“Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 NLT
Struggling with Sin?
Warmup Question: What is the most difficult thing you have ever done?
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.
Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.
I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” Romans 7:14-25 NLT
Scriptural Questions: What is the trouble with sin?, Is it me or the law?, What is my sin nature (Galatians 5:19-21)?, What is the power within us that makes us a slave to sin?, Are evil spirits malevolent, supernatural beings (Ephesians 6:12)?, Can God use evil to achieve His purposes (Romans 8:22)?, Can anything save me from the failure to keep God’s commands?
Podcast from Dr Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries
Victory is God’s will for the life of a believer. But sometimes we can find ourselves repeatedly falling into the same sin. If we want to do what is right, why do we continue to miss the mark?
One reason is incomplete repentance.
It is possible for us to experience grief, embarrassment, and shame over sin without being truly repentant.
Repentance isn’t a matter of weeping or feeling guilty; rather, it’s a change of mind about sin so that we no longer hold on to our own perspective but instead agree with God’s viewpoint. When we do this, the heart turns in the opposite direction from persistent wrongdoing.
“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” Proverbs 28:13 NLT
The second reason for failure is an inadequate view of our identity in the Lord. We, as children of God, have Christ living within us. When we grasp this truth, we will recognize that sin does not fit who we are, and we’ll stop rationalizing our offenses.
Our genuine repentance is based upon an honest and biblical understanding of our identity. When we put these two truths together, we create a powerful tool against temptation.
Our Father wants us to be victorious, and we triumph when we remember that Jesus Christ is the source of our life.
Question of the Heart: Since we know that God wants victory in the lives of believers, where have you noticed a victory engineered by Him in your life.
SendUsLord implores every reader to “dive deeper” into God’s Word as a life-long goal. Spiritual maturity is the reward.
Are you ready to go and tell God’s story to an unbelieving world?