So you know that checklist you have? The one that reads: no drinking, no smoking, no having sex, no going to clubs, no listening to rap music, no to whatever you think that will send you straight to hell? Yea, that list. Rip it up.
Ok cool, now that we’ve gotten that hindrance out of the way. Lets talk about Sin. "Sin? Nah girl, I don’t sin. Besides God knows my heart." "And when I do sin it, isn’t a huge deal or anything. I mean I cuss sometimes, I drink a little more than I should, but I mean, it isn’t like I’m sleeping with somebody's husband/wife. The one person I am sleeping with is my girlfriend/boyfriend and besides we don’t have sex all the time – just a few nibbles here or there. It’s no big deal!" ...Y'all? Who this sound like? US! And if none of it sounds like you at one point in your life, leave. Lol jk But fareallllll – All sin, no matter what you deem large or small separates you from God. Isaiah 59:12 Just to be clear, separation from God means separation from the wholeness of Who He is, the wholeness of Who God created you to be. It also separates you from your purpose, and if you really want to get real, it will separate you from heaven after a while if you keep playing with it. So, what does sin really mean? After a good ol’ google search, it means to miss the mark. What mark is that? That mark for me is Jesus. If we are missing Jesus, that means we are missing love, joy, peace, purpose etc. Let me also say, that was much easier for me to type now then it was to convince myself back when I had my then “significant” other (which there was clearly no significance to him because he clearly didn’t care about my soul) kissing on my neck, while begging to put the tip in. Praise THE LORD for continued deliverance! I’ll go into sexual sin, lust and how it leads to raggedy soul ties in another blog. Sin is mentioned 100 times in the Bible! So don’t worry - you weren’t the only one then and 2,000 plus years later, you still aren’t the only one. I’ve been bound to a certain sin and let me tell you, that thing was no fun. So, how did you overcome it, Ariel? To tell you the truth, all I can give you is the cliché answer, and it's Jesus. Straight up and down the dude Who died for my sins. I’ve tried the check list, and it didn’t work. I felt like a crack-head. Well, not really but you get the picture I’m trying to paint. I was always giving into more nonsense and coming back flat empty. That’s what sin does. Ezekiel 4:16-17: Then he said to me, “Son of man, I’m going to cut off all food from Jerusalem. The people will live on starvation rations, worrying where the next meal’s coming from, scrounging for the next drink of water. Famine conditions. People will look at one another, see nothing but skin and bones, and shake their heads. This is what sin does.” Religion is not going to save you, but a relationship with Jesus will. You will not be able to get this thing right on your own accord. You will make yourself straight up miserable. I had to make a full out decision that each day, I wanted to see what Jesus was about, and that’s when my life began to change. You need more God. Spend time with Him! Press into Him! Stop being so thirsty when it gets hard and lay out before Him. He will get this thing right for you, not your little raggedy check list. I challenge you to focus your attention more on Him, and He will begin to literally take the taste of sin straight up out of your mouth. I literally would have to call that thing out and beg to God to help me in that certain area I wanted to continuously give into. Every day, even now, I must focus on Who Jesus is, from spending time in worship, listening to things that edify God (setting the atmosphere), and meditating on scriptures. If you’re having problems with sexual sin, the last thing you should be listening to is Uncle Luke’s greatest hits. But don’t take my word for it. None of this stuff is easy - it takes consistency and discipline. It’s a lifestyle because I’m telling you, I know the enemy is waiting for me to have an off week, where I miss my quiet time with Jesus and miss out on reading my Bible for about three days. But, I have to make a personal decision every day, that I’m good on the constant slip ups. I’m tired of missing the mark, I’m tired of missing Jesus. “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done.” Whatever that means, I’m all in! Although sin can cause you to fall, there isn’t a fall out there that God can’t catch you from. Even in your sin, He is constantly pursuing you with His relentless love. Don’t think for a second you must live like a saint for God to love you and pour His promises over you. Don’t think for a second that you’re too deep in your sin to receive the love of God. Don’t think for a second that God can’t use you because of what you’ve done or what you’re doing. Get this - it’s not about you, it's all about Him. It’s about embracing God and what He did for you that declares you fit before Him. You better go read about Abraham. That man there! Romans 4:17-18 tells us God made Abraham the “father of faith,” and it wasn’t because he lived like a saint but because God made something out of Abraham when he was nothing. Abraham plunged into God's promises and didn’t look at his own impotence but focused on God, His way, and His promises. This week, take the shift off of you. Write that thing down you’ve been struggling with and put it before God and give it to him. Your sins are wiped clean. Repent, for He keeps no score. Renew your mind with the Word of God (take a scripture a day on your struggle and read it over and over - Google is your friend). He loves you, He wants to pour out His holy spirit on you. Take this time now and worship all that He is and thank Him for loving you. You are no longer bound to sin or identified by it. I love you, foreal. Xo -A
2 Comments
Keisha Bedell
12/8/2016 03:01:48 am
I thought this was great for so many reasons.
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