Run To the Cross!
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2)."
We all have a sin nature. Even if you are saved by the blood of Christ, you still have a sin nature. Yes, you have been redeemed and been filled with His Holy Spirit, but you will have this sin nature until the day Christ comes, and you are made like Him (1 John 3:2). With that being said, there will be a battle between our flesh and our spirit all the days of our life. That is why Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 9:23). To deny ourselves is simply laying aside our desires and our will, then surrendering to God and His will.
If you have been saved for any amount of time, you understand there is a constant battle between your flesh and your spirit. No one is exempt from this battle and it will continue until the day Jesus appears and we are made like Him (1 John 3:2). Quite frankly, we will sometimes lose the battle. We will give in to sin. We will do things our way instead of God's way. When this happens (and it will), satan will feed you with lies such as: God could never forgive "that," you have really messed up now, you are a failure, you are a hypocrite, God doesn't love you, you are unworthy. My friend, there is nothing further from the truth!
God is omniscient-He has complete knowledge. He was before all things and holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). He knew what you were going to do before you actually did it. And guess what? He loves you the same! How, you may be asking? It is because love is a part of God's character (1 John 4:16). However, God is also holy and just. So if we cherish sin in our heart, He will not hear our prayer (Psalm 66:18).
This is why when we do sin, we need to run to the cross. Don't try to cover up your sin or hide from God-which is not even possible because there is nowhere we can flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7-12). Run straight into the arms of Jesus and confess your sin. He promises that when you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Notice He did not say that He would only cleanse some unrighteousness, No! He will cleanse all of it! That means there is no sin you could commit that the grace of God will not cover! There is no one beyond the grace and mercy of the Lord! "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; or His ear so dull that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1)."
Does this mean that because we have been made right with God and know His grace will always cover us that we continue to sin? Absolutely not (Romans 6:1-2). We have died to that old body of sin, no longer held captive by it. We are to walk in the freedom that Jesus Christ has given us.
You and I will continue to grow in Christ until the day we take our last breath. This is a process known as transformation. The Holy Spirit who lives in you guides, convicts, enlightens and speaks on behalf of the Father (John 16:13-15). He works on the inside of you, to make you more like Christ. My friend, not one of us have arrived yet. We are all a "work" in progress. The key is that when we fall, we need to fall forward and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! Keep pressing on. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14)."
We all have a sin nature. Even if you are saved by the blood of Christ, you still have a sin nature. Yes, you have been redeemed and been filled with His Holy Spirit, but you will have this sin nature until the day Christ comes, and you are made like Him (1 John 3:2). With that being said, there will be a battle between our flesh and our spirit all the days of our life. That is why Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 9:23). To deny ourselves is simply laying aside our desires and our will, then surrendering to God and His will.
If you have been saved for any amount of time, you understand there is a constant battle between your flesh and your spirit. No one is exempt from this battle and it will continue until the day Jesus appears and we are made like Him (1 John 3:2). Quite frankly, we will sometimes lose the battle. We will give in to sin. We will do things our way instead of God's way. When this happens (and it will), satan will feed you with lies such as: God could never forgive "that," you have really messed up now, you are a failure, you are a hypocrite, God doesn't love you, you are unworthy. My friend, there is nothing further from the truth!
God is omniscient-He has complete knowledge. He was before all things and holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). He knew what you were going to do before you actually did it. And guess what? He loves you the same! How, you may be asking? It is because love is a part of God's character (1 John 4:16). However, God is also holy and just. So if we cherish sin in our heart, He will not hear our prayer (Psalm 66:18).
This is why when we do sin, we need to run to the cross. Don't try to cover up your sin or hide from God-which is not even possible because there is nowhere we can flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7-12). Run straight into the arms of Jesus and confess your sin. He promises that when you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Notice He did not say that He would only cleanse some unrighteousness, No! He will cleanse all of it! That means there is no sin you could commit that the grace of God will not cover! There is no one beyond the grace and mercy of the Lord! "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; or His ear so dull that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1)."
Does this mean that because we have been made right with God and know His grace will always cover us that we continue to sin? Absolutely not (Romans 6:1-2). We have died to that old body of sin, no longer held captive by it. We are to walk in the freedom that Jesus Christ has given us.
You and I will continue to grow in Christ until the day we take our last breath. This is a process known as transformation. The Holy Spirit who lives in you guides, convicts, enlightens and speaks on behalf of the Father (John 16:13-15). He works on the inside of you, to make you more like Christ. My friend, not one of us have arrived yet. We are all a "work" in progress. The key is that when we fall, we need to fall forward and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! Keep pressing on. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14)."
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