Struggle is part of the path.
This is a true look into those of us who struggle with being a Christian, who also fight the sin in our lives. The one question that I struggle with is that when I do struggle with my sin, in my mind I would be yelling to wake up and change direction. Sometimes this worked and most times it didn’t. It was almost like someone else was driving, that would be the old sin nature that is present in every person. The conviction of my choices to sin would soon creep in and devastate my walk and fellowship with God. I had good intentions to not sin in my area of weakness, but I would fall into the trap of getting too close to the edge. I would pray and fast, even right before knowing that the temptation was just lurking around the corner. The edge was where I would see just how close I could get to the line without falling off. I knew what I should’ve done was to see how far away from the edge I could get. Problem is that I would get to that point and my old man (my old sin nature), would take over and I’d leap from the ledge and into full blown disobedience to God. What I found was that I questioned my Christianity when I willfully sinned. I’d say things like how can I be saved if I do sin and know its sin, but still do it? I would repent and grieve over my disobedience to God, knowing that it not only made me fall out of fellowship with Him, but saddened and hurt Him at the same time. Paul struggled with this issue too, he stated that he would do the things that he didn’t want to do and wouldn’t do the things that he ought. He even went so far as to call himself a wicked man. Paul, one of the greatest believers of the New Testament struggled too. This struggle is throughout the bible. Just look at King David, Solomon, and Sampson and on and on. These individuals knew what was right from wrong, according to God’s Word, but still, as believers, went into full blown sin or rebellion. The important thing that we read is that they came to repentance each time. The seeds sewn were devastating at times, but the fellowship was restored. These men suffered (sometimes for life) over their sinful choices as believers. King David was called a man after Gods own heart. This was after his sinful season. Our enemy, the devil, seeks whom he can devour. He never sleeps or takes a break. Satan is responsible for goading us to go ahead and taste the sin of our heart and after we give in he is on the opposite spectrum, convicting us of it. He says how could a Christian do what you did and still be of God? Thing is, we have no excuse, the sin is our own and only we are to blame for committing it. We must never stop getting up and repenting. We must finish the race. We will have scares and bruises and knots but we must not stay down when hit with our sin. Most people choose to just give up and enjoy the taste of sin and have the opinion that “I’m saved so I’m good”. This is very dangerous ground. God’s word is clear that if you dive off into your sin and are not convicted, then we have no inheritance in His Kingdom. My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that we do go through seasons of disobedience but we are blessed by God’s Grace that He won’t give up on us. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 it states “let us know that we were controlled by all kinds of sins, but, and such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”. The thing that we should focus on in this verse is the word “Were”. Or in another word, used to be, but no longer. If we don’t feel the tug of God the Holy Spirit then I would question to weather I was filled with Him in the first place. As a believer, we are indwelt with God the Holy Spirit’s presence. If we don’t feel Him convicting us of our sin and the need to return, through citing of our sin and asking for His forgiveness, then we should ask the question “am I saved in the first place”. I’m talking about a lifestyle of sin, not just a momentary lapse or season.
Honey to the lips and bitter to the soul. This describes how sin works. It’s fun and appealing as we are in the process but the payment is guilt and resentment that is turned inward. We ask ourselves; how can I be a Christian and still commit a sin that is done on purpose? Not that we planned to go and commit the sin, but that we would wonder too close to that edge and then fall into the sin of our weakness. There are stories of good godly people that teach the Word of God and see the Word spread, and people saved, that will go into private to suffer. Some of these good pastors and ministers have committed suicide because of the struggle of the sin in their lives. We grieve and dwell on how we could do what we do and still call ourselves saved.
Price to pay: Sin, will take us further then we want to go, cost us more then we want to pay and keep us longer then we want to stay.
Sin is the gift of the prince and power of the air, Satan. It’s the only thing that he created that wasn’t a counterfeit. God created the universe, Satan stated evolution, God said one God, Satan said many gods, God said one way to heaven, Satan said many ways to heaven, God said one definition of the family and Satan said anyway is good. Our enemy is a liar, murderer and seeks how to screw up anything that is good. On top of all that he convinces us that it’s good on the front half and then condemns us after we’re done.
The conviction is good news; the conviction that we feel in the pit of our stomach when we give in to sin is good news. The reason is, that the Holy Spirit is getting our attention to return to fellowship with Him. Just like when we do something against a parent that separates us from the closeness of being in their good graces, this is a symbol of being out of fellowship with the Heavenly Father. We are still their child, but not being obedient has moved us away from the relationship that we need and desire. Just as a loving parent will discipline us to correct and make us aware of our wrong doing, God our Father does the same. God’s correction and discipline is a sign that we are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, thus we belong to Him. If you have little or no conviction of your sin, then that should send up a huge red flag as to if you’re saved in the first place. You should know the bible is clear that someone who practices sin (not just for a season or a stepping off of the path, which is stepping out of fellowship with God) will not inherit the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10 do you not know that wrongdoers will NOT inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God).