Friday April 29, 2011

Read Colossians 2:8-15

Our bad habits and sinful tendencies are part of our sinful nature. The Bible  assures us that we are born in sin and are born with a natural bias away from God. As a believer, though, this is no excuse to accept our sins and to believe that we cannot change or mature or grow in godliness. We should never wallow in our sinfulness and think that change is impossible. Since God dwells within you, change is ALWAYS possible. No sin has mastery over you.

Behind every sin is a wrong or untrue belief or thought. We sin because we have been taken captive by hollow philosophy, traditions or the ways of the world. We sin because our belief system and the truth of Christ Jesus has been skewed somewhat. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden by skewing the truth and allowing them to believe a lie!

One key to victorious living is to realise and verbalise the lies that are behind our sins. We then need to accept that they are lies and trust the truth of Christ that these really are lies. Here are a few lies that we tell ourselves: (See if you can counter each lie with the truth from Scripture):-

B  Pornography will help meet all my deepest needs.

B The grass over the fence is really greener.

B I need to have an affair so that I can keep loving my wife.

B I cannot help but indulge all my needs at this point.

B If I have a few drinks I’ll be able to cope better.

B I’ve been hurt so badly I can’t forgive that person.

B My life would be so much easier if I won lotto.

B I can’t make it without the help of drugs.

By telling ourselves lies we are dampening (searing and killing, actually) our God given and God driven conscience and we are opening the door to sin. What we are doing is seeking out a justification or rationale for our intended actions. The lie is the door opener that makes us comfortable enough to take the next step. We will change only when we stop lying to ourselves and start believing the truth. We will be victorious to the degree that we tell ourselves the truth.

Satan, the father of lies, wants nothing more than to dangle a cloak of deception over your eyes. He wants you to continue sinning and feeding your lusts and appetites so that you do not grow and mature as a believer. He wants you to be a self focused, mirror gazing Christian so that you are not out in the world shining the light of Christ Jesus and making disciples.

But read Colossians 2:15 very slowly and carefully in the light of what we’ve been saying today. Christ Jesus died on the cross and defeated the father of lies and all His demonic angels and messengers. The truth has and will set you free. You do not have to believe the lies. You do not have to live according to the lies. You do not have to live according to the lies. You can break free. The truth will set you free. The truth has and will empower you to live a life of victory, to stand above the lies and half truths and to make choices that glorify God. The chains and shackles of sin have been shattered at the cross. In Christ you are free. In Christ you can live victoriously.

Prayer:-

V Pray for Dave and Kirsty Richards in NZ. Pray that God would surround them with a passionate team of evangelists and disciplers so that they can make a huge impact within the university. Pray that God would bring the elect to them to hear the gospel and grant them repentance and faith.

V Pray that we would see the Bible College students in Myanmar growing in their faith and maturing in their understanding of the Word of God. Pray for resources and teachers to be made available to the students in all the Christian colleges.

There may be attitudes and beliefs that you need to drop and ask God to   forgive you for.

Do this now.

Read 1 John 1:9 and praise God when you have asked him for forgiveness.