THE THOUGHT LIFE

Rom. 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  NLT

      One of the ways in which we can gage the wellness of our souls is to consider what we think about most in life. If our thoughts are mainly in the gutter, focused on self, or focused on the wrong doings of others, then we are not living right with God. If our thoughts are captivated by the momentary pleasures of the world, the things of the world, the accomplishments of the world, or our status in the world, we are not living right with God.

      Those who are controlled by the Spirit of God think mainly about the things that please Him. They dwell on getting to know Christ better and how to live in ways that please and honor Him. They seek to live how and where the Lord wants them to. Their ambition is in heaven and not on earth.

       Where is your mind? What captivates your thoughts? We think about what we feast on. Our minds are not empty vacuums that are unaffected by what we dwell on. What we read, watch, and listen to do affect our thought lives. We are responsible for who we are. You cannot excuse yourself or blame anyone else for what goes on in your mind. What goes in stays there.

      If you have a problem with your thought life, it's not too late to do something about it. You can take control of your thought life. Repent of your sinful thinking and begin today to dwell on those things that will build up your soul instead of tearing it down.

CONSEQUENCES FOR SIN

CONSEQUENCES FOR SIN

Rom. 8:1-2 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.  NLT

      Here is a message that should be proclaimed loud and clear.  If you are living in relationship with Christ, there is no longer any condemnation of your heart because of sin.  No matter what Satan may do to try and convince you otherwise, Jesus sets us free from sin’s condemnation.  When Jesus forgives us for our sins, they are forever forgotten by Him.  He purifies the soul and fills it with His righteousness.  We are brought into the presence of God to live forever.

      We often are plagued with memories of what we have done.  We cannot escape the memories of how we brought shame to ourselves, others and God.  It is hard to erase from our memories things we wish to forget because Satan won’t let us forget them.  He often brings them up at inappropriate times to harass us.  He is the master exploiter and he will not let us forget.

      There is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus, but often there are consequences we must live with.  We can’t undo what has been done.  Sometimes our sinful behavior causes us to live in painful physical, mental or emotional circumstances.  Sometimes what we have done affects others in similar fashion.  Jesus does not undo what we have done.  We are forgiven for them, but have to live with the consequences of them.  There is much to learn from past mistakes.  Instead of bemoaning what we have done, consider the good that has come from it.  If we allow the Lord to do it, He will make us a much better person of character because of it.

      Don’t let Satan hang you up because of your past.  Jesus doesn’t condemn you for it and neither should you.  Fix your eyes on Jesus and live for what is ahead of you.  He has the power to set you free if you will let Him.

NO CONDEMNATION

NO CONDEMNATION

Rom. 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. NLT

      We struggle with sin. Sometimes we win the victory over it, and sometimes we lose the battle. We look back on our failures with guilt, shame, and regrets. If we are not careful, we may even question how God can love us because of what we have done. Instead of bringing it to Christ and seeking His forgiveness, we dwell in the affect our sin has had on us or others. We begin to think that we are not worthy of forgiveness and may even question the validity of our relationship with Christ.

       If this sounds too familiar to you, hear the Word of God today: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. If you are a child of God, the gracious love of Christ forgives you! He will not walk away from you because of what you do or think. He will chastise you to get you to repent, but He will not forsake you. You may deserve judgment, but you find mercy and grace in Him. Don't wallow around in the negative consequences of sin, go to Jesus and you will be loved and forgiven, no matter what you may have done. He will help you to overcome your sin problem if you will only let him. You don't have to live in spiritual misery. There is hope, peace, and victory in Jesus.

      The next time you are tempted to think that somehow you have driven Christ away from your heart, think on today’s verse. The Lord doesn't condemn you, and neither should you.

INTERNAL WARFARE

Rom. 7:21-25 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.  NLT

      Are you at war? Do you know the tension and weariness of fighting spiritual battles? Do you ever want it to just stop? It is impossible to live in relationship with Christ and not have a constant war going on in your soul. No matter how mature in faith we may be, we will always be bombarded with the temptations to sin. There will always be a desire within us to yield. We will always want to enjoy the momentary pleasures of sin. We will never be so strong that we can't sin against God. When we shore up one area of weakness, another area weakens. We must always remain vigilant over our souls and strive to protect them from sinning against God.

