Tag Archives: sin

No Condemnation

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My little girl can be so very naughty.  Having hit that terrible 2 age, she regularly throws tantrums and has been know to damage furniture, to scratch me and her mother, to bite, to throw things around, the list is endless on what a 2 year old can do!  And yet no matter what she does, I never stop loving her, and I always forgive her.

How much more does our father in heaven love us!?  He sent His Son to die that the gap that seperates us from God may be bridged.  When we therefore, believe on Him, and seek His forgiveness for our Sin, He forgives us, no matter what!  If an earthly father can feel such love for his child, how much more must our Heavenly Father love.

The prodigal son was still welcomed home by his father, even after sqandering his inheretence.  Like that father, God has His arms wide open to us, welcoming us home.  Remember, whatever you have done, God can and will forgive and you will have a right relationship restored.  Spend time with God, confessing, then believing in Gods promise that you are forgiven.

Forgiveness:
Acts 13:38-39,  Ephesians 1:7-8, James 5:15 and 1 John 1:9

Satan is the accuser, and wants nothing more that you to feel condemed for the things you have done wrong.  Instead of feeling condemed and far from God, read the promises above, believe in them, confess your sin, turn from it and believe in the promisies of God that you are a forgiven child of God.  You are a SAINT not a sinner!

The Armor of God – Romans 13:12-14

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More and more often I am being reminded that we are people of war!  We are in a spiritual battle, we are soldiers of Christ.  How foolish t heref

ore would it be for a soldier to rush out to battle without protective clothing?  Without the tools to succeed in battle?

As Christians we can all to often forget that we do have armor to protect us, and tools to enable us fight the battles and win the wars.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. (NIV)

Surely a wake up call!  Are you struggling with Sin?  Are you feeling far from God?  Is your relationship with the Lord where you would like it to be?  Have you back slidden?  The WAKE UP,  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  The day is at hand!

So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (NIV)

Turn away from sin, that is turn completely away from sin.  And don the armor that our Lord gives us.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

These things bring us down, they detract from our relationship with Him.  They hold us back, they enslave us.  As soldiers of Christ they render us ineffective.  Do you have a passion in your heart to see God move?  If so, living in Sin will only hold you back.  The pleasures of sin are temporary, and lead to spiritual death.  Where as you will find pure joy, fulfilment and completeness in the Living God!

So as in verse 14, don’t dwell on those things that tempt us, dont dwell on the darkness, for where your thoughts are, your heart is sure to follow!  Rather think of heavenly things.  Clothes yourselves in Jesus.

He will protect us and keep us, fulfil us, equip us, and enable us to be effective soldiers of Him.

My Story – Acts 26:9-18

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I took a look at Our Daily Bread today and was reminded of my own conversion story.  Sauls was as dramatic as I can imagine, and there are many many dramatic conversion stories through out the ages.  No matter however how, dramatic or even “normal” our conversion was, the result is the same.  We were once lost, but now are found, blind but now can see, we are saved!

So with no further a do, I will share with you a breif version of my conversion story.  When I was 15 on a tuesday in April of a year in the 90s, I was quite happily walloping down my moms home made food when I had a call from the curate at church asking if I would mind popping along and assisting some speaker with the projector during his talk!  Yes my parents were both Christians for as long as I could remember, and I had been attending church for the same period of time… as long as I could remember!

During the talk that evening, I was bored as usual, not really paying much attention, however when the speaker mentioned a “half way house”, my ears pricked up.  I can only describe it when you are in a crowded room and not listening to anyone but then you hear your name and you immediately look up!

I was in my “half way house”, as I was going through the motions of being a Christian, going to church, helping out, singing songs and yet I hadnt made a decision for Christ.  I cant remember what was going through my head, but I do remember completely breaking down at the front of church after the service, and the speaker praying with me to accept Jesus into my life.  I remember I felt like I was floating when I walked home and despite the fact I had not told my parents, my mom still wrote, “Lee met Jesus tonight” in her diary as it was so blatantly obvious!

Things went well,  the Lord blessed me with faith enough to be a witness at school, and got me through some very tough times of teasing.  However over time as I grew older, peer pressure slowly wore me down and by the time I was 16, I was on a path of self destruction.

I spent many years living “under my own steam”.  I basically was a rebellious child all over again.  I stopped going to church, my worship music collection gathered dust, my Bibles found their way to the attic in storage, and I lived life as a lost person for many years.

