Change is often a scary thing. Change means leaving what you are familiar with in order to become something that is unfamiliar to you. Change and turning away is something God calls all of us Christians to do because of our flesh’s sinful past and tendencies (Acts 3:19 NLT). Sin is something we engage in as humans, as easily as we breathe. It’s ingrained in our society on so many different levels: from the images we take in on a daily basis to the shows we watch, or words that occupy some of our conversations. It’s there, as clear as day, whether we like it or notice it or not.
My question to us all is: what sin or sins are we choosing to stay slave to that God may be telling us to continually turn away from? What are we feeding ourselves spiritually or vividly that may lead us to continue in the sins that so easily trip us up and set us back?
As Christians, sin has no power over us as it did in our lives before Christ because of what Christ did on the cross for you and for me. This doesn’t mean we won’t fall short here or there along our individual journeys, and that is why we have God’s grace. However, his grace doesn’t give us the green light to continue in our old ways, especially if God has defeated them already. (Romans 6:1-2 NLT) says, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”
When God became real in my life and heart, I realized Jesus defeated a lot of the things I was a slave to in my life before Christ. From a lot of the ungodly words I used to love to use, to the ungodly activities I used to partake in, God truly saved me and is continually delivering me from other things. I finally wasn’t under sin’s strong grip, and neither are you. However, at times I still find myself choosing to be under “sin’s grip”, like maybe some of you have, yet, God says no more. At points during my walk as a Christian, I’ve had moments where I haven’t fully walked as a Christian should. I’ve let my anger harden my heart to the point where I didn’t want to forgive people or God. I’ve purposely chosen to sin even though I know better, taken God’s grace for granted, and entertained conversations or topics that don’t align with the righteous living God calls us to, just to appease others that may not be of the same faith. What was my excuse? I tried to keep one foot in my old life and one in the one God had called me to. This is an impossible task, trust me.
(Matthew 6:24-26 AMP) states, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord.” To say yes to one means to say no to the other.
We live in a world where temptation is real, a society that tells us to conform to its way of living which is the opposite of God’s, and a body that hungers for it all. So what are we left to do? Are you conforming or being who and what God called you to be? God calls us as Christians to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). Our way of living and how we conduct ourselves should be easily identifiable to the masses. So how do we not continue in sin? The fear of the Lord.
Some may think because we choose God and we love Him that we discontinue sinning altogether like it is an on/off switch. Shockingly, we don’t. I recently heard a man explain how spiritually we cannot continue to feed ourselves on junk and expect to walk in righteousness. It’s like eating a multitude of junk food and expecting to have a six-pack. Our actions don’t automatically add up to a positive result. This example references that the stuff we listen to and watch is the very things that have influence on the possible things that easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1-3), and play a huge factor in the person we continually portray to the world. The man continued to explain how our love for God won’t ever be enough for us to stop and discontinue sinning, otherwise, we would have a long time ago. Yet, the fear of the Lord is enough, he highlights (Proverbs 9:10).
We all can attest to loving our parents or caregivers, who have the best intentions for us, but do we always follow what they tell us not to do? I didn’t. But think about when you held something in great reverence, you held it to high esteem, it was always on your mind, and you lived and breathed whatever that was. It became a part of how you may have lived your life. And that’s what God is telling us to do, live and breathe all of Him. I guess the real question is: will we forsake God for the world and ourselves? And will we be only hearers of the word or also be doers and actually live it out (James 1:22-25)?