      Don't kid yourself. You are capable of sinning against God! No one can live a sin- free life in the flesh. And no one is so close to God that he does not live in the flesh. It is no fun fighting the spiritual war that rages within us. It makes for a miserable time in our lives when we stumble and fall. We are most vulnerable when we believe too strongly in ourselves and think we can get by on our own. It is when we begin to slack off on our relationship with the Lord through his Word, prayer, and fellowship that we really begin to get into trouble.

      The good news is that it doesn't have to be the way it often is. We do have all the help we need to win the battle over our sins. We have a Savior! We have one who will help us and enable us to live in victory. All we have to do is stay tightly connected to Him. The victory is ours in Christ Jesus! 

THE LAW IS GOOD

Rom. 7:14 The law is good then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master.  NLT

       There is nothing wrong with God's law.  It is very useful for our spiritual lives.  It shows us what kind of behavior is acceptable to God and what isn't.  It shows us our sins so that we might turn to God for His forgiveness.  It raises the bar of our expectation on how we ought to live.  It shows us how to be holy.

       The law is good; it's us that are the problem.  We are by nature sinners.  We are not capable on our own of living by God's law.  We all fail to perfectly walk by the law.  If we stumble on just one little point, we are guilty of breaking the whole law.  Jesus even took it a step further; He said that if our motive for keeping the law was wrong, we were guilty of breaking the law.  Like it or not, we are slaves to sin from the day we are born until we die, unless we repent and ask the Lord to forgive us for our sins.

      Repentance is our only hope for escaping the demands of the law.  We cannot be righteous without it.  When we acknowledge our sins before God, ask the Lord to forgive us with a sincere heart, embrace our forgiveness by changing our behavior so that we live by God's standards and not our own, we will be declared righteous by God and accepted by Him. 

      Only in Christ is there no condemnation for sin.  Only in His righteousness and holiness are we able to have peace with God.  Only in Him can we be assured that we will go to heaven when we die.  Only in Christ are we set free from a life to sin to live for God.

I AM THE PROBLEM

Rom. 7:14 The law is good then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master.  NLT

      The law shows me how to be holy before God.  It is good for my soul to know how to live to please God.  It is good that I don’t have to wonder what does or does not please God.  It is good for me to understand why I need a Savior.

      There is nothing wrong with the law, but there is plenty wrong with me.  I see myself in light of God’s standards and my heart is broken, for I quickly recognize the mess I have made of my life and the consequences that await me.  I see myself as guilty of sin and I have no one to blame but myself.  The law makes it very clear what is sin and I know I do it.  Sin darkens my soul and I am powerless to do anything about it.  No matter how hard I may try, I cannot live by the law of God.

      The law is good because it drives me to the Savior.  Jesus came and fulfilled all the demands of the law.  Human effort cannot make one righteous through the keeping of the law, but Jesus is able to make us righteous before God.  What I cannot do, Jesus did.  My acceptance by God is not based on whether or not I can live by the law; it is based on whether or not I live in relationship with Christ.  In the law I am found guilty by God.  In Christ, I am found to be pleasing and acceptable to God. 

      The law is good because it reveals my sin and my need for Christ.  It makes me realize just how helpless I am to overcome it on my own.  It helps me to know just how much I need Jesus.

NO EXCUSE FOR SIN

Rom. 6:15-16 So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.  NLT

      God's grace never justifies or excuses sin. Never. We will either become masters over our sinful nature or slaves to it. It can never be both ways. We choose our destiny. We choose whether we will become masters or slaves. Christ came to set us free, but He does not free those who don't want to be free.

       If we choose to become masters over sin, we must choose to live as close to Christ as we possibly can. It is not our righteousness that will enable us to prevail. Only the righteousness of Christ can defeat sin in us. Only in Christ can we gain the upper hand and say no to sin. Only in Christ do we find the desire and willpower to overcome sin.

      Never forget, it was sin that put Jesus on the cross.  It is sin that has brought down the wrath of God on earth.  It is sin that will bring life as we now know it to an end.  Sin is cancer to the soul.  It is your enemy, not your friend.

      The choice is yours to make today. Are you going to be an overcomer or a slave to sin?