It was after the birth of my second daughter when I started to feel the conviction of my sin too over bearing, and that I had to go to Church and start a journey of re-discovery of my relationship with the Lord.  I went first to a local church, however really just went through the motions.  I was struggling with a bondage to sin, and a heart desire to change.  I continued to struggle with that for some time also after I made my decision for Christ again just a year ago now approx.

I began a hunt for a church that I could meet God in, and eventually chanced upon a new church plant that was meeting in a school.  I started going now and again whilst visiting other churches and still trying to “get right with God”, and at first I thought that that church probably wasnt for me, however for some reason I still kept going!

One evening I was watching a Christian film called The Perfect Stranger where a woman is let down by her husband at a restaurant, when a stranger appears and has a meal with her claiming to be Jesus.  The film went through what he knew about her, and what he did for her, and it was moving.  She didnt believe him however right up until suddenly the holes in his hands became obvious.  That night I broke down and wept, asking Jesus back into my life, to change my heart, to release me from strongholds in my life and to save me.

It wasnt a dramatic change over night, I was so entrenched in sin, that I struggled for months, torn between the desire to grow stronger in my faith and in my relationship with my Father God, and on the opposite end the temptation of sin and straying.  I had spend 8 – 9 years living under my own strength, and I realised, only months ago that despite the fact my heart had understood and wanted the Lord, my head was still trying to live my life and be in control.  I was not letting God take the stearing wheel of my life and I was still insistant upon driving which was why I was failing.

Its been a few months now where I finally let go of the steering wheel and let God drive.  Admittedly there have been times where I have “side seat” driven, trying to tell God where I should be going, and other times where I have grabbed the steering wheel back for a few seconds, only realising that I have forgotten the art of driving, and that it is only God who can steer my life in the right direction.

Thank you Lord for your saving grace.  Despite the fact I rebelled for many years, and even despite the fact I as a human can still mess up now and again, you are a loving, forgiving God.  You were there even in my darkest hours, simply waiting for me to turn back to you.  Waiting for the prodical to return.  I pray that anyone reading this who can either see themselves in this testimony, or know they have a need for something, will check out my “Believe” page, and or seek a local church to learn more about a relationship with you Father.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Love Your Neighbour – James 2:8-13

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I think “Love your neighbour as yourself” is one of the best known lines of the Bible.  At least thats what non-Christians quote to me when telling me what they understand about the faith.  Have we ever thought about what this law actually means!?

Sure I have….  Havent I?  I am nice to people…

Thinking about it in detail, our neighbour is not simply those who live next door and behind our physical homes, but litterally everyone!  It says quite clearly in James we shouldnt have favourites, and I know for a fact I have been guilty of that in the past, avoiding someone else, and “bee-lining” for someone who is more popular, easier to talk to or have less problems to “moan” about!

You see the problem there is I displayed selfishness, and by that simple action, broke the “law of loving”.

OK, but I have never murdered anyone, nor have I stolen from a bank, robbed a car or anything terribly bad!

 Well, when standing in court for a driving offence be it speeding or parking, it will not help your case should you say, “But I havent murdered, anyone your honour!”.  The fact is, a law has been broken, thus the penalty must be served.

The Bible is clear also, that the wages of sin is death.  And if it were not for our Lord God, through the death and ressurection of His Son Jesus Christ, there would be no hope for us!  We would be no doubt be sent away was it not for His love.

Now as Christians, it is clear we have a calling to keep this law.

Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.
James 2:12  - GNB 

It is a desire of our hearts, as we are freed from slavery to sin (Rom 8:2).  As part of our relationship of love with the Lord, it is natural to want to live a life for Him, to follow Jesus’ example and live like Him.  Examine your heart, examine your motives, and if there is anything that you are struggling with, leave it at Jesus feet, seeking His help.  Invite His Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart, to guide you, and to strengthen you in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Hard to Forgive – Genesis 45:1-15

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What strikes me immediately about this event, is how Joseph over came the natural urge to “hold a grudge”, and instead was able to see the situation and the past actions of his family as part of God’s plan!  He understood that the Lord had allowed his brothers to sell him into slavery as God had the foresight to see what was ahead.  He knew Joseph would be able to minister to Pharaoh and be a shining light of Gods Glory in Egypt.

