called to follow and obey Jesus. We are called to holy living. So much of the New Testament commands and calls us to live right. |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
| AMEN- I agree |
|
|
| December 18, 2008 |
|
|
|
The Love God has for each of us has overcome allllll of the seven deadly sins and whatever shadow lurks nearby. I stand free from any sin whatsoever, because Light does not see a dark corner in my life.I can but advise the simple ones. Stop looking at your rooms with your earthly eyes.
Kw. |
|
|
| December 19, 2008 |
|
|
|
| Thank you, WP. Those of us living in this world know from our experience, that even though we are justified before God by the blood of Jesus, living a life of obedience to Christ and personal holiness is a great struggle. |
|
|
| December 21, 2008 |
|
|
|
Steve once again... thought provoking... may it send each of us to HIM for His Present truth in our season of faith. Please feel free to join me:
Thank You Father, being the family of God we can hear Your voice with ever present clarity. Bless You for revealing YourSelf to us.... For sending Jesus in Your name with Your gospel... and for revealing it to us .... through the power of the Holy Spirit which was poured out on all flesh. Bless You... through the birth of Your Spirit within our earthern vessels, we are drawn to You to experience the spiritual reality of Who You are... Who Jesus is.... Who we are dead in Christ... and alive in Christ.
Bless You for revealing... at the foundations of the world, when You concieved us... You had a plan. Believers of all ages are living it out through an intimate relationship with You. We are drawn together by Your Spirit.... each experiencing a unique relationship with You which leads us to maturity. The earth groans and travails for the manifestation of Your mature sons and daughters.... and You have promised such shall be fulfilled in due season.
This blog puts me in mind of the time before I was born of Your Spirit and what has transpired since ... I remember trying to be good in my own strength... having heard Your laws. I saw how imperfect I was.... in grief, I cried out to You for Your power to overcome sin.... having heard such was possible through recieving the power of the Holy Spirit within with a repentant, surrendered heart. Initially I did not want to die in sin... not because I loved or understood Your law as expressed through the Old Testament and New.... but because I feared hell and separation from Your love/mercy. I knew about You.... but I did not as yet, know You intimately. I hear my sin nature and the sufferings in my life grieved You... and that both saddened and delighted my heart. I saw You as my dad... and wanted Your best for me. I wanted to please you by way of expressing love. I wanted to do what was right. I did not want to hurt You by sinning against You. I wanted to be free of my desire to sin and these feelings of condemnation. I wanted to be free from the fear of hell and death... I wanted to know You and Your truth and to live it according to Your plan for my life ...
When You brought me into Your Presence through the new birth experience... as I surrendered my all to You for Your truth and will... You caused me to experience Your unconditional love... and I loved You in return with a love which has grown through Your Presence in my life. A love I desire to express and tell all who come across my path, that they too may know YOU and such a love. I understood I could never earn Your love, nor could I destroy it. I knew I need not fear hell and death. You have a place prepared for me already, a place with You of Your design, I could only imagine. I saw myself as a sinner saved by grace.... who became a saint and was brought into Your Presence. I saw myself die with Christ, and I saw myself raised with Him anew. He died as me... I was raised at Him.... thus when I read in scripture, I was hid in Christ through You, I understood with the power of the resurrected Christ living in me, my sin nature has been overcome... and with the new heart You were giving me I would no longer desire sin and daily would learn to walk free of it.
I came to understand as I grew being born of the Spirit as a babe with a holy heart... I was being raised by You to become who I am to be as Your inheritance/child. You are bringing to death my old ways of being and thinking, renewing the Spirit of my mind with Your words made alive within my spirit. My old nature wrestles with Yours, being weaker as Your Spirit in me matures me through Your Presence. Through the new birth experience... I am fully equipped to become Who You created me to Be. I have the Holy Spirit alive within guiding me and teaching me Your truth as my will daily seeks to align itself with Yours. I have the Holy Spirit comforting me... regenerating me daily through our intimate relationship.... a relationship You ordained and bring into Being according to Your unfolding plan, my having surrendered to it with my entire being. This journey has not been an easy one... but it brings MUCH joy!
Bless You for giving me the understanding... as we grow, we go through different stages of developmental maturity and understanding... some we meet are at our stage.... other's are behind or ahead. When believers gather together in Your name, we each present an aspect of Your truth ... it seems to be the time has come for mature sons and daughters to be manifested... the time has come for believers to walk in the Spirit of unity... with the fruits of the spirit.... The time has come for believers to walk in Spirit and truth... The time has come for believers to walk in the power of Your love... The time has come for believers to offer the grace they have lived.... through grace being manifested through them. The time has come for Your Kingdom to be manifested on earth.... as it is in heaven. The time has come for believers to live in Your Holy, Righteous, Kingdom of Peace ... our having learned to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness with the knowing You provide what we need daily.
You showed me it is YOU who brought me as an infant into Your City of Truth through the new birth experience, Jesus being both the initiator and completer of my faith. It is You who gives us contentment and a peace which surpasses all understanding and keeps us, presenting us spotless before Your throne of grace ... and it is You who overcome sin for/through us... Your family.
Bless You for imparting to us a hate of that which You hate... and a love for that which You love... during the time we spend with You being transformed into the image of Your Son, through the New Covenant. Thank You for causing us to become one with You... for giving us Your desires, and Your compassion. For being encouragement and light through us and to us through another... for allowing Your light to shine forth into darkness, that the seed of life in those yet dead or unaware..... may awaken and come to know You and Your eternal plan of mercy, grace and reconciliation. Bless You for the assurance, as we struggle through these vessels of flesh, overcoming and leaving behind what once was .... we can come to You for Your overcoming power... and a knowing our will is being become conformed to Yours... Bless You the Spirit of our mind is being renewed and restored through the power of Your Holy Spirit and revealed word abiding within. Bless You for the assurance Your Holy Spirit will continue to reveal Your truth.... with power. Bless You and thank You for that which is to yet to be and the ever abiding assurance... You are resting in Your finished work for us ... and will bring it to pass ... and You bid us come enter into Your rest with You. Thanks You for such as this and more......
|
|
|
Follow this blog
