THE STRUGGLE WITH SIN AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR DISCIPLES

3/16/2019

I HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT A JOURNEY. A JOURNEY TO GET TO KNOW WHO GOD IS IN YOUR LIFE. STRIVING TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CREATOR, TO KNOW HIS SON, WHOM HE SENT TO SAVE US. TO LIVE IN AND BE GUIDED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. TO DEFEAT OUR NATURAL SELF, REPENT FROM OUR SIN, AND BECOME RIGHTEOUS IN OUR LORD SAVIOR AND KING. TO BE A DISCIPLE, AND SHARE JESUS WITH EVERYONE ! AT THE VERY CORE OF STARTING THIS JOURNEY FROM A SAVED SINNER TO BECOMING A DISCIPLE FOR JESUS IS A NEED FOR A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE ARE, AND WHAT WE HAVE INHERITED. WHAT WE CAME INTO THE WORLD WITH BEFORE WE COULD EVEN THINK OR ACT. NO ONE TAUGHT ME ABOUT THESE THINGS UNTIL THE LAST FEW YEARS….AND THEY ARE CRITICAL TO KNOW, UNDERSTAND, AND FIND WISDOM IN AND FROM. WE ENTER OUR LIVES WITH WHAT WE INHERITED FROM THE FALL OF MAN, AND THE ONLY WAY THROUGH THE STRUGGLE IS IN THE SALVATION OF JESUS.

I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT JESUS CAME TO SAVE US FROM HELL. ACTUALLY NO. HELL IS THE CONSEQUENCE WE FACE SHOULD WE NOT BE SAVED. JESUS CAME TO SAVE US FROM THE INIQUITY THAT LUCIFER WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE ADAM AND EVE TO EMBRACE. INIQUITY FRAMES ITSELF QUITE SIMPLY AS ANYTHING THAT STANDS AGAINST OR REBELS AGAINST THE WORD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. AND INIQUITY LEADS TO SIN.

DO YOU KNOW THE STORY OF LUCIFER? LUCIFER WAS CREATED LONG BEFORE US. HE WAS AN ANGEL CREATED TO BE GOOD, AND WALK IN EDEN AND LIVE ON THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD. BUT HE DESIRED MORE. HE WANTED TO BE ABOVE GOD, AND INIQUITY FILLED HIM.

HOW YOU ARE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O DAY STAR, SON OF DAWN ! HOW YOU ARE CUT DOWN TO THE GROUND YOU WHO LAID THE NATIONS LOW ! YOU SAID IN YOUR HEART “ I WILL ASCEND TO HEAVEN; I WILL RAISE MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD; I WILL SIT ON THE MOUNT OF ASSEMBLY ON THE HEIGHTS OF ZAPHON; I WILL ASCEND TO THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS, I WILL MAKE MYSELF LIKE THE MOST HIGH” Isaiah 14:12-14

LUCIFER WANTED TO BE A GOD, WITH HIS OWN THRONE AND HIS OWN SET OF RULES. HE WANTED CONTROL, AND HE DIDN’T WANT TO WORSHIP HIS CREATOR….AND HE FELL. CAST OUT OF HEAVEN. ETERNALLY SEPARATED FROM GOD. AND HE BECAME BATHED IN INIQUITY….A NATURE OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, INJUSTICE, AND VIOLENCE OF NATURE. AND WHO DID HE FOCUS THIS NATURE OF INIQUITY ON ? US. OUR BEGINNING, ADAM AND EVE. POURING INIQUITY INTO THEIR NATURE THAT THEY MIGHT SIN. INIQUITY PRODUCES SIN, AND JESUS CAME TO SAVE US FROM OUR SIN, AND CHANGE THIS NATURE THAT IS IN US……WHY IS IT WE SO WANT TO BE ON THE THRONE OF OUR LIFE, AND DO WHATEVER WE WANT EVEN WHEN WE KNOW BETTER ?? THINK ABOUT IT….IT JUST SEEMS NATURAL. ALMOST LIKE WE WERE BORN WITH IT….ANGER, ENVY, PRIDE, GOSSIP, CONTROL, AND ALL THE REST.

I STILL STRUGGLE WITH SIN….I AM SURE FAR FROM PERFECT. THE THING IS, I UNDERSTAND IT A LOT BETTER NOW. AND I AM FREE FROM IT’S GRIP OF CONTROL, SHAME, AND FRUSTRATION. JESUS SET ME FREE. JESUS IS HELPING ME DEFEAT MY NATURE, BECAUSE HE RESIDES IN ME AND ME IN HIM !!! IT MEANS THAT I AM FORGIVEN, AND I CAN FORGIVE MYSELF. I CAN REST, BE JOYFUL, AND GIVE UP MY THRONE. HE PROVIDES FOR ME. HE LEADS ME EACH DAY. HE SETS MY PATH AND WALKS BESIDE ME. MOST OF ALL, HE LOVES ME ! UNCONDITIONALLY. NOTHING TO EARN, BECAUSE HE GIVES IT TO ME FREELY AND FULLY. PERFECTLY !

THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT SEEMS DIFFICULT, FRUSTRATING, HURTFUL, SCARY, OR HOPELESS….GIVE IT TO JESUS. JUST TRY IT ! WE CAN OVERCOME OUR NATURE AND OUR SIN. AND WE CAN SHOW OTHERS HOW….BY BECOMING DISCIPLES OF JESUS :)

TO THE END THAT MY GLORY MAY SING PRAISE TO THEE, AND NOT BE SILENT. O LORD MY GOD, I WILL GIVE THANKS UNTO THEE FOREVER Psalm 30:12

THANKS BE TO GOD, ALWAYS. JA