It takes some doing to be able to take a step outside of oneself, and begin to understand the benefit of forgiveness.  It does not come naturally, and we have a tendency to want revenge for when we have been wronged.  And yet we need to remind ourselves of the cross.  How our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ bore all our sin on that cross that we might be forgiven.  When we turn to Him and seek forgiveness of our sin, by His grace he is faithful

and forgives.

Colossians 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV)

The Lord keeps on forgiving us, and as in the above verse, we are told to forgive anyone, of anything, whomever they are, just as the Lord forgave us.

Following His Example – Ephesians 5:1-17

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1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV)

Just as we inherit characteristics in how we look (and possibly act) from our parents and family, when we become children of God, we should look to resemble Him by what we do, how we live etc. God sent His son

to die so that those who believe will not die, and so that we can become children of God. As part of the family we should look to our father for the example of how to live.

I am surprised that in nearly 3 months of regular Bible reading the word imitate has been one of the most regular subjects. I would be tempted to think I have covered this subject and can move onto something else, but I remember many mature Christians who have said to me that they continue to learn even 30 years later after reading the very same portion of scripture. The Bible really can speak something different into different situations of our lives all the time. I don’t know of any other book that can really cover all of life like the Bible does!

Moving back to imitation. I am reminded of days at school when a friend would decide to mimic ever action I made. If I scratched my head they would do so. I would get extremely annoyed by it in the end and start saying things like “I am silly” to get the person to say that! OK, perhaps a poor example, but we are called to copy Christ’s example.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (NIV)

It’s all very well being told to imitate, however how are we to do this? Well above is one clear example; we are to forgive as Christ forgave us. Note “just as Christ”, we see this also in the first 2 verses of this reading (Ephesians :1-2).

Moving through the passage, there is advice on what to and what not to do to help us keep true to our walk with the Lord. Vers 3 talks of sexual sin. Check out yesterdays reading I did on living in Darkness (Out of Darkness), it talks about sexual sin being something we need to flee from as it is different from all other sin. It is a sin inside the body, and our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Indulging in sexual sin or any other sin for that matter keeps us hidden in the darkness, and disconnects us from the help and support our Lord wants to give us. Remember he can’t look upon sin, but as soon as you ask forgiveness he is there in a shot!

Verse 4 talks of watching what you say and talk about. Filthy language never left Jesus mouth. He only spoke truth and love. We are likewise only to speak the truth, and not to use coarse, or vile words even if they emphasise a point! Mind you, you can still talk about unsavoury things without using bad language so we should also avoid “course talking”, for example joking where the subject has sexual connotations, or an unsavoury hidden (or at times not so hidden) meaning. Foolish talk is also mentioned, and this can mean swearing again, and also talking without thinking! If we babble we can sometimes say things that perhaps we didn’t mean and cause offence to someone. (Guilty as charged!)

Verses 5 & 6 rounds up the previous statements and emphasise the fact that those indulging in this behaviour will be subject to Gods wrath. That sounds scary, and yes God does punish sin. For those who do not believe their actions will lead to death! Why are these verses worded so harshly? I think to really drive the point home that living in darkness does not glorify our Father in Heaven and does not please Him. He will deal with things justly for he is a God of Justice. We have been warned!

Looking in more detail at verse 6, we are warned about being deceived by others words. One thing I am struck by watching some ministries on TV, is how they have used God’s word and Truths out of context. Changing God’s word to suit ourselves is to lie! As Christians we are to adjust our walk to reflect the truth, not to adjust the word to suit how we walk!

Verses 8-10 are a glorious reminder that we were once lost but are now found, we were once in darkness and are now in the light.

As believers we should adjust our actions to imitate our Lord so as to remain in the light, and to glorify Him. Glorifying the Lord acts as a “thank you” for what He did for us, and also offers a living example to those around us of how His saving grace has changed our lives, and that He can do the same for them!

Verses 11 & 12 emphasise the importance of not “going along” with evil deeds.  By going along with them, your silence could act as an endorsement!  We should always be clear and communicate where and when appropriate the Lords view on things using the Bible as our source of truth.  The Bible is Gods Word.  Gods Word is Truth.  Making assumptions of the Lords stance on a situation can be dangerous, we need to make sure we always have Biblical backup to anything we say!

Verses 13 & 14  is an encouragement to those caught up in darkness!  When you are deadlocked in/captive to Sin, you are in darkness and there is no means of escape.  Repent and the light of the Lord will shine on you.  Sin exposed can no longer have a hold on your life for you can now see!  Wake up O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you! 

