Read Colossians Col 3:5a, 1 Peter 1:15-16
The world thinks that true freedom is the ability to be self-moralising. In other
Banker: How’s your weekend planning going?
Client: Really good. What about yours?
Banker: Great I’m planning on getting drunk and brawling all weekend.
Client: Sounds like fun. And by the way, I’ve transferred $10,000 from your personal account to my own account.
Obviously, the banker would be outraged at the illegal transfer of money from his own account. He would demand justice. Yet at the same time he wants to be able to be free to drink himself into oblivion and to fight without any restraints. While many people in the world may not be so blatant or stark, it shows what the world wants - the freedom to determine what is right and wrong for ourselves without any interference, especially from God.
Unfortunately, the Christian church is filled with a similar sentiment to the banker. We want the right to call the shots. It’s far too easy to sin behind closed doors. It eases our consciences to tell ourselves that our situation is different and that this time it’s ok. We can lie to ourselves and comfort ourselves with the motto that God doesn’t care what I do outside of church. Together with the world we are committing the very same sin that Adam and Eve committed in the Garden of Eden.
God’s standard is very clear in the Scriptures. He hates all sin and wants us to put it to death. When Paul writes ‘put to death, therefore, what ever belongs to your earthly nature,’ he is envisaging a radical action that goes to extremes to remove sin from one’s life. Our God is a holy God. He dwells in inapproachable light and will not tolerate sin. God wants, even demands, that His holiness be the motivation of our holiness. We are to be holy because He Himself is holy. His command is that we put to death anything and everything in our lives that causes us to sin.
So how can we be putting to death the things that cause us to sin? We need to start by removing the source of temptation. If it’s your computer or phone get rid of it. If it’s something you covet after, get rid of it. You cannot and will not cease to sin in a particular area while the doorway remains open to sin. Radical removal of the source is necessary. Secondly, we need to train our minds to meditate on the things of the Lord and not the things of this world. Where our minds are, our bodies soon follow. Thirdly, be accountable to another mature believer. Meet together weekly or fortnightly and confess to each other. Finally, if you fall, be washed in the cool waters of forgiveness and keep soldiering onwards.
Prayer:
Using today’s Bible reading and notes spend time praying.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
à Spend time asking God to fill your church this Christmas with the regular once-a-year visitors. Ask God to visit them with His salvation.
à Ask the Lord to provide for the poor and needy this Christmas through the generosity of your church.
Putting to death our sinful nature happens consistently and constantly over our lifetime. It’s something we work at 24/7.
1. Why should a Christian strive for holiness?
2. What are the benefits of striving for holiness?
3. What affect does this striving have on
the church?
the world?
Intro: McDonalds may well be the best tasting takeaway in the entire world! But even though it tastes good, it’s not that good for you. Too much takeaway food will probably make you sick. Sin is much the same. It tastes good and appears to be pleasing but even a little bit of sin will make you spiritually sick.
Discuss how you stand against temptation and how you resist when you are really tempted.
Read Romans 6:11
What does it mean to think of ourselves as being dead to sin?
What role do other believers have in this?
Pray together that God would strengthen you against all temptation.
Intro: McDonalds may well be the best tasting takeaway in the entire world! But even though it tastes good, it’s not that good for you. Too much takeaway food will probably make you sick. Sin is much the same. It tastes good and appears to be pleasing but even a little bit of sin will make you spiritually sick.
Discuss how you stand against temptation and how you resist when you are really tempted.
Read Romans 6:11
What does it mean to think of ourselves as being dead to sin?
What role do other believers have in this?
Pray together that God would strengthen you against all temptation.
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