Monday, February 8, 2010

Victory over sin

The beauty of living under grace through Christ's redemptive work on the cross means that we can now, for the first time in our lives, say no to sin. Think about that. Before we came to Christ, there's no way we could have said no to sin. Paul tells us in Ephesians that we were dead in our transgressions (sin). We could do nothing about our sinful condition. We were slaves to its desires. But the good news is the God has brought us from death unto life. We have been made new. We now have the ability to do what James calls resisting the devil. This is something we could not have done before Jesus came into our lives. We have been set free from the bondage of sin and its desires.
Does this mean we no longer have a desire to sin? Of course not. We all have a sinful nature that is just waiting for opportunities to creep its ugly head. What this does mean is that we now have the power in Jesus' name to say no. Sin has lost it's power over us. We don't have to sin. We sin because we choose to.
The Bible says that even when we are tempted He will provide a way of escape. The only response to sin and temptation that has ever worked in scripture is running away as fast as you can from the thing that is tempting you. Joseph was tempted and he ran out of the house so fast that he left his coat behind. His purity meant more to him than any earthly thing. He says that he could not do such a wicked thing against his God. Instead of weighing the options and letting the temptation eat at him, he flees. David, on the other hand, does not flee. He entertains the thought and lets it consume him. Once David opened the door to sin, its consequences came to stay like a house guest that won't leave. Samson flirted with his fleshly desires and it ultimately cost him his life.
The only response to sin is flight. Get out while you still can. God has provided a brief window of opportunity to say no and be victorious over sin's desires. We don't have to sin any longer.

Spin

On Jan 7th of this year, My very dear friend and adopted Grandmother Spin FitzRandolph passed from this word and went to be with her Lord. The following was posted on the discussion board for the Facebook Group called Memories of Spin and were my thought about the whole thing.

As our dear friend Spin was laid to rest yesterday, we are now faced with a crucial decision. What are we going to do with legacy she has left? So many of us were touched by Spin's loving personality. We were encouraged by her loving words and comforting hugs. If we needed a laugh, we knew where to come find it. But to leave these qualities unused in our own lives, would be a tragedy. Spin taught us how to love by example. By the way she loved us and by the way we saw her loving others. We should now follow in her footsteps and do the same because she followed Jesus' footsteps. We must now ask ourselves this. Who can I be a Spin to? To whom can I show God's love and acceptance? Whose day can I brighten by a smile and a laugh? How can I make others feel the immeasurable worth they have in Christ? How can I serve God by serving others around me? How can I love without restrictions or prerequisites? How can I be a friend to those who need one, whether I feel like being one or not. How can I take life's heartaches and learn how to have joy in the midst of it all because I know my Father in heaven has it under control? Spin taught us how to do all these things not because she told us, but because she showed us by the way she lived. So my challenge to all of us, even though it is hard because we loved Spin dearly and will miss her, is to pick up her torch and continue to live out her legacy to others. In the word's of her favorite singer Mark Lowery, "To live what I believe/pray for those in need/ always give more than enough/ to gently walk in grace/ boldly stand in faith/ most of all to share the Father's love."