Verse 15.  A call to live wisely.  Something we cannot do on our own.  Living not as others of this world live, but by following the Lords example and by using Gods Word as our source of wisdom.

Verse 16 tells us not to waste opportunities.  We only have a limited time on this earth, thus we should make sure we jump at every opportunity we have to serve the Lord.  Be it sharing our faith, helping someone who is needy, contributing our skills to a ministry etc.

And finally verse 17.  We have advised over the last few verses firstly of what we must do: Imitate, and then we are given examples and warnings to help us in our walk.  Verse 17 offers a “nutshell conclusion” (do not be foolish), and it then tells us we must understand what the Lord’s will is.  We can only do this by feasting on His word as often as we can, communicating with Him in prayer, fellowship with other Christians and regular Worship.

This passage has been an encouragement and an eye opener for me giving me more insight into how I should act, and what I can do to please and glorify the Lord.  Having been captive to sin and lost in the darkness for many years, I don’t want to return to that wilderness.  This passage is invaluable in offering wisdom for the walk.

Out of Darkness – John 3:1-21

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John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of

the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (NIV)

Without Jesus we are in the dark. The darkness of Sin. We are lost. Jesus died so that we may have life and never have to walk in darkness again. Yet some of us choose even after being saved to return to that darkness, and to loose our way again. Thankfully our Father never looses sight of us, however whilst we are in sin and have an unrepentant heart, the Lord cannot help us.

When Jesus was on the cross, he bore all our sin.

Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,Some manuscripts Eli, Eli lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (NIV)

God cannot overlook sin, and although Jesus was completely without sin, that day he took it all on Himself. God could not look upon His own Son because of the Sin. What an amazing God whom would give His only Son to take the Sin of the world to save sinners like me and you!

As the Lord cannot overlook sin, when we are caught up in sin (darkness) for example a habitual sin or sexual sin (which can also be habitual) we cut ourselves off from the Lord, meaning he cannot hear help us until we come to Him with a repentant heart. The moment we say sorry the Lord is there quicker than a heart beat but whilst we harbour sin in our hearts and live in the darkness we will not benefit from His help.

Over the past few months, I have researched and discussed sexual sin with many brothers in Christ. Being caught up in the darkness of sexual sin can be like a slippery slope that you feel you can’t climb up out of. Sexual sin is different from all other sin as all other sin is outside the body, where as sexual sin is inside.

Our body is a temple to the Holy Spirit, in the Old Testament days no one would have dreamt of desecrating the temple in Jerusalem for example.

Sexual sin can manifest itself in many ways including self gratification, pornography, sexual relationships out of wedlock, un-natural relationships, affairs etc. For anyone who is captive to any of these, THERE IS HOPE! Jesus died on the cross so we don’t have to be caught up in darkness. Without Jesus we will always be searching to fill that God shaped hole we have made in our lives, and the deeper in sin we get to try and satisfy ourselves.

To break free turn to Jesus, repent of your sin, and ask for His help and before the words have finished leaving your mouth He will be there, and have brought you into the light. Of course it is hard for those who have been locked in darkness for so long, not to quickly return to the darkness and this is where you need to seek help. Pray to the Lord for strength, and also read His Word. But also seek Christian counsel from a Christian brother or sister. Bringing all your Sin to light to another brother or sister helps expose satan and all his tricks, and he will have to flee as he cannot stand the light! Sin brought into the light looses its power over you. The person you confide in can then offer advice, and also you can hold yourself accountable to them, and any time you fall, not only repent and seek the Lords help, but also talk with your brother or sister. It is less appealing to sin when you know you will have to look your brother or sister in the eyes and admit to them you failed.

I lived in darkness for many years and like a prodigal son turned to God. Like the loving Father He is, He came running to me and brought me back into the light. There is no turning back. I have Christian brothers to help me in my walk too, and the encouragement and wisdom they provide is invaluable.

It is hard, and the lie of the darkness can sometimes be overbearing. Whenever it gets that way, flee whatever the source of temptation is (literally) and look to the light of Christ. Don’t fight it alone!

For those who would like more information, check out http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com or drop me a line.

God Bless.

