Overcoming Sin
There are certain obstacles that, no matter how hard I try, I will never succeed in overcoming. And guess what? I'm confident that you will not be able to overcome these two obstacles either.
There are certain obstacles that, no matter how hard I try, I will never succeed in overcoming. And guess what? I'm confident that you will not be able to overcome these two obstacles either.
What do you see when you look in the mirror? How do you perceive yourself? Someone has said, “Perceptions are reality.” Someone else said, “Whatever you think you are—you are!”
Here is a bold statement: If you see yourself as a sinner, saved by grace, you will sin and your Christian life will be mediocre at best. You will be riddled with guilt and open to Satan’s attack along that line. In other words, what we believe about ourselves determines our behaviour. One of Satan’s most successful schemes is that of keeping Christians ignorant of their true identity in Christ.
There will always be those who abuse God's grace. Let's clarify and analyze this tension while being careful not to allow the abuse of a few to diminish the message of grace.
Many of us in God's family live like we're still enslaved to our old master. Can we really live above sin's dominion? And has sin truly lost its authority over us? Grace shouts, “YES!”
All of us who are tempted to abuse the marvellous grace of God would be wise to examine and apply the guidelines set forth in this powerful paragraph from God's inerrant Word.
Many of us are programmed to have “corrective theology,” where grace is used as a tool to justify sin or take away the pain of consequences. Grace is not a cure-all and there are always consequences for sin.
Sometimes as believers we become preoccupied with what we do wrong—we live as though we’re still slaves to sin. Instead, our focus should be on following Christ. He has set us free, and gives us the power to live free.
Grace is undeserved. You can’t earn it, it’s free, and you can never pay God back. All you have to do is admit your need and receive God’s grace. That’s how a gift works—you simply accept it.
There’s no way you can lose your salvation. It’s a gift received, not a wage earned.
“Whose slave are you?” It’s a great question. Are you a slave to work? Possessions? People’s opinions? Bad habits? The good news is you don’t have to be chained to any of these. As a child of God, you’re free.