I wonder how many reading this post are struggling with sin in their life. It’s overwhelming isn’t it? Sometime it seems to get to the point that we are just no longer in control, our sin is.

I don’t want to minimize this struggle, and I recognize that with some things, some serious addictions, we may need help in the form of counseling or even medical help before we can move forward. But there is something I would like to point out that might be something that holds many of us in places we could have moved forward from long ago.

The fear of sinning will hold us in sin, but focusing on Jesus will lift us out of it. -Joyce Meyer

I saw this quote awhile ago and had to grab it for a post. I’ve seen this so often and it is so tragic.

In case this isn’t clear to you, let me make it so:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

The Bible talks about having a fear of the Lord, but that doesn’t mean we are supposed to live our lives as slaves to fear. And especially we are not to live our lives in fear of sin!

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

So why don’t we live like this? Why are we still living as slaves to sin?

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance to the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8

When our minds are stuck in a rut with a struggle with sin it certainly doesn’t feel like “life and peace.” Don’t think I’m saying here that we are somehow unsaved if we find we identify more with the “realm of flesh” in our minds. I think, however, that sometimes we unknowingly choose to keep our minds in this area of death when we don’t need to.

Let me ask you a question: What is the focus of the mind here?
When governed by the flesh the focus is on what the flesh desires, the focus is on sin.

But when governed by the Spirit its set on what the Spirit desires. It isn’t set on “what the Spirit doesn’t desire, in order to not do it.” It’s set and focused on what the Spirit desires!

The mind is set on God!

I don’t know if I’m making complete sense here, but go back to my original quote. Think about it. Do you see the difference? Do you see the trap?

If Satan can get you so worried over not sinning that you can’t think about anything else, he has succeeded in keeping you from God. He’s fooled you into binding yourself to a sin that Christ already freed you from.

It’s a brilliant trap.

Someone becomes bound by fear, and that fear itself binds them to their sin.

So what’s the answer?

The Spirit you received dos not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Do you see the truth yet?

We are not slaves to fear! Stop living like it!

We need to refocus! It’s not about “trying” to be this, or do that, or not do that. It’s about focusing on Christ! And as we focus on Christ He will change us. Obsess over Him, not over your sin.

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

The law, or in another perspective, our own efforts, is completely powerless against sin. But we do not live as slaves to the flesh, we are not under the law. We have God’s Holy Spirit.

Live as sons and daughters of God! Because that is what you are! Does that sound presumptuous? It shouldn’t.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:16-17

It’s hard to give up control. It’s difficult to stop trying to live our lives ourselves. We feel like “we” are supposed to “do” something for our salvation, our sanctification. It isn’t true. Christ already did it all and He is the one who gets the glory for it. A glory He shares with us, but it is from Him alone.

But the truth is, if we really want to be free, all we need do is keep walking towards the one who set us free.

~Joy Aletheia Stevens

Photo Credit: 0239 by CIA DE FOTO (CC BY 2.0)

Photo Credit: Alone by Lee Haywood (CC BY-SA 2.0)    

Photo Credit: I am grateful by Sean and Lauren  (CC BY 2.0)