Staying Alert – Matthew 26:36-46

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“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (NIV)

We are weak as much as we do not like to admit it.  There are occasions where we have given into temptation dispite knowing we am doing wrong.  Often its because we have been convinced by the lie of that temptation, that we will feel good for doing it, that we will be satisfied.  As Jesus said, the body is weak.  We alone lack the strength to resist temptation, to go the right course, that is why it is so important we have help.  Some tempt ation c

an creep up on us and get us when we are particularly vulnerable.  Other temptation can be in front of us for a long time, if we know it or not, slowly breaking us down should we become tempted by it.

The Lord in His great wisdom provided us with a helper.  His Holy Spirit whom guides and strengthens us to do the right thing.  We need to keep ourselves spiritually fit and active so we are not lulled into any false sense of security before sin pounces on us.  How can we do that?  Sounding like a broken record from many of my past posts the main ingredients are always regular Bible Study, Prayer, Worship and Fellowship.  Keeping ourselves fixed on the word, and continuing to develop our relationship with our Saviour is vital if we are to be prepared for any battle.

We need to understand and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of All, it is the Lords strength that allows us to resist temptation, not our own.  And any time we resist, it is for His glory and not to pat ourselves on the back saying, “didn’t I do well?”

Before I sign off on today’s reading, I am also reminded of the importance of rest (including sleep).  Yes the disciples were not being alert when the time required them to be.  We need to also remember however that rest and sleep are important tools in spiritual warfare.  When we have had too little (and the same affect can be had from too much sleep), we are not as quick to react, we are tired, vulnerable, and that is when Satan can pounce to try and steer us from the right path.  Remember satan is like a prowling tiger, waiting to pounce.  We need to be well rested, alert, full of the Spirit, and have fed on the Word regularly.

Praying the Word – Jeremiah 1:12

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The reading in the Word for Today looks at Praying the Word.  There are many occasions when I have absolutely no idea what to say when I pray, and I tend to ramble on, trying to cover many subjects without actually praying into the needs of them.  That is not to say that that is wrong, or that God doesn’t understand!  No matter what we say in prayer, Jesus intercedes for us Romans 8:34.  He knows our hearts, and even when our words are not reflecting what our hearts mean, the Lord

knows our exact needs and wishes.

The Word is Gods word!  When we are trying to find the words to say something, we should take a look in the Bible.  Gods word is so clear, so perfect, so wonderful.  Everything in it is right.  The Bible is full of the Lords promises, so praying them into your issues not only clarify them to you and the Lord, but encourage you with the reminders of his promises.

It helps us focus on the Word.  Whilst we are looking through scripture, for passages that have meaning to our situation and praying them to the Lord, we are also able to learn from the Word, get guidance, comfort, encouragement.  As above, reading his promises help to build us up and equip us for the times ahead.

The Word for Today looks at habitual sin and the hold it has on peoples lives.  Habitual sin can hold us back in our spiritual growth.  It does not build up or edify.  Whilst we are slave to Sin, we miss out on the blessings of a close relationship with the Lord.  For those caught up in habitual Sin, pray the Lords promises into the situation.  Seek freedom so that you may have a renewed relationship with the Lord, so that you may be freed from the chains, and free to follow Gods amazing plan for your life.

Here is a list of promises from todays reading to consider:

Psalm 91:15  |  Romans 8:2  |  James 4:7  |  2 Corinthians 10:5
2 Peter 1:4  |  Ephesians 3:14-21

Fruits of the Spirit – Galatians 5:16-26

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22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control… (Galatians 5:22-23)

We are so busy with our lives that we can often forget the importance of living our lives by the Holy Spirit. As in the verses above, the Holy Spirit imparts in us many excellent qualities and values that will bless us and those around us.

Sinful acts and desires only lead to unhappiness, darkness, even death.

They do not build you or others up. They act only to serve our selfish ambitions, and they will hold us back from being people of value who are achieving for Jesus.

Within the passages I noticed also a very interest analogy about law. If you consider acts that would be classed as law breaking acts, for example stealing, murder etc, then many of the attributes of a sinful nature are tied in closely with each act. Law breaking acts are a result of a sinful nature.

But a Spirit filled life is only full of good things. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness. I honestly cannot think of one law breaking act that would be a result of one of these values.

23 cont… Against such things there is no law.

Living by the Spirit will give us the ability to live in harmony with Him, conducting ourselves in a way pleasing to Him, and doing the things that he desires from us.

Regular prayer and Bible study should be a part of our walk with the Lord to keep us focused on him and the fruit of the Spirit.