Q: 6:15-23

FROM KATHY SMITH:

I don’t have a question…but a comment…after reading a devotional this morning by Dr. Bill Gillham (http://www.lifetime.org/devotional.php) I just GOT IT!

 

Please as you read this – I don’t think I’m being pious or “holier than thou”…this is my heart…I believe I am living the freedom Christ as given me.

 

After I read the devotional, I went back to the Romans journal and it hit me - I AM LIVING THE FREEDOM Paul talks about!!

 

I often pray and ask God to shine a light on my heart and show the sin.  And then I struggle, yes, I know it’s there…but I don’t feel the guilt.  So then I question myself…what’s wrong, am I not seeing the sin? And today I just figured it out – I AM LIVING THE FREEDOM Paul talks about.  I am not perfect…will never be perfect…and do know that I am a sinner but SET FREE.  And I know that I must constantly remember that God is in control and focus on HIM or I will slip into a life of not being free.  I am not focused on the sin, but on living with Christ.

 

I pray that I continue to live like this, asking Christ to be with me, to really be with me.  As I drive down the road, as I teach, as I live my daily ordinary life.

As I live daily I am not focusing on I am not going to sin today…but I am focused on God is in control.  Even as I rush home at 9 a.m. in the morning from school because my neighbor has called and my dogs are out (we live 2 houses from highway 80!) and he cannot catch them.  (Remember the dogs are like our children!)  I immediately began saying God is in control … I made it home and the only thing that I can say is God is in control.  The dogs were in the backyard – excited about an adventure – but in the yard.  The only thing I can say is God is in control. 

 A QUESTION FROM SUNDAY:

Someone asked that I post the Scripture that referred to the way of escape on each part of the SIN CYCLE. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that God will “provide a way of escape in the time of temptation” and we are told in Romans 12 that we need to “renew our mind.” So, please understand the follow passages of Scripture as a part of the battle when dealing with the Sin Cycle, and the way that we develop and awaken new desires/delighting in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). In Romans 6, Paul says “just as you used to offer yourselves to sin, now offer yourselves to God.” In addition, see the sin cycle as a righteous cycle – depending on what the focus is — and in stead of shame, it is joy and peace and humility that is produced.

1. Pain/need — this is the place where we look to Christ to be our sufficiency. As we understand what our true needs are and separate those from the lies we’ve accumulated over the years, we are able to look to Christ to be our sufficiency. (Psalm 63:1-3 speaks of God being what we long for)

2. Thoughts entertained — Philippians 4:8 says “whatever is true, noble, right … think on these things.” Question: how much time do you daily spend “dwelling” on the reality of who God is and what He has done in you?

3. Desire awakened — 2 Timothy 2:22 encourages us to “flee lust” — the idea is that once desire is awakened — run away to a place where you can be surrounded by others who love God. A phone call? A visit to a friend? something where you can share your situation with another and be supported.

4. Habits pursued — often, the process is “too far gone” but Proverbs 5 says “do not go near the door of the adultress.” The idea is to make commitments in your life that keep you from places where habits can be pursued. Ask friends to hold you accountable. Make a commitment that you won’t do certain things that enable or trigger sin responses.

5/6. Sinful behavior/shame — at this point, remember Romans 8:1 (we’ll study it in three weeks) and teh reality that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We stumble and fall, and need to remember that the Father desires for us to look up to Him and keep pursuing Him even when we fall. Shaming ourselves just pushes us away and He’s saying “get up – come on – let’s keep going – I love you.”

Two thoughts:

1. Memorize these helpful truths — they can give the Holy Spirit some “material” to work with in guiding you and you’ll know its Him leading you!

2. The verses above are not intended to be cut and dried perfect solutions that will keep you from sinning but stumbling blocks in your path — to break the power of the sin cycle, to get you to look at the real issue which is the pain/need in your life and how you are allowing Christ to be your all. For most of us, we need to others to help us walk through this — from a trusted friend to a a counselor to a Celebrate Recovery group — we need others!

Love you guys,

Ted