for more about assurance in our salvation, click HERE.
I read that quote today and was amazed at how much it pertained to my life right now. This week i've been wrestling with the thought of sin and how it so easily entagles and tempts us. As I prayed last night, I remember asking God "how can you love me? this poor pathetic muck who can't do anything right?" All I could think about was how much I've failed and how much I suck at life. I continue to do wrong. "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." - Romans 7:14-25. Paul's got me down to a tee. Temptation is such a tangled web. The father of lies tells us that it's no big deal, it's innocent, nothing bad will happen, "surely you will not die" (genesis), just give in because you know you want to. Satan distorts your thoughts and makes you actually do/accept things you never thought you would. He's such a magnificent liar. He's so smooth when he talks. He seduces you with an idea that's not from God. He uses temptation to draw us out of fellowship with God.
The worst thing he does, especially for me, is cause us to doubt.
Oh, the doubt he's put in my mind. He's even gotten me to doubt my own salvation. Just like the quote from above, "if I still want to sin, and I'm aware of it, then I must not love God. Maybe I was never saved". and he'll use those doubts to make us doubt other things - is what God said really true? Do we really need to obey his law? Is it really that bad to get drunk? Would it be so terrible to have sex just once? Before you know it, you're on a vicious cycle downward and then it takes a toll on you emotionally. You become upset, angry, frustrated, and so overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. Did you know doubt was the very first sin? Read about "the fall" in Genesis chapter 3. Satan confronted Eve with the question "did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?". He tried to manipulate what God said to confuse Eve and cause her to doubt. Then he enticed her with the apple (temptation). Poor Eve. If only she stood her ground in her faith. She probably thought one bite was harmless.
And yet, here we are thinking sin is harmless.. just look at what happened to EVE. She was out of fellowship with God. Ironic, huh, that what happened years ago is still the forerunner in our spiritual battles today.
It happens so easily. Temptation messes with our heads and screws with our souls. It's so easy to sin and so hard to do what's right. Because of this, we may feel like we are worthless, powerless; a screw up. We are nothing. Thank God he sent Jesus to save us because we'd be out of luck if he didn't. And thank God we don't lose our salvation even thought we sin. We do lose our fellowship with God, though, as if there's a strain in the relationship until we ask for forgiveness. Like a family doesn't disown their three-year-old son when he misbehaves, God does not disown us - but disciplines us to shape our character. Thank God for that, too.
Sin. Why do we underestimate it's power to destroy our lives? Do we forget that the path is narrow and most of us won't make it to Heaven? Are we content with sin? Or are we gonna fight it?
I've got some links below that I think you guys will really enjoy. It's so true (and so convicting).
You've gotta hear this guy talk on this subject. It'll change your view for sure
Make War by Tedashii
About our war against the sinful flesh
About our war against the sinful flesh
Killa by Lecrae
About how sin so seductively entangles us
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